Nothing better than a REAL, honest to goodness TAILOR that knows what he is doing to make dumpy looking clothes look chic and expensive. (And by the time I pay my tailor to taper things, and take up the sleeves from the shoulders, they ARE EXPENSIVE garments....but worth it.) My tailor in Hoboken, NJ (across water from NY City) is so good, investment bankers from London visit him to get their suits tailored by him when they are in town. This English tailor is a pro--obviously. (BTW--my tailor took in my sleeves...) I have more than 40 suits.
I think his name is Dominico Spoletti--or something like that. He is very charming and a perfectionist. He worked in New York's garment district for years--designing and cutting patterns. He's good--very, very good, as are all the professional sewers in the old fashioned altelia (sic). Watch: "The Time In Between" on NETFLIX, if you would like show about custom tailoring in pre-revolutionary Spain (seamstress becomes a spy for the British Secret Service during WWII, putting morse code messages into the patterns of the Nazi Wives who become her clientele). LOve the show-- Il Tiempo Entre Costuras. (The Time in Between the Seams).
Yes it really pays to spend time tailoring the suit in. Key places like you mentioned when tailored can transform a average looking suit to a tailor made look.
James - a question, if you'd indulge me? I'm considering buying an old Dunn & Co. Harris Tweed blazer, and it's a Regular length. Ideally, I require a Short length so I'll need to lob off maybe 1.5 ~ 2 inches (less than ideal...) Question is this - is a Short suit jacket or blazer basically a Regular pattern with a shorter hem, or are the pocket and button stances subtlety differently placed on a Short? Is it easy to covert a Regular into a Short as if it were designed as a Short? It's double vented but I'm going to close the vents as I find the idea of shortening vents (which I love) as a little blasphemous...
Hi it should be slightly higher pocket position but some manufactures just have it a set position to save on time when making them all. Its minor so altering by 1.5 inches would be fine in my opinion and still look ok. Regards
Thank you! In the end, though, I elected _not_ to take the risk... And, in the immortal words of the irrepressible Columbo, Just One More Thing? I'm considering buying a suit with _two_ trousers, one to spare. Sadly, the trousers have reverse pleats, a look that may have solid merit but one I personally detest. I know my tailor _can_ remove pleats... but then I got curious... Can a good tailor theoretically _reverse_ those reverse pleats to make them into aesthetically-pleasing forward pleats? If not I'd be fine rendering the trousers into flat-fronts, but the British forward pleat is so rare in my part of the world and I've come to love it... P.S. - forgive the trouser question in the suit jacket video...
@@edwardcatt2399 no worries at all, yes a good tailor should be able to switch the pleats around for you and press back in place that way around without any issues. Hope this helps :)
Again, thank you! You've been very forthcoming with info... I sincerely wish I were in the U.K. to commission you to do these alterations but I'm _waaaay_ out east where the fellas chew tobaccy and the women wicky-wacky-woo (not that exact city but it's close enough).
Hey! I bought a super nice real leather pilot jacket on ebay. Shoulders fit great , sleeves are perfect only issue is it fits a tad bit wider in the body than I would like. It also has a wind flap over one side of the zipper that I would like removed. Is this something a tailor could alter? Thanks
Hi James,good video. My question is, can the arm holes be decreased, they are way to large and everytime I lift my arms it looks like I have wings there.
Hi Jim. Sorry delay I reply. Yes it can be raised or taken in to sort this out. Recommend using a tailor for this one though as its a bit more technical type job to do. Regards Michael
Is there a limit to shortening sleeves from the cuff please? Thing is the extra fabric on the sleeve parts for the vent only extends to just above the existing vent so the vent can't be lengthened up the arm presumably. On a suit I looked at anyway.
Hi Mike sorry for delay in reply. It can be also shortened from the top of the shoulder as well. From the bottom around two inch loss max with keeping a small vent.
I have a man whose Hugo Boss jacket is so tight it cannot close. He needs at least two more inches to make it close around the middle. I have a hard time feeling through the fabric to find the edges but it seems like I can only get an extra half inch out of each seam, the back too. It feels like it won't be worth the effort... would I let out both the side seams and the side front seams, as well as the back seam? Or is it hopeless?
Hi that's all you can do, let out the side seams and center seam. May get you 1.5 inch total from these being let out to maximum. But Hugo Boss don't leave much inside ,so just have to try your best. Regards
Hello James i have 2 blazers jacket from Loro piana i started working out 6 months ago and unfortunately today the blazers are a little tight under the arms do you think it's fixable with alterations ? thank for your answer have a great day
Hi, sorry delay in reply. It all depends how much fabric is left inside. Letting out the inlay of fabric you may get half an inch to one inch extra. Regards Michael
If I gave you fellows some heavy silk check I got in HK would you be able to make me a jacket something like my nan wore when she was courting my pop. I've only got a photo. A bit more nipped in then hers though. If there is anything left, maybe a skirt too.
