Nowadays with economies of scale and the chase towards higher profit margins, it is (decreasingly*) difficult to find inexpensive clothing that fits appropriately. It can be frustrating to shop for a certain item you really like, but to actually have that item fit perfectly is like finding the Holy Grail. Just take a second and think of your favorite shirt or pants that fit like a glove…words cannot describe that feeling, but a tailor can absolutely recreate that.
“There was a time when men only wore tailored clothing. There wasn’t much in the way of mass production, and even “ready to wear” items were mostly hand-made, boutique style.” – Dan Trepanier, articlesofstyle.com.
Now I’m not saying to tailor all of your clothes. A good tailor will actually advise you to return certain items for a better fitting alternative to save you money. However, simple alterations to certain items in your wardrobe can drastically improve your appearance.
When to Tailor Your Clothes
Your appearance is often reduced to the fit of your clothing. That being said, most men wear oversized clothes which make them appear large and baggy. Below are some images to help you recognize how certain articles of clothing should fit, with circles and arrows around common alteration areas.
Shirt – Cuffs should be able to accommodate a watch and fully expose the hand. Sleeves should not be so tight as to cause resistance, but also should not billow. Any billowing around the torso and sleeves should be “taken in” by a tailor.
Pants – Pants should not require a belt to stay on your hips. Pleats make things larger down there in a weird way – opt for a flat front. The pants should break slightly on the shoe with minimal excess fabric. Large breaks and excess fabric at the bottom of pants make a person look shorter (trust me).
Jacket – The stomach should have enough room so as to not pull the buttons, but create a silhouette of your figure. The shoulders’ seam should sit at your shoulder bone, otherwise creating an unsightly dimple at the upper arm – a sure sign of a poorly fitted suit.
EXAMPLES!
Now don’t tell my brother, but I took one of his old dress shirts ’cause I dug the pattern. However, the shirt draped like a garbage bag on my body. I took the shirt to my tailor and it’s now one of my favorite shirts after spending ~$30 to take in the torso and sleeves (see below). Sorry Geoff.
On the other end of the spectrum, an older shirt in my closet is kind of giving me that billowing effect when trying it on. You can clearly see this shirt makes me look 30 lbs larger! However, I really like the color (and did not pay much for the shirt) so I will most likely have this one altered in the future.
As you can tell by the photos, tailoring larger-sized items in your closet can add significant value and make you look much better. I MEAN JUST LOOK AT ME. Just kidding I’m not like that.
TIPS
- Alterations can only be made on seams. Fabric can be “taken in” (shortened) much easier than being “taken out”.
- Prices on average (STL): pant hems ($15), shirt slimming ($20-30), jacket chest adjustments ($70+), jacket shoulder adjustments ($100+). When purchasing a suit, make sure the shoulders and pant waist are fitting right as those are the most expensive/difficult alterations to make.
- It is normal to spend more on alterations than the actual item. However…
- Expensive brands don’t necessarily mean they look better. Purchasing a cheaper suit, pant, button-up, etc. and having it tailored to your fit can absolutely save you money and look much nicer than expensive brands.
For more information, I strongly advise you to check out the following links.
http://dappered.com/2012/08/the-fit-priority-rankings/
http://articlesofstyle.com/57994/a-simple-guide-to-tailoring-alterations/
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-mens-clothes-should-fit-2014-1
Best tailors in STL:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/brentwood-alteration-and-tailoring-saint-louis
http://www.yelp.com/biz/daniel-morgan-tailor-saint-louis
And Houston:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/u-s-tailors-houston
http://www.yelp.com/biz/martin-tailors-houston
*I’ve noticed an increasing amount of companies offering more specific sizing options on their clothing. For example, Bonobos, GAP and Nordstrom now offer slim, tailored, skinny, trim cuts etc.)
-CP