A well-fitting suit can make a big difference when you want to impress at an important event. Luckily, tailors can usually get the job done in a day or two at most independent local shops. When you have found your ideal suit for the occasion, it is always a good idea to invest in luxury suit hangers to help keep your outfit looking pristine and wrinkle-free. Alterations can often take longer at commercial men’s clothing stores that offer in-house tailoring services. A few factors determine how long a suit will need to be tailored.
The Fabric
A custom suit is comprised of two layers – the outer shell fabric and the inner lining. Both can be made from a variety of fabrics that offer different properties like breathability, wrinkling resistance, and formality.
The fabric used for the exterior of your suit is called wool, cotton, or linen; for the lining, it can be silk or Bemberg. The type of fabric you choose for your suit is based on your needs, style preferences, and budget. Linen is the way to go if you’re looking for a durable, breathable option that will stand up to heat and humidity. On the other hand, silk offers a luxurious look that’s a bit more elegant and is great for cold weather.
Depending on your budget, you can also opt for a full-canvassed construction where a canvas made from horse or camel hair spans the entire front of the suit jacket, including lapels. This adds a little more to the overall cost but provides superior drape and shape. However, half-canvassing is the better choice for the average man since it provides a good balance between cost and quality.
One of the first things a tailor will do is take measurements. They will ask about your height, waistline, chest circumference, step length, side length, and hip circumference. Once they have all the details, they will use them to create a pattern that will fit your body.
Once the pattern has been created, it’s time for the actual alterations. A skilled tailor will be able to make a number of adjustments to your suit, including taking in your pants and sleeves. If your pants are too baggy, they can be taken in by having new seams added to the inside of your garment. Similarly, if your sleeves are too long, they can be shortened by stitching the bottom of the sleeve to the inside of the suit.
While it is possible to have a suit altered, there are limits to how much can be done. Sizing up is a lot more challenging than sizing down since the manufacturer will have already established patterns for specific sizes and may not have enough leftover fabric. The amount of fabric left will also determine whether or not the garment can be shortened.
The Alterations
Many people have clothes they never wear in their closets because they don’t fit quite right. The good news is that a talented tailor can usually bring new life to those garments. However, it’s important to understand the difference between alterations and tailoring before deciding to invest in fixing them.
Alterations are limited changes to a garment, such as shortening the sleeves, adjusting the waistline, tapering and hem of pants or skirts, or hemming a suit jacket. Tailoring is a more in-depth process that includes adjustments to the fit and structure of a suit, such as removing or adding fabric, reshaping parts of the garment, or even completely replacing them.
A local seamstress or alterations shop can often perform simple alterations but may need to refer you to a tailor for more complex alterations. Tailors have the skills, tools, and equipment needed to make more advanced alterations, like reducing the width of the sleeves or the waistline of a shirt or pants.
When you take your suit to the tailor, they will be able to give you an idea of how long it will take to complete the work. This will depend on the type of alterations that need to be made and how busy they are at the time of your appointment.
For example, if you are getting your suit altered for a wedding or prom, the tailor may be very busy and need to schedule appointments for multiple clients. They also may have to order additional fabrics, buttons, or other components of your suit, which can add to the turnaround time.
The first rule of alterations is that you cannot make something bigger, although a skilled tailor can sometimes release or let out excess fabric. It’s more common, however, for tailors to take in or reduce the size of a garment. Taking in or reducing the shoulders of a suit jacket is especially difficult because of the shoulder joint’s structure.
Other alterations include reshaping a garment’s parts and eliminating loose stitching or other defects. It’s important to be clear with the tailor about what you want them to fix and to ask if they think it’s possible, given the constraints of your clothing.
The Time of Year
A tailor’s turnaround time will be affected by the time of year. This can affect how busy they are, which will, in turn, impact how fast they are able to get your suit back to you. For this reason, it’s important to bring in your suit at the beginning of the season, if possible, so that you have as much time as possible to get it back before your big day.
Hemming your sleeves and taking the suit in at the waist are both fairly simple alterations, and your tailor should be able to do them quickly. However, if you’re looking to have your sleeves lengthened or shortened, this can be a more difficult alteration. Many premium suits feature functional sleeve buttons, and it can be difficult to shorten by more than 3/4″ without losing the button’s functionality. Cheaper suits often skip this step, which is why it can be hard to shorten the sleeves on these suits.
Other alterations that require more effort and expertise include altering your jacket’s shoulder padding. This can be tricky, especially if you’re dealing with a jacket that was originally padded for another size wearer. In these cases, the tailor will have to remove the original padding and reinsert it in a new location.
Similarly, reducing a “collar gap” can be a challenge. This is when the collar of your shirt isn’t sitting properly against the collar of the suit, and it requires careful measurement to make sure that it’s fixed.
Some alterations are simply impossible to do, and you should be realistic about what’s feasible. For example, if your suit has very baggy pants or an issue with the shoulder fit, purchasing a new suit may be more practical than trying to fix an existing one. Having said that, a skilled stylist can walk you through the decision-making process and help you determine which style of suit will look best on you, even if you have to start from scratch. That way, you can be confident that your wedding suit is the perfect match for you and your groomsmen.
The Tailor
Most local tailors and general alterations shops will be able to make basic changes to your suit, including shortening the sleeves. However, more complex jobs may require a higher skill level and longer turnaround time.
Finding a tailor you trust and have a good relationship with is important. When it comes to alterations, your tailor should be able to understand what you are trying to accomplish with the garment and suggest options for achieving this. For example, if you want your jacket’s sleeves to be shorter, the tailor should be able to estimate how long it will take to shorten the sleeves and explain why they think this is the best way to achieve this.
The tailor should also be able to provide you with an estimate for the total cost of the alterations. This will include the price for labor and any materials that may be needed to complete the job. Some tailored suits may require custom fabrics or buttons, which will add to the overall cost. The tailor should be able to let you know about these additional costs before you hand over the garment.
Some people buy their suits at a commercial men’s clothing store because they offer in-house alterations services. This is a convenient option for those in a rush or who don’t want to wait for a tailor. It is also a great way to test out a new tailor without putting your expensive suit at risk.
However, it is recommended that you visit a local independent tailor for any major alterations. It’s more likely that a local tailor will be able to turn around the work in a shorter amount of time than a commercial store, which will be relying on its suppliers to get the fabric and other components needed to complete the job.
When searching for a tailor, be sure to read online reviews and ask for recommendations from friends and family. You can also find many local tailors through a simple web search that includes your city or zip code.