How much can one take a garment in?

[scotrace]

I find myself with a happy problem. A closet full of nice clothes that are too big.
Having popped for two pairs of Bill's Khakis, I would rather they not just hang there. Can they be dropped by two, or more likely, three waist sizes? I am wearing jackets in the hot weather just to hide the fact that the waistband is all bunched up to keep them from falling off.
This morning my nine-year old daughter said, "Daddy, don't you look nice... but that jacket is way too big on you now..."

The sleeves were always too long, but now it just hangs.

And OF COURSE there are now three vintage suits that I can buy - but the pants are all four sizes too BIG.

Do I have to sell and start over? How much taking in is possible?

 

[Johnnysan]

First of all, congrats on your weight loss...well done! My thought is that you can probably drop two waist sizes, but much beyond that is going to get tricky. I've seen a similar alteration in the past and the rear pocket welts were almost touching each other...the alteration threw all of the proportions off. The cost of altering them could get pricey, too. Then again, it could all be about finding the right tailor!

 

[Tomasso]

For trousers, problems will arise if you need to take in more than 2-3 inches at the waist. A competent tailor can re-cut the trousers(taking in at both the back and side seams) but this will be a more costly procedure.

As for jackets, it's paramount that the shoulders fit because it's rare to see a shoulder reduction turn out well and it's very costly. Chest reduction is possible up to a certain point but a lot depends on the original cut. And, you really can't alter jacket lenght much more than an inch without disturbing the proportion.

 

[jake_fink]

Congratulations on the difficult task of losing weight in ice cream season.

Trousers can be taken in 2 sizes at the very very most, and pleats complicate the process. Trousers taken in more than a size can look and feel a little off, so the more you have to take in, the better your alterations person/tailor has to be.

I have wide shoulders and long arms so all my jackets need to be taken in a bit. I've never had a problem with them, though it depends on the stance and the gorge. If you have to do anything to the shoulders you are looking at a lost cause. I have found people willing to attempt working on the shoudlers of a jacket, but no-one able to do the job well enough. A tuck on either side to make up for a drop of one size, maybe two, should not be a problem.

Good luck with the alterations, and with keeping the weight off. If you find you have to unload some of your large clothes, I bet there would be much interest around here.

 

[Rosie]

Like the guys said, 2 sizes is tops. If you find a REALLY good seamtress/tailor they can maybe go four sizes but that's with re-cutting, moving pockets, etc. I had this problem a few years back and had to take in my clothes three sizes.

And, congrats on the weight loss, it's a very difficult task. :eusa_clap

 

[scotrace]

Thanks everyone for the advice and good thoughts. As they say...









I can wear my pre-pregger jeans again!

 

[Tomasso]

OOOOPS, I Forgot To Offer My Congratulations For The Downsizing

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Mr. Rover]

I've never had a problem taking shoulders in a little if there isn't very much padding. My tailor simply marks it off with a pin and when I get it back, it fits like a glove. This sort of operation on a suit jacket isn't cheap though, even in my neck of the woods.

 

[mysterygal]

I've had a couple of dresses that I had to take in to fit me properly and it really wasn't a problem at all.
Congradulations on the weight loss!

 

[Terry Lennox]

this thread is exactly going with my thread in Suits about listing a sticky for good local tailors in your area....

Need to take it in, check the sticky, find a tailor in your area and there you go...

Oh, congrats on the weight loss. I think I found it though...

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Congratulations, Old Boy!

I had the opposite experience. About four years ago, I gained 45 pounds in a year! I was rock climbing heavily and I had an obstruction in my esophagus such that I could only eat mushy food for the previous five years. Once cleared, I packed the weight on and tailored my suits as much as I could. They went up about a size and a half. After that, they were retired to friends. I hope it works better in the opposite direction.

 

[Mr. Jason]

Someone mentioned cutting the seams and basically redoing the pants all over again. That seems like it should work. No? I had a great tailor who did that for me, just to tailor the legs, and it worked great. It would be expensive but it's pretty much a one time thing, at least you hope.

Congrats on the weight loss. I'm glad you posted this. Hopefully I will be having the same problem in a month or two.