One of the reasons a bespoke suit can last a long time is that it is easier to adjust, and the tailors that made it are better at doing so.
It's easier to adjust because more cloth is left in the seams, and in more places, than anything made in a factory. And the hand work makes many of those adjustments easier.
Taking it to the tailor that originally made the suit helps too, as they know how it was put together. It's also nice to know that - given the tailor has probably already been around for decades, if not a century - they will likely be there to carry on looking after it over its life.
However, some adjustments are easy (taking in the side seams); some are hard (altering the length); and some are basically impossible (turning a DB into an SB).
In fact more importantly, most extreme alterations involve compromising the suit in some way. Either the pockets will be out of position, or the line of the front edge won't be right. They'll take a lot of work, and produce a substandard garment.
In this video - the latest in our Wool Care series - I talk to Davide Taub of Gieves & Hawkes about alterations.
He runs through all these possibilities, including how much something can be adjusted by, how many times, and why it might not be worth it.
It's worth bearing the point about compromise in mind throughout the film. Just because something can be done, it doesn't mean it should. Which things should be done is more dependent on the garment itself - and will require an honest conversation with the tailor.
In the video, both Davide and I are wearing examples of his tailoring. You can find details on my green-linen suit from him here.
The film is the latest in a series looking at how to maintain and care for wool clothing. The others in the series are:
And other practical videos we've done recently include:
- How polish shoes part 1 and part 2
- How to fold a handkerchief
- How to look after suede jackets
- How to look after good shoes
Dear Simon,
Thank you very much, I think that’s quite a comprehensive overview of the topic. As a suggestion you could follow up with your own experiences?
Also, I really like the linen suit you are wearing. I was wondering whether the G and H collar is as high as other english tailors? This is a topic that really interests me as I would like to be able to comfortably wear a jacket both with and without a tie, even perhaps with more casual button-down shirts which often have lower collars. Would appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks, and yes good idea.
The Gieves collar is as high as most English tailors, yes. Which does make them harder to wear without a tie in my experience.
My favourite post so far. Very helpful Simon. I just think your style of presentation is perfect. In depth and intelligent. I actually learn from your videos. Much appreciated (again).
That’s lovely to hear, thanks Harry. Certainly that in-depth and informed, experienced commentary seems to be something that’s missing on a lot of YouTube
I like the videos when I watch them! My only trouble is it is less easy media to consume, can’t have a quick read a la BBC Sport
True – that’s one reason we do more articles in general. Easier to search too. But some things are a lot easier seen in movement
Definitely agree somethings are better in movement, Simon. Maybe you should do some GIFs in the next style series etc. Show a short walk, raising of the arms, turn of a coat etc. Mr Porter do them: https://video.mrporter.com/videos/productPage/1145678_detail.mp4
Also – interesting article from Die Workwear on the world of the review. You got a shout out! Interested to know your thoughts
Cheers, missed that from Derek. I’ll have a look
Very good idea .
Something similar (short , clean , concise) with every review , particularly with jackets and suits would be invaluable
Thank you so much for this great video. Some things are just better to grasp when demonstrated and explained „live“. And your your way of presenting with the viewer in mind anticipating questions that they might have is just great. Also like your kind way of interacting with your guest. Looking forward to the videos to come.
Cheers Fatih, that’s nice to hear
Davide’s coat in this great video has the best shoulder line + sleeve head I have seen in a long time. He is the cutter with the greatest sense of style, in my opinion.
By the way, that suit Davide is wearing and how it fits is absolutely stunning. Where do G&H bespoke suits start these days? And does the price differ when Davide himself is taking care of a customer?
No, no difference if it’s Davide.
£4420 plus VAT, so top end.
Details on my review here:
https://www.permanentstyle.com/2019/07/gieves-hawkes-bespoke-linen-suit-review.html
I rather enjoyed the juxtaposition of Davide’s very formal, very traditional clothing, and his earring. A nice personal touch.
