GuidesAlterations
What can be altered?
Fit before brand: a piece that fits looks more expensive than it was. An alterations tailor fixes a lot for little money – but not everything. Knowing which is which makes you a more deliberate shopper.
Easy
Small work on hems and seams. Any good alteration tailor can do this.
Can trousers be shortened?
- What’s possible
- Almost always. The hem is redone, with or without a cuff. Lengthening only works if enough fabric is folded up inside.
- Price
- approx. €12–25, somewhat more with a cuff or an original hem on jeans
- When buying
- Better to buy a little too long than too short. Good dress trousers have a generous hem allowance; some come with an open hem so the length is only set at the tailor.
Can sleeves be shortened?
- What’s possible
- Easy on a sport coat as long as the sleeve buttons are only sewn on: the hem is shortened and the buttons move up with it. On a shirt the cuff is removed and reattached.
- Price
- approx. €20–45
- When buying
- On sport coats with functional, unbuttonable sleeve buttonholes, the sleeve has to be shortened from the shoulder – that is much more work. Only buy such coats if the sleeve length is right.
Can a shirt or sport coat be taken in at the waist?
- What’s possible
- Yes. Shirts are taken in at the side seams or with darts in the back, sport coats at the side and back seams, trousers at the waistband along the center back seam.
- Price
- approx. €15–30 for a shirt, approx. €30–60 for a sport coat
- When buying
- A little too loose at the waist is no reason to leave a piece behind if shoulders and length are right.
Moderate
Here it depends on the fabric left in the seams. A good tailor tells you beforehand how much is possible.
Can the waist of trousers be let out?
- What’s possible
- As far as there is seam allowance in the center back seam – on many dress trousers a few centimeters (an inch or so), on jeans usually hardly any.
- Price
- approx. €15–35
- When buying
- Check inside at the center back seam before buying: if there is wide fabric there, the trousers can be let out later. Trousers with a split waistband are made for this.
Can the crotch of trousers be altered?
- What’s possible
- A crotch that sits too low can be raised a little, a tight one let out a little if there is allowance. The rise itself hardly changes in the process.
- Price
- approx. €20–40
- When buying
- Pay attention to the rise: it can't really be changed. If it fits, the rest is fine-tuning.
Can trousers be made narrower?
- What’s possible
- Yes, at the inseam and outseam, up to a certain point. Tapered too much, the drape of the trouser leg gets distorted and creases have to be pressed in again.
- Price
- approx. €20–45
- When buying
- Making them narrower works, wider hardly. When in doubt, buy the slightly wider trousers.
Hardly or not at all
What interferes with the construction is rarely worth it. These measurements have to be right when you buy.
Can the shoulders of a sport coat be altered?
- What’s possible
- Hardly. Shoulder, sleeve and collar are connected; making the shoulder narrower means setting the sleeve in again. That costs a lot and doesn't always work.
- Price
- approx. €80–150 and more – rarely worth it
- When buying
- The shoulder is the first measurement when buying a sport coat or overcoat. If the shoulder seam ends where your shoulder ends, the rest can be altered.
Can a sport coat be shortened?
- What’s possible
- Only a little. Pockets and buttons sit at fixed points; if the coat becomes noticeably shorter, the proportions are off. Lengthening is practically impossible.
- Price
- Generally not worth it
- When buying
- Check the length when trying on: traditionally the sport coat just covers the seat.
Can clothing that is too small be made larger?
- What’s possible
- Only as far as there is fabric in the seams. A shirt that is too small, a sport coat that is too tight or trousers that are too short without hem allowance can't be saved.
- Price
- Usually not possible
- When buying
- When in doubt, take the larger size and have it taken in – never the other way around.
Prices are rough ranges for an alteration tailor in Germany. They vary by region, fabric and construction; in big cities and at a bespoke tailor they are often higher.