Buying already made suits isn’t a bad thing, far from it, but it doesn’t come anywhere near getting a tailor to make you one that’s pretty much perfect for you. But talking to a tailor might not be as easy as you’d think. Especially if you don’t have a lot of experience with sewing.
A lot of people come to the tailor with some unrealistic demands or wishes, and they can’t really understand why it’s impossible for them to get that. Tailors hate it when this happens, because it wastes their time and sometimes even insults their intelligence.
So, in order to get what you need from a tailor, while avoiding the possibility of offending them, you should first learn how to talk to them properly. Which is precisely why we’re here today.
With that in mind, stick around and take a look at what we have prepared for you. By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll know how to talk to the tailor to get the perfect fit.
Scenario #1: You need the tailor to do some sewing adjustments or repairs
Tailors offer two kinds of services, first being repairs and adjustments and the second being clothing creation. In this case, we’ll see how to have them do the first kind of work.
Before you go to the tailor, you should first prepare yourself a bit. Consult the internet or a friend who has some experience with sewing about a couple of things.
You should start with the fabric type. Check the article you need repaired and find out which fabric is it made of. According to the sewing machines experts from HelloSewing some materials, such as leather, don’t allow much alterations, mainly because they’re tough and once they’ve been perforated any additional stitching on the same area could result in wardrobe malfunction.
After you’ve made sure that the material allows for the alterations or repairs you desire to be made, you should see if the clothes have been damaged beyond repair or not. Small tears, rips, holes and such can usually be fixed without much trouble, but burns, paint stains, abrasion, large holes and similar sometimes ruin clothes so much that they have to be thrown out.
And lastly, you should make sure that the tailor you’ll be visiting has enough skill for the task you’ll ask them to do. It’s better to pay a bit more to a real professional than it is to save money and end up with a botched piece of clothing.
Scenario #2: You need the tailor to make you a suit from scratch
In this case, one thing is crucial if you want to end up with a great suit. Trust. You must have complete faith in your tailor’s abilities, skills, experience and expertise. If the tailor says that the garment won’t look good on you, trust them. Even if your friends and family think otherwise. The tailor has been doing this kind of work their entire life, so they definitely know better than your friends.
One other thing you should do is to have realistic demands. Don’t expect your tailor to make something that can’t be made. While we totally get it that you want to express yourself through fashion, ridiculous demands are also a no go, don’t ask for an entire suit to be made of leather or very stretchy material. This can be made but it’s downright impractical and uncomfortable.
And last but not least, know how much you’re paying. While it is better to pay a bit more than to end up with a bad suit, overpaying is certainly unnecessary. Consult a few different tailors about the price before you decide which one you’ll go with.
So now you know what to do and how to behave in front of your tailor. From now on, you will always leave their shop satisfied and happy with your new suit or your old but improved suit.