Funny how we can see things so differently. I couldn’t stop wondering why his jacket was sightly fitted that the vented flap was semi vertical. I also thought his sleeves looked far too tight. But I assume this is his preference of fit.
It’s not necessarily my preference these days, but it is the style of this type of Neapolitan tailor, definitely. It’s the slimness of the sleeve that, oddly, most betrays that I think
Neopolitan? Surely Davide is wearing Gieves?
Sorry JB – I was commenting on the wrong post. Davide is of course wearing Gieves. Interesting how some of the slimness points are similar though
Do you have any knowledge of the quality of the G&H RTW suits and the where they are manufactured?
A great report, Simon. …Do you know how much a bespoke jkt. can be altered before the canvas needs interfered with?…..I have an excellent alterations Tailoress who I would allow to take the waist in a bit (although I wouldn’t let her press lapels etc). However, if the proper job is to also aler the canvas..I’ll forgo the convenience and bring it to a proper bespoke Tailor….Thanks again, Dan.
You rarely have to touch the canvas Dan, and shouldn’t have to if you’re altering the waist
A very informative video, covering a lot of possible ‘cases’, thank you ?
In the office, business suits need to be self-cultivation, but this self-cultivation is definitely not as tight as possible, but to have a suitable tightness. Over-fitting suits not only hinder work, but also leave customers with an unrealistic impression. Of course, the suit is definitely not tighter and more fashionable. So how to judge the suit is not too tight,
Simon,
What are the limitations in terms of changing a formal English structured jacket to a less formal unstructured jacket (which I presume would involve shortening, taking out internal padding)? Is this something you have ever tried (or are aware of someone else having tried)? I presume there are limitations in terms of the degree of change you can easily make, but I would be interested in any experiences you have or have heard of in this regard.
In short, I wouldn’t try it unless the existing jacket will never be worn as it is, and you’re prepared to spend quite a lot on the adjustments even with the risk you won’t like the end result. (For example, because you love the cloth and can’t get it anymore)
Changes like that take a large amount of work, and necessary compromises in the style (eg even just changing the length). It will probably be cheaper and safer to have a new jacket made
Tried to find a recent piece on suits to post this…
For Christmas I received a read to wear suit, which, to my surprise, did come without sewn on cuff buttons nor button holes. However I found a little envelope with 8 buttons in them, so I suppose the idea is that I would have to find a tailor to get those attached?
To be frank I‘m a bit confused at the idea and also worried that the tailor — I‘m based in central Africa for work — wouldn’t be to sure how to do this properly.
Can you advise?
How strange. Yes I assume the idea is for the tailor to adjust the sleeve to the correct length you want, then add the buttons. But I would try and find a decent tailor (one that also makes good things from scratch) to do it
This is perhaps verging into a political question albeit related to tailoring Simon) I have a jacket made by quite a well renowned tailor in London but I found their jackets too formal and uncomfortable in cut to wear in my day to day life as well as evolving in my own personal style. I’d like to make some significant changes to the garment, I was thinking of taking in out in the waist and not just taking it out but broadening the shape so its not so extremely tapered. Id also like to have the back recut with more tolerance so it allows more movement. Now if I go and ask for this would the tailor be amenable to make such changes, or would they be unwilling to essentially recut some parts of the jacket? Would they hit me with a big bill (I haven’t ordered anything from them for a while so not sure how much goodwill I have to trade although there is an unwritten code of some adjustments being made for free I believe although Im not sure how this extends to changing the style)? Im afraid probably like others Ive made some tailoring missteps and if possible Id like to correct what is possible. If I dont get satisfaction at the tailor who made it should I take it to another tailor to look at and perhaps pay them to do something with it?
If what you’re asking for is basically a complete restyle, then I wouldn’t take it to the original tailor Rups. You’re basically ask them to do something they wouldn’t normally do. It risks being insulting, and it’s unlikely they would take to it with much relish.
