Photo by Michael
Each month we ask our expert tailors to address one of your most frequent questions. This month we’re considering alterations: how much can a suit be adjusted?
There are many benefits to wearing made to measure tailoring. One of the major ones is that this is the only way you can be sure your suit is designed to fit you perfectly. A well fitted suit is more comfortable to wear, looks better and will last longer.
The thing about us human beings is that we don’t always stay the same shape! A suit that fitted you beautifully five years ago may be a little loose or a little tight today. The wonder of tailoring is that you don’t just have to grin and bear it. A good tailor will be able to take these piece of clothing and alter them to fit.
How much can a suit be altered?
When it comes to alterations, we’d always advise taking your prized tailoring to an experienced tailor. In most cases they will be able to work magic on your clothing and make you feel great in it again.
However, there are limits to what even the most experienced tailors can do! As a general rule, if you’ve lost or gained more than a stone and a half it may not be possible to refit your tailoring.
Is it better to invest in major alterations or a new suit?
When you invest in high end bespoke tailoring and look after it well, you can generally expect it to last for many years. That said, if you have a suit that no longer fits, you may want to take a very good look at it to decide how much life it has left in it.
Some smaller adjustments can be done very quickly and simply and won’t require much of an investment. More significant alterations will take longer and be more costly. If the tailoring in question is already well worn, you may want to weigh up the benefits of paying for alterations rather than opting for a new suit instead.
Next month we’ll be asking our tailors to answer another frequently asked bespoke tailoring query. Sign up to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss it.