5 points to remember when you are altering your clothes

Alteration professionals are like magicians. They can make ill-fitting clothes to fit your body better and make you look like a dream. It is always better you know what alterations are possible and how it is done. This first of all sets the expectation with the tailor and and it can save your time too.

Sometimes the word TAILORING can be confusing with ALTERATIONS. Literal meaning of “tailoring” is to make something to a particular use or purpose of an individual. General meaning of tailoring especially in India refers to a clothing item that is custom stitched from a piece of fabric. Alterations are done on already stitched garment (whether custom-stitched by another tailor or a ready-made garment) to make adjustments so that it fits well. Usually they are focussed on particular fit areas. For ex. It could be as simple as taking in the waist of a kurtha or shortening the length of a pair of pants. Alterations in common terms include repair works like fixing fallen hem or missing button or non-functional zips.

Technically, alterations are done by cutting down the extra fabric or adding those inches of fabric or giving darts for a proper shape. Here are top 5 points to remember when you are altering your clothes.

(1) Know your measurements

It is always better you have your measurements handy when buying online or at a store. Generally we say “I am an M” or “I am an L” ; the numbers that retailers use to size their clothing vary from brand to brand. Rather than S-M-L-XL clothing sizes, get yourself measured by a local tailor or use one of the online “measure-me” services given by companies like FCOM. Basic measurements you need for refitting would be chest, waist, hips. Additional information like armhole, bicep, shoulder and thigh round of course help in sleeve alterations and refitting the legs. Lengths and ease can be taken based on the particular garment and style. Always measure twice as it is a manual process unless you are standing in front of a 3D scanner at a mall.

(2) Buy clothes that fit your widest measurement

Once you have your measurements, it doesn’t matter you are buying online or at a store. Always buy clothing that fits your widest measurement. For ex. Your hips are your widest part, buy jeans that fit your hips rather than jeans that fit properly in the waist but are too tight in the hips. When you buy clothing that fits your widest measurement, you can then take in other areas that are loose.

(3) Get a good tailor

When it comes to tailoring services, nothing like a known source. Have a particularly stylish friend or a relative who wears well fitted clothes? Ask them where they got their alterations done. Look at online reviews on Google and their social media pages. Talk to them to understand their knowledge, the turnaround time, prices and how cooperative are they in working with you. Finding a good one is time consuming but is worth your time.

(4) Experiment first

Once you get a good tailor, try out alterations on a piece which is less important for you or less expensive. But make sure this is closer to the garment you finally want the alterations for. Once the solution works well either the first time or after a couple of adjustments, you can go for the actual garment. One solution may not fit all; your tailor or designer should advice the best solution based on your body type and measurements. For complicated dresses it is better you wear and show the areas that need alterations.

(5) Test before you cut

When you do not have sample garments to work on and the alterations are complicated, like waist alteration on a dress or legs refitting on jeans or blazer tightening, you can ask the tailor to mark with a chalk or pin the garment where he is going to sew. A loose stitch with a different thread which you can remove later should be good too. This will give a rough idea of the final product. Your tailor should have patience and be ready to listen to you and give solutions. Try the garment on again before cutting away the excess fabric to ensure the alterations are correct. Once you cut the fabric, attachment is only an adjustment, so be very careful.

In Bangalore there are tailors who accommodate alterations along with their custom-stitching business. Form them alterations is not the primary focus so if possible, avoid them. There are tailors who specialise in alterations only. They are generally located in busy areas like Jayanagar or Shivajinagar. Very rarely you see alteration tailors siting in every corner of the road. Online platforms like FCOM offer doorstep alteration services. They are more organized, reliable and give high quality alteration services. Their designers not only consult on the alterations, they also suggest restyling of the garments to adapt to current fashion trends.