…ually. This helps to give me an idea of what the item will look like after alterations, and whether alterations will even be worth it. So, here we go… This dress needs to be slimmed all the way down from the bust to the hem. It also needs to be shortened to a more flattering length. Tip: getting the bust of a garment taken in at the side seam will also make the arm holes smaller. From the side view, my bra peeked through the arm hole, which means…
…e slimmed. Slimming the sides will also help to narrow the arm hole. After alterations: Cost of alterations: $60 What a difference, hmm? Before vs. After Alterations Getting it slimmed was pretty obvious, but most petite women don’t realize the difference taking a garment up at the shoulder can make! We’re short…so our clothes have to be too. Taking the vest up at the shoulder made the arm holes nice and high, put the bust in the right place, and…
…them. Brought my 3.5″ heels and washed jeans with me to my tailor. Asked for an “original hem”. Asked for the waist to be taken in. Here are the jeans after alterations: Yup, you’ve seen this photo before. See more common alterations for petites….
…c quality. The Zara coat feels substantial and quite nice for the price. — Alterations — Coat/Jacket Alterations In General If the coat is lined, the tailor will need to open or remove the lining before making alterations, and then re-attach when done. This increases the cost of most coat alterations. Shoulder Narrowed I was almost able to get away without, but my tailor recommended I have it done and after seeing the results, I agree. It just hel…
…ves, but ultimately the length bothered me so I decided to add that to the alterations list. The alterations I wanted done were: Slimming the torso Shortening the sleeves to a less awkward (and summer appropriate) 3/4 length Shortening the sleeve was straight forward enough, but slimming the sides was looking to be a little more difficult. The side seams were very close to the faux pocket, so taking in that seam would displace the pocket detail. I…
…2 sizes (“before” is size 0). Here is a basic run-down of what was done: — Alterations — Blazer/Jacket Alterations In General If the jacket is lined, the tailor will need to open or remove the lining before making alterations, and then re-attach when done. This increases the cost of most jacket alterations. Shoulder Narrowed The most difficult of the alterations done on this jacket, and one that should be avoided if you have that luxury. Due to my…
…fit issues. I have to share how freakin’ cute Khatu looks. Disclosure – Clicking or purchasing through the links in this post may yield commissions for AlterationsNeeded.com. See the Alterations Needed Disclosure for more details….
…the blog last week. It didn’t undergo anything too major, but I think the alterations made a pretty big difference in how it feels on me. Since I like to share my reasoning behind choosing an item for keeps and alterations, here are some of my criteria it met. Garment Type – A long vest is one of those items I’ve been trying to make work on my frame for a while now. After many failures, this one finally worked out well, and I was happy to make th…
…hate readjusting belts that shimmy their way up and off the waistband). — Alterations — Pant Alterations In General It’s best if you don’t mess with the pant rise, since that can be costly and difficult to tailor. Most other things on a pair of pants can be tailored without to much difficulty. Also, if the pant is lined (these are not), it can raise the cost of the tailoring. Waist Taken In This is a pretty common alteration with a symptom (a wai…
…ext, you want to make sure the garment quality is even worth investing the alterations in, so the garment will probably be on the pricey side to begin with. Many stores keep most (or all) of their petite inventory online, which tacks on the cost of shipping. Add into this equation the smaller store inventories of small sizes, which causes lots of petite women to buy items at full retail price, and it’s easy to see how much extra money petite women…
…tton placement), and slims the shoulder. This is the most laborious of the alterations, as the whole collar/shoulder/sleeve area needs to be entirely re-cut. Unfortunately, being as petite as I am, this alteration is needed often with regular-sized garments, but I try to reserve it for special items. (Cost ~$65) Sleeve shortened – this alteration was done at the shoulder, since it needed to be detached for the shoulder alteration described above a…
…cerns when shopping for pants. If you can find pants that don’t need extra alterations…awesome! Otherwise, invest in a nice pair, pay to get them altered, and take good care of them so they last a very long time. To see the Ann Taylor and Theory pants after alterations, see the Related Posts listing at the end of this post. Anyone else have any pants fit shopping advice? Related Posts: Putting Theory to Rest…Part II Dress Pants for Tiny Petites: A…