Hi. I have a question. I have a jacket that has sleeves which are a little tight around the cuffs(functioning buttons) and forearms. Can the sleeves be widened?
Hi normally there is no in lay left inside on the sleeves. You might get half an inch at most to let out but from experience its not much if its a off the peg jacket. If made for you by a tailor poss will have more fabric inside. Regards Michael
Hi James, Can you please tell me if the position of the front button holes on a designer suit jacket can be altered, and still make the jacket look OK. Thanks
Hi sat sorry delay in reply. I would say no they can't be moved. But it is possible to raise the point of where the top button is by raising the top of the jacket, but that's a technical job and quite time consuming if honest. Regards
Quick question: Can a tailor move the positioning of the buttons on a double-breasted overcoat? For instance, you see a lot of overcoats that are double-breasted having linear buttons but you can also have the two top buttons wider like in a typical double-breasted suit-jacket, can a tailor make this alteration ?
I often hear that you shouldn't shorten a jacket. My jacket size is 44s and they're usually 29 inches in length from the bottom of the collar. I always find some deals on ebay or poshmark but the suits are usually in 44r which and be 30.5-32 inches. Are there other people that also shorten their regular sized jackets? Are the results good? Any tips you can give me to try and find a tailor that would do this job well?
Hi Aaron, we shorten about 2 or 3 jackets a week here and have no issues. 1 inch is fine, 2 inches and pocket ratio starts to look odd at the bottom of jacket. But depends on the jacket size, if it's very large you may get away with 2 inches. It's quite a technical alteration to do as you have all the front curved edges and lining to deal with etc...
Hi Nick yes certainly. It can be sorted out but is a more technical job I would recommend using a tailor for this one. Involves stripping down the collar and the top part of lapels. It can be done its just time consuming and technical. Regards Michael
I don’t understand all of these videos say watch for this and make sure your tailor knows what he’s doing. People that already have a tailor and know the process wouldn’t be here in the first place. I’d like to see examples of a suit off the rack that doesn’t fit perfect maybe a little baggy then show what’s possible to alter it and an after of the suit fitted to someone just so people can see what’s possible and maybe what the general prices range from for this type of work.
Hi, in my opinion its not for business wear in most country such as England. You may get away with it in countrys that have a warmer climate like Italy. But an unpadded suit is more suited for a more casual jacket to be worn with jeans or chinos, that type of informal look i think works best. Regards
Hi, i am not familiar with that exact fit suit they do, but guessing its a slim fit ? If so just be careful its not getting stretched when wearing, as some of there fabrics are on the thinner/finer side and may wear out quicker. Regards
lol.... genuine story :) Its not that hard a job to do so a average one should be fine. But if only a touch more, poss not worth risking using a lesser tailor ? Key is pinning it up correctly before you even do the work to make sure its the best fitment it can be. We charge £30 for it just to give you an idea of cost. My instagram account jamespersonaltailor has some before and after examples on this type alteration. Regards
Everyone is concerned with taking in a coat. That seems the easiest thing to do. My problem is, my dad has a large pot belly. 5-8 about 170lbs, but he is probably a 38/40 in the shoulders, but maybe a 42 waist! Even a 42 coat is difficult to close a button. Odd, I know. 90 years old. Get a 40 short coat and somehow let out the waist? Or get a 44 short coat and take in the shoulders?
twoweeled soto generally there won't be much inlay inside to let out the body on a off the peg suit. Only tailor made leave decent inlay. So recommend buying a larger size for body fitment and then take the shoulders in. Hope this helps. In ideal world he would have one tailor made either made to measure or bespoke to get a perfect fitment for that type if body shape.
Nothing better than a REAL, honest to goodness TAILOR that knows what he is doing to make dumpy looking clothes look chic and expensive. (And by the time I pay my tailor to taper things, and take up the sleeves from the shoulders, they ARE EXPENSIVE garments....but worth it.) My tailor in Hoboken, NJ (across water from NY City) is so good, investment bankers from London visit him to get their suits tailored by him when they are in town. This English tailor is a pro--obviously. (BTW--my tailor took in my sleeves...) I have more than 40 suits.
Pamela Ann Fuller hey i go there too!
I think his name is Dominico Spoletti--or something like that. He is very charming and a perfectionist. He worked in New York's garment district for years--designing and cutting patterns. He's good--very, very good, as are all the professional sewers in the old fashioned altelia (sic). Watch: "The Time In Between" on NETFLIX, if you would like show about custom tailoring in pre-revolutionary Spain (seamstress becomes a spy for the British Secret Service during WWII, putting morse code messages into the patterns of the Nazi Wives who become her clientele). LOve the show-- Il Tiempo Entre Costuras. (The Time in Between the Seams).
