Ok, I get it now...

[invizable]

After spending years trying to find the right size shirts and pants I finally rubbed a couple brain cells together and found a tailor.
I took one moderately priced shirt, one cheap shirt, and a pair of new pants in for fitting. $40 later the cheap shirt looks perfect, the moderately priced shirt looks a bit better, and the pants look like they were made for me personally.
Another lesson learned the hard way: spend a little less on the clothes and invest in the know-how of a professional.

My question: how much do you normally expect to pay for tailoring services like pant hemming, sleeves shortened, waist adjusted, etc. For the sake of this question I'm just wondering about the everyday tailor you use for alterations not MTM clothes or suits.

 

[C Reed]

There are a lot of factors at play in tailoring but:

re-attach/ replace buttons- $3-5/ button (assuming you provide your own buttons)
Hem Trousers (the right way with the invisible thread and matching the stitch/ chain stitch)- $10
Shorten shirt sleeves $10-15
Take in/ let out shirt/ trousers $20ish
Add about 5-10 dollars for the same done to a jacket as its extra work.

 

[Uncle Erik]

You might want to consider secondhand clothing. I pick up suits and shirts on eBay and the occasional thrift store. You usually save a bundle, more than enough to pay a tailor. It's the most affordable route to a nice wardrobe.

 

[MikekiM]

A few years ago I splurged and had a few suits, shirts and trousers made for me by a custom shop..not off the shelf stuff that was tailored..these were bespoke..he measure every inch of me..even asked my preference for watch size and which way I typically "tucked".

When these clothes hit my body they are like I am wearing nothing. Suits just fall on like warm butter. Shirts are just as I like them and fit perfect..

I know they cost a bit more, but truth told not that much and well worth every penny.

 

[mark the shoeshine boy]

You might want to consider secondhand clothing. I pick up suits and shirts on eBay and the occasional thrift store. You usually save a bundle, more than enough to pay a tailor. It's the most affordable route to a nice wardrobe.

+1

I have preached this for years. I just picked up two pairs of Jos Banks wool dress pants for 20 bucks. they should have retailed between 200 to 300. I know the JB throws a lot of sales, because I watch them, however, the point is, I have two pair of great slacks and depending upon the waist and length, I may have an additional 20 to 30 bucks in them.

My greatest buy was six pairs of Hart Schaffner and marx pants for 50 bucks and they were like brand new and no tailoring....

seek and you will find...but be patient...

 

[unstereotyped]

You guys are seriously making me consider shopping in thrift stores. It is true: tailored clothing looks a lot better than clothing straight off the rack. I need all my pants tailored due to my lack of height, but wearing pants that fit my height make me look...and feel a lot better than merely off the rack. On a tangent note, although I do not really shop second hand, one thing I have enjoyed doing for years has been buying sport-jackets from sample sales at work. Although I need to have the cuffs tailored (actually, since I don't like buttoning my cuffs, I pull them out and roll them up a bit over the jacket cuff,) I buy damaged jackets (usually a rip) and apply a patch or something to create my own custom design.