Suit needs to be altered, where to have it done.

[DaveNJ74]

I lost a bit of weight and being that I do not wear my suits often, when I did wear one a few weeks ago I was swimming in it. I thought of taking them to a local dry cleaners, the type where you change in a closet and come out and stand on a box when other customers are picking up their dry-cleaning but I think I can do better.
Where is the best place to bring a suit other than a dry cleaners for altering? I thought of a Men's Wearhouse or Nordstroms. I know there aren't many old school Italian tailors around anymore.

 

[pdillon]

I would try looking on yelp or looking for local places with good Google reviews.

I lost a bit of weight and being that I do not wear my suits often, when I did wear one a few weeks ago I was swimming in it. I thought of taking them to a local dry cleaners, the type where you change in a closet and come out and stand on a box when other customers are picking up their dry-cleaning but I think I can do better.
Where is the best place to bring a suit other than a dry cleaners for altering? I thought of a Men's Wearhouse or Nordstroms. I know there aren't many old school Italian tailors around anymore.

 

[mhdena]

I like the tailors at my local Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. They're old school

 

[PFP_Dad]

I had mine done when I bought them (I never seem to change size either way), but have had several pants and uniform shirts done by a place that did my wife's wedding dress with good results.

This is the place I went to http://www.alteredstatesalterations.com/. If you can find something similar you'll be in good shape.

 

[oakeshott]

I no longer go to the dry cleaners. Multiple bad experiences. The worst was when I went in to have some pants (part of a very nice suit) let out 3/4's of an inch and they took them in 3/4's of an inch AND removed all the extra material thus making them useless.

never again.

 

[JoshuaNY]

I would try looking on yelp or looking for local places with good Google reviews.

Yelp or Google reviews is a good starting point. You definitely want to try and find someone who all they do is tailor. More likely to have a good experience that way. The only time I use a dry cleaner is if an existing hem has come loose.

I do not have experience with dept store tailors

 

[strop]

There is a big difference between someone who doeas alterations (hems, sleeve length, cuffs, etc.) and a tailor. I'm in the same boat as you. I have several suits and sport coats that no longer fit. For a coat, you essentially are talking about taking it apart and recutting it, then putting it back together. I looked into it, and for a coat it will be at least $180, and 2 or 3 trips for fittting.

 

[JoshuaNY]

There is a big difference between someone who doeas alterations (hems, sleeve length, cuffs, etc.) and a tailor. I'm in the same boat as you. I have several suits and sport coats that no longer fit. For a coat, you essentially are talking about taking it apart and recutting it, then putting it back together. I looked into it, and for a coat it will be at least $180, and 2 or 3 trips for fittting.

Is he re-doing the shoulders on it? It seems a bit steep.

 

[Doc4]

Find a good tailor and go there. No, Mens' Warehouse does not count.

There is a big difference between someone who doeas alterations (hems, sleeve length, cuffs, etc.) and a tailor. I'm in the same boat as you. I have several suits and sport coats that no longer fit. For a coat, you essentially are talking about taking it apart and recutting it, then putting it back together. I looked into it, and for a coat it will be at least $180, and 2 or 3 trips for fittting.

Mark, that depends on how drastic the alterations will be ... but the details you were quoted sound ... odd.

I can't see a total rebuild ... the sort of thing that requires tow or three fitting trips ... costing anywhere as little as $180. Maybe you just have a really cautious tailor, but ... I'd think $180 worth of alterations can normally be done with a drop-off (& fitting when you drop it off, of course) and then a pick-up.

Of course, I haven't seen what exact alterations you need done, and I'm not a tailor, so ... take that for what it's worth.

 

[gegarrenton]

Go to an actual tailor, I guarantee there is one in your area. There will be plenty of internet reviews as well i am sure.

If you lost weight, it's usually a pretty substantial recut, because the easy alterations (sleeve length, pant hem, etc..) don't change. If you can get by with just a waist tuck and a little pinch in the jacket, you may get off easy, but I know I had to have my whole pattern redone by my tailor.

