[502 to Right]

I have one decent tailor near me but it’s a long drive and he has inconvenient hours. I’ve used mail in tailor services in the past to make simple alterations: shortening jacket sleeves, taking in the waist of trousers, or hemming trousers. However, I have a couple of suit jackets on which I’d like to have the sides taken in an inch or two. The problem is that I can’t pin them myself.

Is it possible to take the measurements of a suit jacket that fits me nicely and convey that to the mail in tailor to make the alterations? If so, what measurements do I want to pass along? Or could I send along a suit jacket that fits me well and let them take the measurements?

I know this method is not ideal, but it really is a pain in the rear to get to the local tailor given my busy job and personal life. I will also add that these are two suit jackets that aren’t particularly valuable and I currently don’t wear them because they are too roomy in the waist. So if the mail in tailor job was substandard I wouldn’t be out much.

 

[smmrfld]

Recipe for disappointment...I would avoid.

 

[Paul]

Not a good idea. the tailor is based the alteration on measurements. Unless you can measure yourself perfectly or have someone who's accurate, you will suffer garbage-In, garbage-out.

The other issue is how good the tailor is at the other end? With a local tailor, you are probably dealing with one person. With a mail order, you may be dealing with a staff with varying degree of skills. You may get one decent alternation followed by a really bad one.

Paul

 

[SG_67]

This is definitely something to avoid by mail in. Wait until you have need for more items to be tailored and make a trip out there.

 

[502 to Right]

So you're telling me this is a bad idea?

 

[502 to Right]

What if I had someone pin the jacket?

 

[Matt S]

What if I had someone pin the jacket?

This should work. Tailors pin a jacket to either work on later or have someone else work on later.

 

[16412]

Safety pins are probably better for mailing.
Regular pins may slip out.

 

[Woofa]

I assume I must be looking incorrectly but Google has you 20 minutes from Milwaukee. Are you much more rural than that? More than one brookfield? Because driving 30 minutes would seem reasonable to find a good tailor with decent hours.

 

[jts287]

Spitballing here: what if you send that jacket plus one that fits great and say 'make this fit like that'?

 

[502 to Right]

Spitballing here: what if you send that jacket plus one that fits great and say 'make this fit like that'?

That would seem reasonable to me. But it appears the consensus is that this would not work.

Personally, I don't see why it wouldn't. Clothes can be broken down to their actual dimensions. I don't wear suits that are form fitting so an exact match is not necessary.

 

[502 to Right]

I assume I must be looking incorrectly but Google has you 20 minutes from Milwaukee. Are you much more rural than that? More than one brookfield? Because driving 30 minutes would seem reasonable to find a good tailor with decent hours.

With no traffic it would be 20 minutes, but the guy I've gone to before is north of Milwaukee and mostly keeps hours of 10am-5pm. With traffic I'm probably looking at 30-45 minutes each way. Plus getting him to commit to a day tailoring will be done is like pulling teeth. He does good work but is frustrating to deal with.

If there's other decent tailors in the area I've never heard of them. Not saying it's impossible though. Good tailors are just so hard to find these days.

 

[JLibourel]

I note that your hometown contains about 38,000 people per the last census. Do none of the laundries there have a halfway decent alterations tailor? A little waist suppression is not a major tailoring operation.

 

[Matt S]

Personally, I don't see why it wouldn't. Clothes can be broken down to their actual dimensions. I don't wear suits that are form fitting so an exact match is not necessary.

There are many subtleties of how those measurements are taken and how things are shaped between those measurements. It's one reason why online tailoring so often goes horribly wrong. It's why bespoke suits have basted fittings, because a suit is more than simple measurements.

 

[smmrfld]

Personally, I don't see why it wouldn't. Clothes can be broken down to their actual dimensions. I don't wear suits that are form fitting so an exact match is not necessary.

So you ask a question on this forum, receive responses that overwhelmingly caution you not to do this, yet you still don't see why it likely won't work. Shoulda saved yourself the trouble of posting. And not wasted the time of those who wasted their time responding. SMH.

 

[502 to Right]

So you ask a question on this forum, receive responses that overwhelmingly caution you not to do this, yet you still don't see why it likely won't work. Shoulda saved yourself the trouble of posting. And not wasted the time of those who wasted their time responding. SMH.

So I'm not permitted to question the advice I've been given? That's not the way I work. By the way, I haven't discounted the advice--nor am I unappreciative of the people who have posted in this thread.

This site is full of good advice. It's also filled with bad advice. Each person has to sift and winnow to find the good.

 

[SG_67]

So I'm not permitted to question the advice I've been given? That's not the way I work. By the way, I haven't discounted the advice--nor am I unappreciative of the people who have posted in this thread.

This site is full of good advice. It's also filled with bad advice. Each person has to sift and winnow to find the good.

You asked a question; one that is commonly asked here. That implies a gap in either knowledge, experience or both. You received answers which I would argue heavily lean toward not doing this by mail.

I could see you questioning the advise had it not come with some meaningful rationale. A simple "don't do it" would certainly warrant a follow up question and questioning on your part. I believe MattS gave a very succinct response and rationale.

You can continue to question. Roll the dice and see what happens.

 

[Troones]

If you try it with one jacket that you don't mind risking, just for the experiment, the result, good or bad, would make a good follow up post. With the knowledgeable advice you've been given here, you're less likely to be disappointed if it turns out badly.

 

[Andy]

I note that your hometown contains about 38,000 people per the last census. Do none of the laundries there have a halfway decent alterations tailor? A little waist suppression is not a major tailoring operation.

502 to Right:

JLibourel has a great idea and in your home town here is a list of alteration tailors from a simple Google search:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Bro....69i57j0l2.24471j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[Woofa]

My suggestion is that you are close enough to a major city which in a Google search yields dozens of options for alterations tailors.
I understand that things are relative to different people but, reasonably, that is close enough to make it worth trying over mail in if, if you have easy access to the city. (ie a car and a license, etc. Not everyone does so I understand if you cannot easily pop in on a Saturday morning.) My daily work commute is at least that long so to me that drive is no big deal. As for choices, often websites like yelp which have actual customers feedback and ratings is a great place to start. As stated above this should be a relatively easy alteration but if in doubt bring them in a test job and see how they do before giving them something you care about. I wish you luck.