• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Tailoring shirts

Jimmyleaf

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Messages
64
Reaction score
1
Hey i recieved a bunch of hugo boss shirts that are just way to big now. I lost 40 pounds over the months and I noticed the shirt's sleeve is too long and the waist or chest area of the shirt is too wide and gives that boxy, poofy look when tucked into my pants. I'm trying to adjust the way i look to a more cleaner, fitted look and i was wondering if its possible to tailor these shirts to a slimmer and shorter cut, and would be be out of the ordinary to ask a tailor to do so? Also is there any tailors in the nyc area that can do this? Thanks for any suggestions and help guys. Appreciate it
 

DocHolliday

Stylish Dinosaur
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Messages
16,090
Reaction score
1,158
Shirts can be taken in fairly dramatically. Any competent alterations tailor should be able to make them look better, assuming they fit properly through the collar and, to a lesser degree, the shoulders. I'm not sure how much it would cost in NYC, but I pay about $15 for tapering.

My main question, however, would be about the collar fit. After losing 40 pounds, are the shirts not too large throughout? Seems like the collar, at the least, would be oversized.
 

boo

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2006
Messages
665
Reaction score
1
I'm in a similar situation as you, and have been testing out local alteration shops and tailors (in Northern NJ) with shirts that I'd be otherwise throwing out. Taking in the waist and arms seems to be relatively straight forward (and cheap), but I've also been asking them to shorten the sleeves by detaching the cuffs and relocating the gauntlets higher. Costs have ranged from $25-$35, and results have varied from wearable to pretty decent.
 

Jimmyleaf

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Messages
64
Reaction score
1
Originally Posted by DocHolliday
Shirts can be taken in fairly dramatically. Any competent alterations tailor should be able to make them look better, assuming they fit properly through the collar and, to a lesser degree, the shoulders. I'm not sure how much it would cost in NYC, but I pay about $15 for tapering.

My main question, however, would be about the collar fit. After losing 40 pounds, are the shirts not too large throughout? Seems like the collar, at the least, would be oversized.


actually, the collor size is just about perfect. I lost inches mainly around the chest and stomach.
 

chobochobo

Rubber Chicken
Dubiously Honored
Moderator
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
8,104
Reaction score
2,575
My collar size went down by about 1 1/2" but my chest got larger, my waistline less so. That wreaked a bit of havoc with my wardrobe but it was good to throw away those 36" trousers that I bought went I bloated away slowly. Trying to be a 32" or at least a loose 34"
smile.gif
My jacket size is ideally 41R but 40R is okay too.

I found that altering shirts wasn't really worthwhile except for the select few that cost me an arm and a leg eg Brioni's and E Zegna napolis.
 

dirk diggler

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
1,569
Reaction score
2
save them in case you bulk up again after the holidays
smile.gif
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 85 37.3%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 87 38.2%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 24 10.5%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 36 15.8%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 36 15.8%

Forum statistics

Threads
506,486
Messages
10,589,919
Members
224,253
Latest member
Paul_in_Buffalo
Top