Altering a Suit Jacket ( Waist Suppression )

[BlackChiney8]

Hi everyone, so I recently purchased a Gucci blazer online for 50$, which I thought was a great price. The issue is that it's a 42R when I usually wear around a 40R. The shoulders fit very well and the sleeve length is fine but could maybe be shortened half an inch or so in order to achieve a perfect cuff. The greater issue is with the waist, and although it's not a terribly large waist because Gucci does make slimmer fitting suits, I feel as though I could take it in. I was just wondering for advice from some professionals about a possible price estimate to take in the waist of a suit jacket. I would say I would only need to take in 1 or 2 inches on each side, and I'll try to post some pictures of the jacket. I also got a pair of matching trousers which fit great for 50$ as well. So in total, I paid 100$ for the entire Gucci suit.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/250920239713?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

 

[Liquidus]

You could call a local tailor and ask.

 

[goneAWOL]

Hi everyone, so I recently purchased a Gucci blazer online for 50$, which I thought was a great price. The issue is that it's a 42R when I usually wear around a 40R. The shoulders fit very well and the sleeve length is fine but could maybe be shortened half an inch or so in order to achieve a perfect cuff. The greater issue is with the waist, and although it's not a terribly large waist because Gucci does make slimmer fitting suits, I feel as though I could take it in. I was just wondering for advice from some professionals about a possible price estimate to take in the waist of a suit jacket. I would say I would only need to take in 1 or 2 inches on each side, and I'll try to post some pictures of the jacket. I also got a pair of matching trousers which fit great for 50$ as well. So in total, I paid 100$ for the entire Gucci suit.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/250920239713?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Whether the jacket is single-vented, double-vented, or un-vented will affect the price and how well a tailor can do this. With a single-vented or un-vented jacket, they maybe be able to take in the back alone to achieve what your looking for. This would probably cost $20-$30. If it is double vented, a tailor can only take-in a little fabric from the back seam without messing up the vents, so they would have to take-in both the back and sides. I recently had this done for $54.

As a side note, I would always take fabric in on the back-seam first. If you think the jacket is too wide in the waist, then there most likely is a lot of excess fabric draping in the back. The change in appearance from the side view is tremendous when a tailor fixes this.

 

[Despos]

Taking in the center back seam is not the best way to shape a jacket waist and you work on the center back seam only if necessary. Taking in both side seams without side vents and not having to open the back part of the armhole will be least expensive. If side vents, the cost is higher because the vents have to be remade. Opening up the armholes to reduce the blades could double the price but if you don't do it the jacket looks altered and not in a good way. If the tailor does the work himself and is not paying an employee your cost is usually less. Tailors that go the extra distance to do things properly and not take short cuts will cost more. Prices vary by your locale and tailors experience and overhead.

 

[goneAWOL]

Taking in the center back seam is not the best way to shape a jacket waist and you work on the center back seam only if necessary. Taking in both side seams without side vents and not having to open the back part of the armhole will be least expensive. If side vents, the cost is higher because the vents have to be remade. Opening up the armholes to reduce the blades could double the price but if you don't do it the jacket looks altered and not in a good way. If the tailor does the work himself and is not paying an employee your cost is usually less. Tailors that go the extra distance to do things properly and not take short cuts will cost more. Prices vary by your locale and tailors experience and overhead.

The reason I mentioned taking in the back seam is because I recently went through a very similar experience as the OP. I purchased a nice used jacket that was a size too large, and I was unhappy with the waist width. I didn't even pay attention to the amount of excess fabric draping on the back, but my tailor immediately pointed this out. I also have another jacket that is shaped very well in the waist, but there is a lot of excess fabric on the back. The point is, make sure that you don't ignore the back of the jacket because its the part you don't pay attention too. The alterations there can make just as big of a difference for making a large jacket fit appropriately.

 

[Despos]

The thing is, with a finished garment you can only work from the the back to reduce/shape a jacket and it should first be done on the two side seams. The center back seam is a fixed line. You want to alter clothes the way patterns are graded from size to size and it is done on the side seams. Taking in the center seam is a quick and easy method but not correct.