 

[strop]

Apologies to the OP for hijacking the thread, but yes, it' a rebuild/recut involveing the shoulders. Essentially a new jacket. I was thinking faster than typeing. Tailor is in St. Louis, I'm in Indiana. 3 trips=1 to drop off and measure, 1 for interim fitting(which she insists on) and 1 for pickup. I plan to do one jacket and if it works out, will take some others. Hopefully, as long as I tll her inadvance, she'll make a pattern and the others will be easier. I thought $180 to $200 was reasonable for this kind of job. Essentailly a MTM coat for a fraction of the price. (Yea, I know I already paid once, but current outlay is far less.)

 

[Doc4]

Apologies to the OP for hijacking the thread, but yes, it' a rebuild/recut involveing the shoulders. Essentially a new jacket. I was thinking faster than typeing. Tailor is in St. Louis, I'm in Indiana. 3 trips=1 to drop off and measure, 1 for interim fitting(which she insists on) and 1 for pickup. I plan to do one jacket and if it works out, will take some others. Hopefully, as long as I tll her inadvance, she'll make a pattern and the others will be easier. I thought $180 to $200 was reasonable for this kind of job. Essentailly a MTM coat for a fraction of the price. (Yea, I know I already paid once, but current outlay is far less.)

Ah, gotcha.

So really, just one "fitting session" ... anyhow, that seems a really good price for the work intended ... so hopefully that works out well and the workmanship is good. I like your idea of one 'trial jacket' and then follow through with more if you like the outcome.

 

[gegarrenton]

anyhow, that seems a really good price for the work intended ...

+1

 

[closer]

Anybody have experience with a good tailor in the NYC / Long Island area who can do this type of work? I've got suits that need to be adjusted similarly, including shoulders, and would require a full re-cut. If this can be done for under $200 per, it would be worth it for me. I've interacted with the Nordstrom Rack tailor, and they don't do extensive work of this type.

 

[DaveNJ74]

I took the " Yelp " advice and found a great tailor in Hoboken. She advised me my suit was way too big for me and was not worth even altering. Her advice was to bring in several new suits, have me try them on and see which one would fit the best. Also she said make sure the place I buy the suits from allows you to return the unaltered suits.

 

[DEGuy]

When I had to wear suits to work I gave up on trying to find a good tailor when knowledgeable tailors began to close shop. I went to the seamstress/dressmaker my ex had been going to and she was great at tailoring suits and shirts, and even did a great job hemming jeans. And the work she did never had to go back for a re-do.

 

[DaveNJ74]

Apologies to the OP for hijacking the thread, but yes, it' a rebuild/recut involveing the shoulders. Essentially a new jacket. I was thinking faster than typeing. Tailor is in St. Louis, I'm in Indiana. 3 trips=1 to drop off and measure, 1 for interim fitting(which she insists on) and 1 for pickup. I plan to do one jacket and if it works out, will take some others. Hopefully, as long as I tll her inadvance, she'll make a pattern and the others will be easier. I thought $180 to $200 was reasonable for this kind of job. Essentailly a MTM coat for a fraction of the price. (Yea, I know I already paid once, but current outlay is far less.)

No problem, I appreciate the attention this thread has gotten.

 

[gegarrenton]

I took the " Yelp " advice and found a great tailor in Hoboken. She advised me my suit was way too big for me and was not worth even altering. Her advice was to bring in several new suits, have me try them on and see which one would fit the best. Also she said make sure the place I buy the suits from allows you to return the unaltered suits.

I don't know what the suit looks like on you, or how it fit before, but that is surprising. A good tailor could certainly recut a suit that once fit well and was roughly the size of your frame.

Whether it makes economic sense to do so however is a completely different question.

 

[Prince]

I don't know what the suit looks like on you, or how it fit before, but that is surprising. A good tailor could certainly recut a suit that once fit well and was roughly the size of your frame.

Whether it makes economic sense to do so however is a completely different question.

If you are like me and had a suit that wasn't the best fitting and then lost weight, i can see it not being worth the time or money to alter.

 

[DaveNJ74]

I don't know what the suit looks like on you, or how it fit before, but that is surprising. A good tailor could certainly recut a suit that once fit well and was roughly the size of your frame.

Whether it makes economic sense to do so however is a completely different question.

The suit was way too big in the shoulders due to a lot of weight loss and looked almost like I was wearing football shoulder pads.