How much can you take-in on the waist?

[Sway23]

I have a pair of dress pants that I need to take down from a 33 to a 30 waist. Will a tailor be able to do this pretty easily, or is it too much big of a change? Generally, what is the "maximum" amount that you can take-in at the waist and have it still look OK?

 

[FIHTies]

...I need to take down from a 33 to a 30 waist.

I hate your kind...

JJF

 

[MilanoStyle]

With my experience, I usually get 38 or 37 waist pants when buying RTW suits but my waist is 33. Tailors can bring in 4 inches without much of problem. but beyond that is difficult since the back pocket of the pants will get too close.

 

[bestmastertailor]

Trousers can only be taken in 2 1/2" to 3" to maintain their balance. If they need taken in anymore, a recut (recut the trousers to your exact measurements) has to be performed which any competent tailor can do.

 

[regularjoe]

Usually, anything more than two inches requires the tailor to recut the pants, which costs more, but is still do-able.

 

[BjornH]

I go from 32 to 30 all the time when I buy a 38. Bear in mind that it's probably the ratio that matters, i.e. you can perhaps take a 38 in 3 inches but a 32 will only suffer 2 or 2.5 inches without a recut.

B