• 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.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • 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.

Taking in sides of Brooks Brothers shirt. Cost?

porcelain monkey

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
1,820
Reaction score
25
Originally Posted by intent
The problem with the extra-slim fit is that they don't come in non-iron.

This is not a problem, it is a benefit. I am increasingly down on the non-iron shirts. While they do not wrinkle, and travel well, I find the fabric stiff, unnatural looking and uncomfortable. I predict that in 10 years they will be the subject of the same scorn as the old 60/40 poly/cotton blend shirts in the 1980's.
 

matt22616

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2009
Messages
487
Reaction score
14
Originally Posted by porcelain monkey
This is not a problem, it is a benefit. I am increasingly down on the non-iron shirts. While they do not wrinkle, and travel well, I find the fabric stiff, unnatural looking and uncomfortable. I predict that in 10 years they will be the subject of the same scorn as the old 60/40 poly/cotton blend shirts in the 1980's.

I realize this is most likely true, but I am just too lazy to iron shirts and too poor to have them ironed for money. FWIW I've had my BB non-irons taken in for 12.95 a pop with no mention of it being more difficult than a regular shirt. I recently acquired three BB luxuries and those appear to have different seams than other BB shirts. I haven't taken them to my tailor because a) the seams are nice and b) she doesn't necessarily to a first rate job. For both the price and proximity to my house, however, I can't complain.

On a related note, if anyone knows of a tailor in NOLA that also provides this service I would appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Still need to go try on an extra-slim fit. What's keeping me from trekking it to the Quarter is that I've heard they are smaller in the chest and wider at the waist, which is the opposite of my physique.
 

NaturalShoulder

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
194
Reaction score
0
I have had the seams taken in as well as had fabric taken out of the arms. I cannot remember the price, but think it ran about $35 per shirt or so. I was very happy with the work, but it is not cheap.
 

dropout5

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2008
Messages
441
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by Reevolving
Why hasn't anyone addressed this seams issue? No idea why they need to manually take apart the seam... I've had shirts taken in where they just stitch a new seam, and cut off the old excess seam with scissors. Done. $10.

does this leave an unfinished seam which pokes against your sides? also, if you have the shirt taken in at the sleeve as well, this will leave an unsightly, unfinished seam if you ever roll your sleeves up. other than that, sounds like a good, cheap fix.
 

glowell222

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
559
Reaction score
0
If you have a tailor or seamstress that knows what they are doing, then there shouldn't be too much of an issue, regardless of the fabric. I have had both types of shirts adjusted-it has never been a problem and has not even come up. I just checked the shirts I had altered recently: the seams are professionally finished and lay flat against the shirting.

It sounds like you need to find yourself a different source as far as shirt alterations are concerned.
 

RoyalPaJamas

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
215
Reaction score
6
Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH
That's your problem to begin with. Non-iron has this coating over them, which gives an awful appearance over time and makes the shirts wear out faster. Find a proper dry cleaner that will make them crisp for you. If you live in the sticks, buy a Rowenta.
wink.gif


Not really. They look the same as a regular cotton shirt (they are, after all, 100% cotton), and the fact that they don't wrinkle throughout the day makes them look far better than a standard shirt that wrinkles all over. As for wear, they only wear out faster if you have them dry cleaned using starch; the starch breaks down the fabric coating. My very first BB non-iron shirt was just recently retired - after 7 YEARS of regular wear (never dry cleaned, simply laundered by me).
 

Reevolving

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2009
Messages
2,720
Reaction score
117
Originally Posted by dropout5
does this leave an unfinished seam which pokes against your sides? also, if you have the shirt taken in at the sleeve as well, this will leave an unsightly, unfinished seam if you ever roll your sleeves up. other than that, sounds like a good, cheap fix.

On the outside, it looks like it's been folded in...which is perfectly fine, as it's entirely unnoticeable.
It looks fine on the inside, and they cut off any excess.
 

East Oakland

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2009
Messages
232
Reaction score
3
Originally Posted by RoyalPaJamas
Not really. They look the same as a regular cotton shirt (they are, after all, 100% cotton), and the fact that they don't wrinkle throughout the day makes them look far better than a standard shirt that wrinkles all over. As for wear, they only wear out faster if you have them dry cleaned using starch; the starch breaks down the fabric coating. My very first BB non-iron shirt was just recently retired - after 7 YEARS of regular wear (never dry cleaned, simply laundered by me).

I agree with patrickBOOTH and porcelain monkey on this one.

The Brooks Brothers non-irons I have owned have not held up well at all, and I only washed them at home. In some ways, I was glad they died young as they really didn't look or feel as good as ironed shirts.

I've moved on to TM Lewin and haven't really looked back, though I agree the BB extra slim fits are your best bet for a button down.
 

luftvier

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
3,917
Reaction score
620
Darts.

Easy. Fast. Cheap. Small chance of tailor effing up your shirt.

The best solution.
 

makewayhomer

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
2,696
Reaction score
143
Originally Posted by porcelain monkey
I predict that in 10 years they will be the subject of the same scorn as the old 60/40 poly/cotton blend shirts in the 1980's.

I predict in 10 years non-irons will exist to a greater extent than they do today. but the tech used to make them will have improved.
 

cglex

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2006
Messages
57
Reaction score
0
It costs too much to alter a shirt. Buy some form of custom instead.
 

furo

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
6,197
Reaction score
242
My tailor does a fairly simple job: he just folds in the excess fabric at the side seams and stitches a new one on top... basically meaning I could take the seams back out to their original width should I ever have the need, since he's not cutting away any fabric

He does my shirts for $7.50 and I can't complain
 

glowell222

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2009
Messages
559
Reaction score
0
I predict that in 10 years they will be the subject of the same scorn as the old 60/40 poly/cotton blend shirts in the 1980's.

I predict in 10 years non-irons will exist to a greater extent than they do today. but the tech used to make them will have improved.
I think this prediction came true.
 

Featured Sponsor

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

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,167
Messages
10,579,181
Members
223,887
Latest member
spyke-52
Top