Part of looking stylish and put together is making sure your clothes fit correctly. We've heard it before, a tailor can take an inexpensive item and make it look like it was made for you by making the right tweaks. Here's what you need to know when doing alterations.
* When adjusting things to be smaller, two sizes is usually the most an item can be altered. If you're going from a size 12 to 6, you basically asking to have the whole garment remade and it won't look right.
* Almost everything can be altered except button holes, arm holes and the crotch on a pair of pants. I tell my clients that if the crotch doesn't fit, then you have to walk away! Otherwise, everything is else is doable. (My favorite adjustment is to make the sleeves narrower, which greatly decreases any unnecessary volume on the body and instantly makes you look slimmer - especially for men's shirts!)
* Even though most things can be tailored, some are a bit more complicated. The shoulder is the most complicated joint in the body and no surprise, it's also the most complex when it comes to tailoring. The shoulder is usually altered when there is a detail on the bottom of the sleeve that we don't want to lose.
Some other things you have to watch out for are stretchy fabrics because they move when put through a sewing machine. This means that sometimes a hem can turn out uneven. A good tailor should make you aware of this.
* Lastly, when it comes to finding a good tailor, remember that they should have an opinion. You will probably put on the garment to be alter and then tell him or her what you want done, but an experienced tailor has seen (and worked with) all of it. They should pipe up and tell you that the dress is better at such-and-such proportion or that taking in the dress at the sides will ruin how the rest of it fits.
Understanding proportion and length is something I'm constantly addressing in the lessons for The Style Academy as well as on my Stylish After 40 blog (only for pictures of women's outfits... for now :).
In the world of style, an inch or two can make all the difference. Sloppy or clothes that are too loose add pounds and can be frumpy.