Yes it really pays to spend time tailoring the suit in. Key places like you mentioned when tailored can transform a average looking suit to a tailor made look.
Excellent informative videos james as always please keep them coming !
James - a question, if you'd indulge me? I'm considering buying an old Dunn & Co. Harris Tweed blazer, and it's a Regular length. Ideally, I require a Short length so I'll need to lob off maybe 1.5 ~ 2 inches (less than ideal...)
Question is this - is a Short suit jacket or blazer basically a Regular pattern with a shorter hem, or are the pocket and button stances subtlety differently placed on a Short? Is it easy to covert a Regular into a Short as if it were designed as a Short?
It's double vented but I'm going to close the vents as I find the idea of shortening vents (which I love) as a little blasphemous...
Hi it should be slightly higher pocket position but some manufactures just have it a set position to save on time when making them all.
Its minor so altering by 1.5 inches would be fine in my opinion and still look ok.
Regards
Oh and just watch it closing the vents, it sometimes looks a bit odd when done.
Thank you! In the end, though, I elected _not_ to take the risk... And, in the immortal words of the irrepressible Columbo, Just One More Thing?
I'm considering buying a suit with _two_ trousers, one to spare. Sadly, the trousers have reverse pleats, a look that may have solid merit but one I personally detest.
I know my tailor _can_ remove pleats... but then I got curious... Can a good tailor theoretically _reverse_ those reverse pleats to make them into aesthetically-pleasing forward pleats?
If not I'd be fine rendering the trousers into flat-fronts, but the British forward pleat is so rare in my part of the world and I've come to love it...
P.S. - forgive the trouser question in the suit jacket video...
@@edwardcatt2399 no worries at all, yes a good tailor should be able to switch the pleats around for you and press back in place that way around without any issues.
Hope this helps :)
Again, thank you! You've been very forthcoming with info... I sincerely wish I were in the U.K. to commission you to do these alterations but I'm _waaaay_ out east where the fellas chew tobaccy and the women wicky-wacky-woo (not that exact city but it's close enough).
Hey! I bought a super nice real leather pilot jacket on ebay. Shoulders fit great , sleeves are perfect only issue is it fits a tad bit wider in the body than I would like. It also has a wind flap over one side of the zipper that I would like removed. Is this something a tailor could alter? Thanks
Hi James,good video. My question is, can the arm holes be decreased, they are way to large and everytime I lift my arms it looks like I have wings there.
Hi Jim. Sorry delay I reply. Yes it can be raised or taken in to sort this out. Recommend using a tailor for this one though as its a bit more technical type job to do. Regards Michael
that will depend on whether there is enough fabric available
Is there a limit to shortening sleeves from the cuff please? Thing is the extra fabric on the sleeve parts for the vent only extends to just above the existing vent so the vent can't be lengthened up the arm presumably. On a suit I looked at anyway.
Hi Mike sorry for delay in reply. It can be also shortened from the top of the shoulder as well. From the bottom around two inch loss max with keeping a small vent.
I have a man whose Hugo Boss jacket is so tight it cannot close. He needs at least two more inches to make it close around the middle. I have a hard time feeling through the fabric to find the edges but it seems like I can only get an extra half inch out of each seam, the back too. It feels like it won't be worth the effort... would I let out both the side seams and the side front seams, as well as the back seam? Or is it hopeless?
Hi that's all you can do, let out the side seams and center seam.
May get you 1.5 inch total from these being let out to maximum.
But Hugo Boss don't leave much inside ,so just have to try your best.
Regards
@@JamespersonaltailorUk Thanks very much . I appreciate it .
Is there is a gap between upper chest and the jacket, is it fixable? I think the jacket suits fine otherwise
hello, is it possible to make suit sleeve bigger? Also, does it make the armhole slightly lower in doing that?
Can you upload a video on waist coat alteration??
Hi Syed, yes I will do one for you soon :)
Hello James i have 2 blazers jacket from Loro piana i started working out 6 months ago and unfortunately today the blazers are a little tight under the arms do you think it's fixable with alterations ? thank for your answer have a great day
Hi, sorry delay in reply. It all depends how much fabric is left inside. Letting out the inlay of fabric you may get half an inch to one inch extra. Regards Michael
If I gave you fellows some heavy silk check I got in HK would you be able to make me a jacket something like my nan wore when she was courting my pop. I've only got a photo. A bit more nipped in then hers though.
If there is anything left, maybe a skirt too.
Hi Jennifer, please email some pictures over of what you would like making and I'll let you know if can help. Thanks
Thats most helful and consise! Thank you very much!
Hi. I have a question. I have a jacket that has sleeves which are a little tight around the cuffs(functioning buttons) and forearms. Can the sleeves be widened?