It will cost you something wherever you go. As we discuss in the video, free alterations really only ever applied to longstanding clients, who would frequently be re-ordering as well as having old things changed.
Taking the waist out is easy. Completely changing the back is hard and will be expensive. At that point it sounds like it might even just be worth starting again?
Yes I would essentially be telling them that their cut is not something I appreciate. Partially its my fault as I was part of the input process without understanding how things would look or wear.
I always thought that adjustments were free on garments made in-house. I hadn’t realised that only applies if you keep ordering. Its not really a clear system as its never clarified by anyone.
Yes starting again is what I intend to do especially now that I have a better idea of what I actually like and don’t like. I also understand what effects changing proportions even by relatively small amounts do to a garment. Therefore in a way the experience has taught me what to do and not to do. Without going through the experience Im not sure how I would have known any other way. However Im left with garments which I dont really wear and Id like to get some use of them if possible now. Moving forward, any ideas on tailors who would be amenable to recutting another tailors garment? It may be that the jackets just need the side seams taken out but in doing so creating a new softer line to the waist (at the moment its got a very nipped waist which together with a tight back creates a straight jacket feel to the coat).
If it’s just letting out the waist, the original tailor I’m sure would do that. I’d ask them.
On recutting something, I’m not sure. Perhaps Pinnas & Needles? or Graham Browne might.
On charging, it hasn’t really been the case for a long time that bespoke tailors don’t charge for alterations, and they’d always say that. Worth listening to what Davide says about it in the video though.
I will give it a go and ask what can be done) Simon do you think its part of the bespoke journey to make tailoring missteps in the early days and later you naturally change the style you like as tastes evolve? Would be interested in a post about your own ideas around this. I have made quite a drastic change in what I actually like wearing over the last few years. The fact that in bespoke you can kind of get whatever you want lead me to choose some quite odd choices which in hignsight seem to make no rational sense)
Absolutely. I think this is something I mention in almost every piece about tailoring.
How men have a tendency to order exciting, flashy things at the start and regret it later. And for things that look great standing still but aren’t that practical in every day life
Yes you do mention it but I wanted some added reassurance) I have done exactly what what you say. I didn’t do it with cloth in loud pattern or colour, as I had been warned about this by you! Instead I ordered extremely structured jackets, and made sure every facet was done to taken to the maximum so waist was taken in as much as possible, lapels were cut huge and so on and so forth. The result is garments are idiosyncratic and don’t fit most contexts outside the very formal. They are also not comfortable to walk around and wear during the day. Thats why I want to soften out all these garments somehow. Problem is my tailor likes structured tight garments so asking him to do this is like asking Ronaldo to try playing cricket. Anyway I guess its been a learning process as I didn’t know what I didn’t know back then)
Yes I think this is symptomatic of the same issue – wanting as much style and flair to the tailoring as possible.
Simon is it possible to add drape to the chest retrospectively? I think that’s what my garments need. Not Anderson and sheppard amount of drape but just some excess in the chest and around the waist to fill the coats out a bit.
If that’s not possible I have worked our a cheap solution to my dilemma which other readers may find helpful too. Keeping the coat open and trying to affect a whimsical look like a sartorialist subject)
Dear Simon,
I have a query.
Can the Left-Right balance of a coat be adjusted after it has been finished. My right shoulder has a pronounced drop which I am not sure was taken into account when the cutting was done. This throws the coat off balance, making the collar stand away, the button and buttonwhole not align perfectly, acts as extending the shoulder and makes the drape more pronounced. Essentially it looks as if the coat is going to slide off my right shoulder. At the first, second, third and fourth fitting, the tailor pointed it out and said he would address it, but that was not done, or at least not successfully. Is there anything to be done? Other than that the coat is very flattering, the style great and I have a very good relationship with my tailor. I have this problem on two coats, and am completely adamant I will not order more if this is not ratified. I would really not want to find a new tailor, but I find it frustrating for an obvious mistake to not be addressed 4 times after being promised to be.
