Alterations

That's a pretty big alteration for something you are gonna drop a big chunk of change on.

If you have to alter it that heavily, don't buy it. Alterations should be done sparingly, not to completely reconstruct something.

Yeah I wouldn't buy it. If it didn't say Wings + Horns on the label you wouldn't buy something that was that off in fit.

Along similar lines, I have a J. crew sweater jacket(last years model, got it for $40 final sale) that could use 1" off the sides. How would that handle tailoring, and what would be a reasonable price to expect?

Hmm.

Finding a good tailor is the equivalent of finding a good relationship. Someone who understands you, doesn't laugh at your silly ideas, and intuitively knows what's right for you. It's a trial end error search, and like marriage, the process of finding a tailor can be a very expensive proposition if it fails. But find the right one and ya gotta nurture that relationship, baby!

Ask those you trust their opinion of that tailor - or ask shop owner who they send their customers to. A shop owner won't make the same referral twice if it bites them in the ass.

To everyone's point here:
a) spend more for a properly fitted, well designed item, pay less in alterations

b) if it needs drastic alterations, keep walking (unless it's a must-have one of a kind vintage item).

c) woolens and most knits should never need or recieve alterations. Period. Your tailor should have told you that. It'll never wear right. Might as well wash it in the machine.

d) find and keep a tailor who will be honest with you point-blank. If their reputation is worth more to them than a $40 alteration, buy them flowers and learn their name. (tip: if their alterations are done in the front-of-house and near the counter, they have pride in their work, and you can examine how tidy and organized their work is. Also note the machine they use).

e) always make a point of adding alteration costs into the price of an item, and mentally tallying what percentge of the garment price that cost will be.

f) cuff a pair of Gap pants, hem a pair of $300 jeans. Don't waste time and money altering disposables, or just buy them right.

^^ good advice.

Knit alterations are a completely different, unapproachable beast from shirt/suit alterations. If someone was even willing to try that, it would cost as much or more than the sweater, I'd guess.

You want 1.5 inches gone all the way from the armhole down? Keep looking. At best you can get the waist nipped in. Anything more is major surgery, as far as I know.

Yelp can also be helpful for finding a good tailor (although most reviews are for women's clothes [which could actually be beneficial since they seem to be more challenging?] it's good for narrowing it down) And the coat is probably sized for layering, if you didn't try it on with a sweater or something underneath you may not have done it justice

I've never heard of knit sweaters being altered. I would think that would be insanely difficult. Sweaters can have some leeway in fit--you can get away with them not being as precisely fitted as other things.

I've heard of some specialized knit alteration shops, particularly in the Pacific NW.

Here's one, for example, that not only handles alterations but also repairs... http://knitalteration.com/

How easy to tailor the sleeves of t-shirts? Got a few motherfuckers with blousey bitch-ass sleeves, which otherwise fit well. Want to make them considerably tighter so they hug the 13.5" pythons a little closer. Would appreciate the advice before summer truly kicks in.