Your Guide to Tailoring

The clothes we wear are an important aspect of our lives, most people draw first conclusions about us from how we dress. Therefore, it is always a good idea be presentable from your looks. Part of being presentable is how your clothes fit. If the clothes are too buggy, it will not look good. Whereas, smaller clothes will make you uncomfortable. Dressing nicely is also a proven confidence booster that one needs to uphold.

Some of the fixes that a tailor can make to a piece of clothing include; repairing a broken zipper, mending a gap on the waistband, dying uneven coloring, repairing a neckline of a dress and, adding sheers and liners to a nude dress. 

Even in as much as you can trust a tailor with your outfit needs, there are limitations to what can be fixed. Some of the seclusions are; lengthening a jacket, letting out seams of a garment made of linen, cotton or silk, and repairing a hole by stitching clothes.

Custom Sizes

While several attires are made for the average person in the market, it does not mean that it will fit you, hence the need for alteration. Therefore, you need to get to the tailor to have your measurements right. Having the right measurements will also aid you when doing your shopping next time for fitting clothing. The tailor can shorten the sleeves, take in the waist, take in the shoulders, take in the sides, add or remove the zipper, and any other changes depending on your measurements.

You need to note though that there are certain designs which altering will destroy, hence you must consult with your tailor before deciding on the alterations.

Be clear about your expectations

At times you may feel like siding with your tailor’s suggestions even if it doesn’t match what you are looking for. Do not feel pressured to agree or feel like you are a nuisance. You can carry along a photograph to show whatever you want.

Ask for prices beforehand

Different tailors do charge different prices for their services depending on expertise, location, material or relationship. Therefore, ask for rates up front to avoid surprises.  You should be wary though, of tailors who charge way less, they most probably will offer poor output.

Try your outfit before finalizing the process

Remember to try on your altered outfit at the tailor’s premises before you leave to ascertain if the alterations match your expectations. If at all they are not as expected, the tailor will make the needed changes, which in most cases are free of charge.

Basic Tailoring Tips

• The rule of three; this implies that you can alter up to only three parts of a piece.
• Do not touch the shoulders; they should fit naturally.
• If it’s a blouse; you are better off with a dart.
• Bring along the shoes you are planning to wear with the outfit, to avoid your pant dragging down.

Common terms in tailoring

• Break- The fold of fabric where the pants meet the shoes.
• Dart- Slimming a baggy dress by stitching and folding fabric on the back.
• Taper- to steadily narrow a pant from the knee to ankle.
• Let it out -more fabric needed
• Take it in- fabric needs to be lessened or sewn tighter

It’s recommended that you invest in a high-quality tailor. You can easily get one from recommendations and referrals from friends and previous satisfied clients. Nurturing a good relationship between you and the tailor is good for continuous best results.