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Expectations vs. Reality with Local Alterations Tailors

The Dirty Pigeon

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This might be a case of internet forum standards being much higher than real world standards, but…

In my neck of the woods (Orange County, CA), there are plenty of neighborhood alterations tailors on the high and low ends of the price spectrum but I haven’t found one yet who can go beyond the basic menu items like pant-leg hem, taking in the sides, shortening sleeves, etc. Anything beyond that, they don’t want to touch it or they tell me “it looks fine..”

Is it reasonable to expect that a local alterations tailor would be able to look at a garment, when worn, and diagnose issues like wrinkle lines in the drape of trousers/sleeve, or maybe something more complicated like a balance issue with a coat? Or, are these the types of things that only a more seasoned bespoke cutter would see?
 

mhip

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This might be a case of internet forum standards being much higher than real world standards, but…

In my neck of the woods (Orange County, CA), there are plenty of neighborhood alterations tailors on the high and low ends of the price spectrum but I haven’t found one yet who can go beyond the basic menu items like pant-leg hem, taking in the sides, shortening sleeves, etc. Anything beyond that, they don’t want to touch it or they tell me “it looks fine..”

Is it reasonable to expect that a local alterations tailor would be able to look at a garment, when worn, and diagnose issues like wrinkle lines in the drape of trousers/sleeve, or maybe something more complicated like a balance issue with a coat? Or, are these the types of things that only a more seasoned bespoke cutter would see?
I've used By Design for years now after my prior tailor died.
Tbh, I haven't had any custom work done, mainly just the aforementioned things you listed. But they do custom suiting, so if you're close you may want to visit and see if it's a fit for you.
Rajan the owner is a really nice guy.

 

The Dirty Pigeon

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I've used By Design for years now after my prior tailor died.
Tbh, I haven't had any custom work done, mainly just the aforementioned things you listed. But they do custom suiting, so if you're close you may want to visit and see if it's a fit for you.
Rajan the owner is a really nice guy.

I used to go to Rajan’s shop. He’s such a friendly man and did some good work for me. When I wanted something more complicated done, he usually grabbed his head tailor to come over and take a look. However, he would often tell me (in a nice way) that I’m too picky and that my coats or trousers looked fine as-is. Mind you, I’m not talking about extremely minute details here—I’m talking about things that, if I posted photos on this forum, nearly everyone would point them out.

Which makes me think, are my expectations for the eye of alterations tailors a bit too high?
 
Last edited:

mhip

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I used to go to Rajan’s shop. He’s such a friendly man and did some good work for me. When I wanted something more complicated done, he usually grabbed his head tailor to come over and take a look. However, he would often tell me (in a nice way) that I’m too picky and that my coats or trousers looked fine as-is. Mind you, I’m not talking about extremely minute details here—I’m talking about things that, if I posted photos on this forum, nearly everyone would point them out.

Which makes me think, are my expectations for the eye of alterations tailors a bit too high?
Nah, I'm super picky as well.
I remember he and I having some lighthearted arguments.
I brought a sport coat in I ordered for a once over.
I told him I think the sleeves should come up a little, and he's "really? They look fine?"
I said Rajan, just take my money and raise those things 1.5 millimeters.
 

TheIronDandy

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Is it reasonable to expect that a local alterations tailor would be able to look at a garment, when worn, and diagnose issues like wrinkle lines in the drape of trousers/sleeve, or maybe something more complicated like a balance issue with a coat? Or, are these the types of things that only a more seasoned bespoke cutter would see?
Tailors are like everyone else: they respond to incentives. How often do you think the average customer will come in to a local tailor to ask them about the balance of a coat? I'm betting a large majority of the customers doesn't even know that a coat is suppose to be balanced ("What, it's suppose to stand up by itself?")

Since most customers do not ask for their tailors advice on that, there's no real incentive for your average tailor to know these things, unless the tailor has a personal interest (or lives next to many SF members). The more sartorially inclined members of this form probably knows more than the average tailor about how tailored garments should fit. We're definitely more obsessive.

And of course, tailors are effected by fashions as well. If all they see are too short, too tight high street tailoring, they will start assuming that's how things should look. So even if they have ideas of how to improve a fit, I would be cautious about taking their advice unless they have a good track record.
 

The Dirty Pigeon

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The more sartorially inclined members of this forum probably knows more than the average tailor about how tailored garments should fit.

This is precisely what I am starting to realize and accept. Where I live, there isn’t much middle-ground between a basic alterations tailor and the type of expert eye you’d get from a bespoke cutter.
 
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This might be a case of internet forum standards being much higher than real world standards, but…

In my neck of the woods (Orange County, CA), there are plenty of neighborhood alterations tailors on the high and low ends of the price spectrum but I haven’t found one yet who can go beyond the basic menu items like pant-leg hem, taking in the sides, shortening sleeves, etc. Anything beyond that, they don’t want to touch it or they tell me “it looks fine..”

Is it reasonable to expect that a local alterations tailor would be able to look at a garment, when worn, and diagnose issues like wrinkle lines in the drape of trousers/sleeve, or maybe something more complicated like a balance issue with a coat? Or, are these the types of things that only a more seasoned bespoke cutter would see?
Finding an actual tailor rather than an alteration person is becoming increasingly difficult as the years pass. It is a dying art form, as the masses buy computerised machine-made garbage off the racks. If you can find a quality bespoke tailor, stay loyal and pray nothing bad happens to them. They are worth their weight in gold.
 

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