Cheers
Peter
If you are right in your analysis Peter, that sounds rather fundamental and would be a reason to change tailor.
There might be some things you can do to mitigate the effect, but if it’s large then it can’t be completely corrected – there will be natural limitations once the buttonholes are cut, and around the armhole
great video. On the question of length adjustment ‘tolerance’ – bearing in mind shortening is ever so slightly easier, would a reduction in 1 / 1.5cm tend to be feasible do you think Simon? I had an initial discussion with your recommended Pinnas and Needles, and they were confident, saying they do many of this kind of alteration, but I’m still nervous about throwing the proportions of the garment.
It is a very hard thing to do without any compromise to the style of the jacket. I would only do it if you don’t wear the jacket at all otherwise – so you have nothing to lose.
That small amount will also be easier, but it doesn’t remove those risks.
You can change a dB into sb you need lots of wrap over I’ve done it many times loads of work but can do it
My suggestion would be put the money towards a new if its very old
Great video, Simon. I would love to know your thoughts on the following hypothetical: You have a double breasted RTW/vintage etc jacket in both a smaller and larger size.
The smaller needs the sleeves lengthened, let’s say 2cm, and around the chest let out, let’s say another 2-3cm.
The larger, however, is slightly longer in the shoulder, but not unbearably so.. and needs the waist taken in, and a slight hem shortening.
Which of these two would be the lesser of two evils?
I’ll assuming the chest enlargement would come from the center back and side seams, and the waist shrinking would come from the side seams.
The waist shrinking is the easiest of those alterations, it’s pretty straightforward. Changing the chest is harder as that would be more around the armhole probably. You could let out the back but that could make the back too big – it depends where it’s tight. And shortening is not easy at all, worth avoiding if possible.
Sleeves lengthening is also easy, so on balance I’d go with the smaller size.
Simon do you think it would be possible to change the structure of a jacket? Make the shoulder pad softer, reduce the wadding around armhole and perhaps take down the chest canvass? The virus situation has meant Im working from home even more these days than usual and realised softer looks would work better generally. If I could adapt some jackets it would be great.
Not really Rups, sorry.
You could possibly take out some of the canvas in the chest, but you would have to take the front part of the jacket apart, which would be a long and expensive exercise.
Taking padding out of the shoulder would be harder still, as it would change the fit of the jacket quite a lot too, basically dropping them and changing the angle slightly.
What you would end up with would be a compromised jacket (a good phrase here I think) which you’d had to spend quite a lot of money on to get to that stage.
Thanks for opinion Simon. I think EBay is going to get some good business from me then)
Good to see Davide Taub, my personal tailor for life discussing facets of the bespoke tailoring business. Davide is si articulate and talented. I am writing this burb wearing the mid-gray alternating white and red pin strips Holland & Sherry fabric suit he made for me last year. In a word it is simply smashing!
Hi Simon,
Wanted to ask if the circumference of the arm sleeves from the shoulder down all the way to the opening can be easily altered and is it a worthwhile adjustment to be pursuing?
Thanks
Nick
Yes, they can though it’s trickier at the top, above the bicep. Not that difficult a thing to do
Thank you for the fascinating video, Simon.
My personal experience, having lost a significant amount of weight over a few years, was that the trousers appeared to present the greater challenge. Losing the first 10kg was dealt with fairly easily. Both the coats and trousers were taken in and looked fine, but I was left sensing an excess of material in the body of the trousers. This became more pronounced as I lost further weight. Whilst the coats coped reasonably well (although they did start to display wider shoulders than they had, they remained wearable, as they could pass for presenting a different cut I suppose), the trousers were uncomfortably bunching up a great deal of loose cloth around the nether regions and the legs became noticeably baggy. We then decided to be more aggressive and narrowed the trousers their whole length and took them in as much as was possible, but the positions of the hip pockets (and quite possibly other factors also) has meant we reached the practical limit (as Davide mentioned in the video, hip pockets are in danger of merging into one). The coats took a narrowing of the shoulders well (I think it may have been only 1/2”, but that made a large difference both aesthetically on the shoulder itself, and also in terms of the volume of fabric in the drape) and the pockets do not look oddly positioned. As a point of reference, my measured waist dropped from “about” 35 to 30. In losing weight, as least for me, it would seem the legs lose relatively more bulk that is impactful on clothings than perhaps arms and torso do.