Hi normally there is no in lay left inside on the sleeves. You might get half an inch at most to let out but from experience its not much if its a off the peg jacket. If made for you by a tailor poss will have more fabric inside. Regards Michael
I just purchased mtm suits what cuases bunching of fabric back of leg behind the knee and how can i get this fixed?
Hi, tapering the leg width in slightly should cure this problem..
Regards
Hi James, Can you please tell me if the position of the front button holes on a designer suit jacket can be altered, and still make the jacket look OK. Thanks
Hi sat sorry delay in reply. I would say no they can't be moved. But it is possible to raise the point of where the top button is by raising the top of the jacket, but that's a technical job and quite time consuming if honest. Regards
Quick question: Can a tailor move the positioning of the buttons on a double-breasted overcoat? For instance, you see a lot of overcoats that are double-breasted having linear buttons but you can also have the two top buttons wider like in a typical double-breasted suit-jacket, can a tailor make this alteration ?
I often hear that you shouldn't shorten a jacket. My jacket size is 44s and they're usually 29 inches in length from the bottom of the collar. I always find some deals on ebay or poshmark but the suits are usually in 44r which and be 30.5-32 inches. Are there other people that also shorten their regular sized jackets? Are the results good? Any tips you can give me to try and find a tailor that would do this job well?
Hi Aaron, we shorten about 2 or 3 jackets a week here and have no issues.
1 inch is fine, 2 inches and pocket ratio starts to look odd at the bottom of jacket.
But depends on the jacket size, if it's very large you may get away with 2 inches.
It's quite a technical alteration to do as you have all the front curved edges and lining to deal with etc...
@@TheDenimDoctorRUclips great, thanks for letting me know!
@@TheDenimDoctorRUclips thanks, I might try it one day and see if looks good. I have a few suits and they’re either too short or too long.
Any info you could give us on what can be done about a collar gap?
Hi Nick yes certainly. It can be sorted out but is a more technical job I would recommend using a tailor for this one. Involves stripping down the collar and the top part of lapels. It can be done its just time consuming and technical. Regards Michael
Excellent help, thanks James, just great advice.
I don’t understand all of these videos say watch for this and make sure your tailor knows what he’s doing. People that already have a tailor and know the process wouldn’t be here in the first place. I’d like to see examples of a suit off the rack that doesn’t fit perfect maybe a little baggy then show what’s possible to alter it and an after of the suit fitted to someone just so people can see what’s possible and maybe what the general prices range from for this type of work.
Hi, can you do a video on shoulder divots? Do tailors fix them?
john smith this is a more technical type of job. It can be done but is quiet tricky to get correct. Hope this helps.
@@JamespersonaltailorUk can armholes be made bigger?
I think I recognize the Laurel and Hardy sculpture there on the shelf...
Can a suede jacket be tailored?
Hi, yes it can be altered by a leather specialist. Most tailors only work on say wool and cotton fabrics though so check before hand. Regards Michael
hi james great video.i want to ask what is your opinion for unpadded suit.is is proper for a buissnes suit?thanks
Hi, in my opinion its not for business wear in most country such as England. You may get away with it in countrys that have a warmer climate like Italy.
But an unpadded suit is more suited for a more casual jacket to be worn with jeans or chinos, that type of informal look i think works best.
Regards
James Personal Tailor & Son i recently bought a havana fit suitsupply.do you think i can use it for work?
Hi, i am not familiar with that exact fit suit they do, but guessing its a slim fit ?
If so just be careful its not getting stretched when wearing, as some of there fabrics are on the thinner/finer side and may wear out quicker.
Regards
Thank you for sharing
Can taking the jacket in by the waist be done by any novice tailor or should I choose a quality one?
Hilarious story about Christiano btw 😂
lol.... genuine story :)
Its not that hard a job to do so a average one should be fine.
But if only a touch more, poss not worth risking using a lesser tailor ?
Key is pinning it up correctly before you even do the work to make sure its the best fitment it can be.
We charge £30 for it just to give you an idea of cost.
My instagram account jamespersonaltailor has some before and after examples on this type alteration.
Regards
Fantastic, thank you.
Thank you
I wish you were in my area.
Everyone is concerned with taking in a coat. That seems the easiest thing to do. My problem is, my dad has a large pot belly. 5-8 about 170lbs, but he is probably a 38/40 in the shoulders, but maybe a 42 waist! Even a 42 coat is difficult to close a button. Odd, I know. 90 years old. Get a 40 short coat and somehow let out the waist? Or get a 44 short coat and take in the shoulders?
twoweeled soto generally there won't be much inlay inside to let out the body on a off the peg suit. Only tailor made leave decent inlay. So recommend buying a larger size for body fitment and then take the shoulders in. Hope this helps. In ideal world he would have one tailor made either made to measure or bespoke to get a perfect fitment for that type if body shape.
“ Trouble at mill,squire.....”
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