You do adjust the center back seam but for other reasons related to posture adjustments more than sizing.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

If I understand correctly (and I'm sure Despos will correct me if I don't), the reason you shouldn't reduce the back seam is that, to preserve the balance, you would need to alter the center front a similar amount, which obviously cannot be done. Altering the back seam alone will pull the side-seams towards the back and warp the horizontal balance of the coat. The side-seams on the other hand can both be altered similar amounts on opposing sides thereby preserving the balance.

 

[freedom_fries]



The thing is, with a finished garment you can only work from the the back to reduce/shape a jacket and it should first be done on the two side seams. The center back seam is a fixed line. You want to alter clothes the way patterns are graded from size to size and it is done on the side seams. Taking in the center seam is a quick and easy method but not correct.
You do adjust the center back seam but for other reasons related to posture adjustments more than sizing.

+1

a lazy tailor once took in a SC of mine at the center seam and it did not look good. i had to have it fixed at a later date by a good tailor elsewhere.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

And this is why I would never buy a jacket that I know is a size too big any more. In the end, it is rarely as much of a 'bargain' as you initially might think, and you have a good chance of ending up with at worst, a complete abortion of a jacket or at best, something that is much more expensive but never quite right.

 

[onix]



Taking in the center back seam is not the best way to shape a jacket waist and you work on the center back seam only if necessary. Taking in both side seams without side vents and not having to open the back part of the armhole will be least expensive. If side vents, the cost is higher because the vents have to be remade. Opening up the armholes to reduce the blades could double the price but if you don't do it the jacket looks altered and not in a good way. If the tailor does the work himself and is not paying an employee your cost is usually less. Tailors that go the extra distance to do things properly and not take short cuts will cost more. Prices vary by your locale and tailors experience and overhead.

My exact experience with my tailor, glad to know that he does "the right things". In term of costs, He charged $40 to have side vents closed, $65 to remake side vents. Not sure where that price falls, though I am satisfied with his works.

 

[jefferyd]



If I understand correctly (and I'm sure Despos will correct me if I don't), the reason you shouldn't reduce the back seam is that, to preserve the balance, you would need to alter the center front a similar amount, which obviously cannot be done. Altering the back seam alone will pull the side-seams towards the back and warp the horizontal balance of the coat. The side-seams on the other hand can both be altered similar amounts on opposing sides thereby preserving the balance.

What Despos is referring to is the fact that the pattern does not grow at center back from size to size- it grows at the side seam. To preserve the balance you want to make alterations in the same general way as the sizing develops. Changes to CB should only be done for hunched shoulders or swaybacks, for example, not for general waist suppression.

 

[goneAWOL]

Because the investment in the jacket was only $50, I would not go spend $100+ on to rebuild vents, mess around with the armholes or anything like that. No matter how much you spend on it its not going to look perfect. I still think you can make it look really good at an affordable cost.

Based on the posters above, it probably is a good idea to bring in the sides first. However, I still think that if they are brought in too much it will shift the pockets and distort the front of the jacket, which is the last place you would want distortions. When I had my jacket brought in at the back seam it made the jacket look tremendously better. Also, back seam alterations will probably cost $20-$30, side seam $30-$40, so be careful about putting too much investment in the cheap jacket.

If your like me, you bought the suit on a somewhat spontaneous buy at a cheap price and will decide in 6 months that you don't want it anymore because its too old and isn't quite your size. I've done that twice, so just be careful about putting too much money into alterations.

 

[Master-Classter]

please post a fit picture of you wearing the jacket...

 

[BlackChiney8]

Thank you all for the feedback. I'll try to get a picture of me wearing the jacket. On a side note, I was disappointed to notice today that there is a significant amount of wear on the right interior lining directly under the arm hole which I did not notice before. I was wondering if it's possible to re-line a section of the jacket without relining it entirely? Also, would this even be worth the cost because I'm aware that relining a jacket is quite pricey.