Fascinating and helpful, thank you
Dear Simon
My late father’s suits
Your website is a treasure trove of tips and advice. Apologies if you have answered a similar question to the below in the past – please don’t hesitate to link me to some pre-written advice which saves you time.
My Dad recently past away – he had a large collection of RTW, MTM, and bespoke suits. They tend to be Italian brands (e.g. Canali, Brioni, Armani), but they did include some bespoke pieces from Henry Poole and Huntsman. Many of them will be given to friends and go to charities, but for some of them I would like to keep and hopefully have altered.
As tends to be the case, Dad carried a lot more weight than me, but his shoulders were the same size. Jackets of his I have tried on in the past tend to sit decently well on the shoulders but the remainder of the cut is all wrong – much too large around the stomach which then affected the cut around the chest also. Trousers I would imagine will need significant altering around the waist and seat.
Can a tailor help? If so, are there any tailors (based in London) who you can recommend who can complete the alterations?
I appreciate that there are many quality tailors in London who may fit the bill, but recommendations from more affordable tailors would be appreciated. I don’t think I can afford Anderson & Sheppard to re-engineer potentially up to 10 suits!
Any recommendations or advice you can provide (no matter how short) will be gratefully received.
All the best
Tim
Hi Tim,
Those sound like fairly simple alterations. I’m sure a tailor could help, yes.
Bespoke houses won’t usually alter things made by other people, so you’re better off looking for a third party anyway. I’d recommend Pinnas & Needles – see here for a post that lists all these types of recommendations.
S
Hi Simon
Thank you for the recommendation and the link.
I will check them out.
All the best
Tim
Hi Tim,
Based on Simons recommendations I’ve used Pinnas & Needles several times for alterations from shirts, trousers & jackets ( with the need to alter waist inwards ) & have always been pleased with their work.
Hi, Simon!
If I understand well, you say it is more difficult to expand/size down the trousers on the OUTER seam than it is on the inner seam Why is this the case? To me the outer seam sounds easier (2-dimensional) – you open it up, take extra fabric from inside, re-sew, iron in a new crease, et voila! Whereas the inner seam may need the re-working of the crotch (3-dimensional), which to me seems more demanding.
Thanks,
Stefan
You don’t affect the crotch when you alter from the inseam.
But I’m not quite sure off the top of my head why it’s easier to alter from the inseam, if it is. I’d have to get my head round the pattern.
It is often safer to alter from the inseam, though, as any minor marks from the alteration will be much more hidden
Dear Simon,
Thank you for the video. I have several jackets whose armholes have become too tight and begun to create a crease at the chest due to working out. Is it possible for a tailor to lower the jacket armholes? Thanks
Ben
Yes it is usually. It’s not a small job, and it might affect other parts of the fit. But it’s worth asking a tailor about it certainly
Simon, I haven’t seen this issue discussed, perhaps you could share your views: can something be done if a jacket is a bot large in the chest? Would taking it in at the side seams just below the armhole help with that a bit? Thanks!
It would, yes, and perhaps a little bit could be taken at the back too, but not much.
But if it’s anything more than an inch or so – basically, trying to make a different size fit you, rather than your right size fit a little better, then you’ll struggle. Always best to get the right fit in shoulders, neck and chest, and then alter the lower body
Thanks, Simon! Yeah, it’s a 48 drop 6 and I normally wear a drop 7 or drop 6 if it’s a slimmer model. It just appears that this one is cut a bit larger, so yeah it would be getting my right size fit better. I simply couldn’t let it go as it was a 10€ thrift store find for a very interesting Loro Piana 100% cashmere fabric in a beautiful cut. It is wearable as is, but would fit a lot nicer if it were a touch narrower.
