Tailors can expertly alter your clothes to fit your body type, height, and personal style preferences, allowing you to look and feel confident in your clothes. For instance, consider office wear. Business attire is often formal, with blazers, suits, tailored shirts, and trousers being the norm. Getting these clothes professionally altered can make a significant difference in how you present yourself. The right fit can give you a sleek, polished look that is sure to impress, while ill-fitting clothes can make you look shabby and unkempt, even if they’re expensive.

A tailored piece of clothing can also last longer, as the alterations help the fabric to wear evenly, ensuring your clothes hold up over time. For business professionals this can be very important. Instead of continually buying new clothes, alterations can give you the option to maintain a capsule wardrobe and save you time and money.

From hemming pants to adjusting sleeves, there are many types of alterations that a tailor can undertake to make our clothes fit us better. In this blog, we will explore the most common types of alterations that a professional tailor can do

1. Hemming Pants

One of the most popular types of alterations is hemming pants. This process involves bringing up the bottom of your pants to match your desired length. Hemming pants can be done by hand or with a sewing machine, depending on your tailor’s preference. This alteration is common for people who buy pants or trousers with a longer length than they need. Sometimes, you may also need to hem pants if they have been worn down and have an uneven bottom. In China or India, a common method of hemming pants is to fold the excess fabric and stitch it.

2. Taking in or Letting out Seams

Another common alteration is taking in or letting out seams. This alteration is needed when your clothes either feel too tight or too loose in particular areas. For instance, if your shirt is too loose near your waist or arms, your tailor can take in the seams to fit you better. Similarly, an alteration to let out seams is necessary when your clothes feel too tight or constricted. This type of change is more common with formal suits or dresses, which can have rigid fabrics that require a perfect fit.

3. Adjusting Sleeves

Sometimes, the sleeves of our shirts or jackets feel too long or short, or just don’t sit on our arms properly. That’s where adjusting sleeves comes in. A tailor can alter the length, width, or shape of sleeves to fit your unique measurements. This alteration is common for formal wear like suits, tuxedos, or jackets, where a perfect fit and structural integrity is necessary. Depending on the fabric and design of the clothes, this alteration can require significant skill and experience.

4. Shortening Dresses

Finally, shortening a dress is a common alteration that is required to achieve the desired length. If you bought a dress online or at a store and it’s a bit too long, a tailor can shorten it to your preferred length. This alteration is common for cocktail dresses, wedding gowns, or other formal dresses where the length can make or break your look. Additionally, a professional tailor can adjust the sleeves, neckline, or other areas of the dress to fit your body shape better.

To sum it up, alterations can be a fantastic way to refresh your wardrobe without having to buy new clothes. From hemming pants, taking in or letting out seams, adjusting sleeves, to shortening dresses, these alterations can make your clothes fit better and look more stylish. While you may be tempted to do them yourself, it’s always best to get them done professionally by a trusted tailor. Not only will they be able to give you expert advice on what type of alterations you need, but they can execute them with care and precision. So go ahead, take your clothes to the tailor, and let them work their magic!