7 things a tailor can do — and 7 things a tailor can't (2024)

FAQs

What can and can't tailors do? ›

A tailor cannot typically make the sleeves longer or the jacket or trousers or skirt longer except by a small amount (maybe 10mm if the hem was generous to begin with). A tailor can usually make a skirt smaller because there is excess material in the skirt and excess material in the waistband.

Sew garments

Sewing is the primary duty of tailors. They sew garments with different methods such as by using a needle and thread or with sewing machines. Tailors are responsible for constructing clothes similar to the clients' specifications.

As a tailor, your responsibilities are to sew clothes, make alterations, hem outfits to the appropriate length, and repair damaged items as needed. You often need to work with different tools to properly fix a garment.

The rule of thumb is that you can go down two sizes at a maximum, but a suit jacket or blazer, only one size too large, is a safer option. The problem is always that jackets that are too large can also be too large on the shoulders, which is a more challenging thing to alter.

Fitting garments is considered one of the hardest skills in sewing. This involves making sure that the clothing will fit the body that'll be wearing it. Many factors influence the fit of a garment, including body shape, fabric choice, and pattern size.

Alteration services include limited changes to garments like adjusting the hem or waistline of a dress, fixing a broken zipper, or adjusting the waistline, seat, taper, or hem of pants.

The word tailor comes from the Latin taliare, meaning "to cut." A tailor is someone who cuts and adjusts your clothing to better fit.

A competent tailor won't require step-by-step guidance on how to execute their job, and a less skilled one isn't likely to improve with detailed directives from someone who doesn't even know how to sew.

Tailors are responsible for constructing, altering, repairing, or modifying garments for customers based on their specifications, needs, and preferences. They take customers' measurements, assist in fabric selection, and arrange fittings to determine whether additional adjustments are needed.

What does tailor-made do? ›

Tailor-made means made to fit the needs or specifications of a particular situation, object, or person—or seeming as though it was made that way. In its most literal sense, tailor-made is used to describe a piece of clothing made by a tailor, especially a suit.

Tailors know how to place a garment on a client and study it for optimum fitting. They alter clothing items to fit the client better, but they also sew garments from scratch using needle and thread or a sewing machine. They can measure, mark and adjust hems and seams for alteration.

You can generally alter trousers and shirts down by as much as two sizes. Suit jacket alterations are much more involved, making only one size down a realistic endeavor. Sometimes you're simply better off buying new.

Can a jacket be let-out (made roomier) in the midsection? Sure, if there is fabric available. If the jacket is just a touch snug in the belly, you can also cheat it by moving out the front button a 3/8″ or so.

The first rule of suit alteration is that you can remove or reduce the amount of fabric, but you can't make something bigger. How much bigger would depend on how much extra material was allowed under the seams or hems of the garments.

Tailoring businesses face several common challenges. These challenges include coping with religious practices such as seclusion, dealing with unstable electricity, inadequate finance, and extreme poverty.

There are three different types of professional tailors: local, distance and traveling. Local tailors are the most common, as they work from local shops where customers take their garments for adjustments.

Let slit (open / close)

If this slit is a bit too high for your comfort, we're often able to close it to your desired hight, or completely.

Indeed, if you want to rest assured that your measurements are taken by a professional, you can go to any tailor and ask him to measure you.