Nice. I’d go to a good alterations tailor then and see what they think. But err on the side of caution – don’t take in too much
Got it, thanks!
Added bonus: I realised this was a charity shop so I’ll be stopping by often 🙂
Nice
Hi Simon,
Any suggestions on establishments who does knitwear alteration? My sweater sleeves are often too long.
Love Cashmere used to do it, but I’m not sure if they still do. Worth asking. It’s a hard one as you need access to the knitting machines
Alternatively, would you be able to recommend a knitwear brand who make there sleeves a tad bit shorter.
I can’t I’m afraid, it’s not something I’ve ever looked at
Hi Simon, I recently collected a bespoke jacket from a good tailor (covered here). It is my third commission from this tailor, and it is spot on (just like the previous ones) apart from what seems to be an error with my sleeve pitch. Is this something that the tailor could alter after completion? Or is should I just leave it as is? It’s a spongy tweed so may mould slightly with wear and it will be less of an issue.
I would also like to order from this tailor again in the future as I love wearing the jackets, so don’t want to ruin the relationship.
Thank you in advance!
Hey Nick,
I’d wear it a few times, and if it persists then yes take it back. It’s not a small job but very possible to change
Thank you, as always!
Simon,
Recently, I purchased an MTM suit from what I (and I think others) would consider to be a high-level “tailoring” brand (not a “fashion” brand but one covered by PS). I mention others because I am still in the beginning stages of learning about tailoring. While there was no issue with the staff or process, they seem to be having great difficulty obtaining a proper fit. Prior to purchasing, I tested “try-on” jackets and discussed fit with the staff which resulted in being told that I was an “easy fit” as I have a fairly average body shape with fairly typical dimensions. Fast forward, the suit was made but has aggressive and unsightly collar roll. While it is not clear to me if the collar roll is due to my posture, height of shoulders, etc., it simply does not look right and in fact, looks bad — especially given the reputation of the brand, quality, and price point. As the jacket has been taken apart and altered many times at this point, is there ever a concern that a garment can become “overworked” and (if ever or to some extent) compromised with respect to construction, durability, finishing, etc.? To be fair, the staff has been very good thus far and promised to do whatever it takes to make it right. Further, the jacket is wool which I understand to be quite durable. Ultimately, if I’m not a good fit with the house block pattern, this may make the case for bespoke next time but I wanted to get your opinion. Thank you for any thoughts and advice.
Hey Jack,
I wouldn’t worry much about the material becoming overworked, no. Being wool it should be pretty able to take that. Sorry the experience hasn’t worked that well
Hi Simon! Quick question about working out & bespoke. I’m mid 30s, 5’8”, 165lbs and typically weight lift 4-5x a week combined with running. I recently had my first fitting on a sports jacket and during the 4 months gap, my biceps, back & chest had grown enough the jacket was already small. More generally, for someone who works out frequently, how long can someone reasonably expect bespoke garments to fit? 1-2 years? You mentioned a few friends had this issue so curious how they manage it
It’s definitely an issue. Bespoke will be easier to alter at every stage than a RTW suit, but it’s still not going to be able to deal with that much.
I guess it’s hard to put a time on it, as it depends on your physique a fair bit and it’s not the kind of change I’ve been through myself, but I’d say the best thing is to wait until you have reached closer to a stable shape before finishing anything?
Thanks Simon, makes sense. I still need this type of clothing for work so my plan is to go slow and see how long they last before committing too deeply. I have some RTW suits from ~5 years ago that still fit well enough so perhaps this was just an initial missizing. As an aside, love what you’ve built with PS; used it extensively to finally upgrade my wardrobe post COVID across suits, jackets, ties, shoes, shirts, etc.
Amazing, thanks for letting me know JP. Do shout if you have any other questions