There are 2 things I always pay attention to when dressing clients and trying things on myself: sleeve and trousers length. 

These seemingly small details can have a huge impact on the overall look. 

Trousers and sleeves that are too long are one of the most common mistakes I see all the time. They distort the proportions of the overall silhouette and make the look sloppy. It’s impossible to look polished and chic when the fit is simply not right. This is a simple alteration that is well worth investing into.

I have an example of tapered trousers below. Trousers on the left have the fabric folding at the bottom and that fold breaks the flow of the leg line, making the bottom half of the body appear heavier and shorter.

Trousers on the right are the right length for the tapered style – they end above the ankle.

Here is another example below with sleeve length.

Sleeves that are too long will drag your torso down making the upper body look longer and the legs looking shorter.

Sleeves that are too short will make you look like you ‘grew out’ of your blazer.

The right length for the full-length sleeve is between the wrist bone and the base of the thumb.

In many cases the sleeve length can be adjusted by simply pulling up the sleeve and turning it into 3/4 sleeve. But there are items like coats and certain blazers where this trick is not going to work and alterations are the best solution.

Adjusting the length of the trousers and sleeves is an alteration that shouldn’t scare you. Trousers usually cost around 10-15 euro and sleeves alterations vary between 10 and 20 euro depending on the complexity of the job (if there are buttons that need to be readjusted, this will make the job more complicated and thus can cost more). 

As I mentioned above, I often have to adjust the waist of trousers to make them fit my lower body properly. This is another very common alteration that is often needed for anyone who is a typical pear (bigger hips + smaller waist). 

I came across an interesting post on Manrepeller.com with great examples of how powerful alterations can be for the overall look when it comes to adjusting the waist, the length and the width. 

As you can see, adjusting the waist, turning up the legs and sometimes even taking in the leg width can turn trousers from ‘blah’ to ‘wow’.

But here is something else you need to consider – when there are that many alterations required, are the trousers worth buying at all?

So now let’s talk about when it makes sense to tailor something and when it doesn’t.

╳ If the item requires more than 2 alterations, seriously consider if it is worth the expense. I would only recommend doing that to pieces you already own or something of good quality that has been given to you.

If a new piece you are considering buying needs a significant amount of alterations, it is probably better to keep looking. 

╳ Tailoring the length of trousers and sleeves (to make them longer or shorter), taking in the waist, leg and sleeve width, putting in darts, changing a zip, changing/moving buttons, etc. – those are minor enough investments. But if it’s anything to do with padded shoulders, think twice- it’s a big job that only skilled tailors can do. (And pretty expensive as well!)

If you are in doubt, take the item to the dressmaker to get a quote, and if the cost of alterations is too high, simply return the piece back to the store.

╳ Jersey, some silk finishes, stretchy fabrics, leather and knitwear are very complicated to work with so stay away from alterations on those unless you know a super talented dressmaker. 

╳ Don’t do complicated alterations on high street pieces. So always consider the cost of the item vs the cost of alterations. The quality and durability of high-street clothes is often not there to go to the trouble of alterations. So ideally invest in alterations on pieces that are of good quality and will last you a while.

╳ If you are tempted to get something in sale that is not your size and then do alterations, think twice. Unless this is a designer piece at a high-street price, the purchase is not worth the hassle. 

✔ Always do alterations straight away when you realise the item needs work. Don’t wait for an occasion/the right season to come along. That way the item will be there ready to wear and you don’t carry the risk of never getting around to fixing it.

Now check your wardrobe to see if there are any pieces sitting there that have great potential, but are not being worn due to not fitting right. Use the tips I’ve given you above to make an educated decision on whether it’s worth altering them, and whatever decision you make – take action as soon as possible.

If it’s worth altering the item, take care of that and you’ll have a new exciting piece to play around with. 

If’ the item is not worth hassling with, let it go straight away! Don’t keep it in your wardrobe as it is simply creating mental clutter. 

Natalie x