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A number of years ago my husband and I were invited to a charity ball. I returned the RSVP card and marked the date on our calendars. A few days before the event I re-read the invitation and realized that it was going to be a black-tie event. I had a number of dresses to choose from but a quick look through my husband closet revealed nothing suitable! Panic set in. We didn’t have time or funds to go out and buy an expensive suit. Then it hit me… I know how to alter clothes. In fact I do it for a living. Yet I sometimes I forget that I can alter clothes for my family.

I love thrifting so I figured if we purused the local Good Will and Salvation Army we were bound to find something that would come reasonably close to my huband’s size and then I could just tailor it to fit him.

Sure enough after an hour of searching we found dress pants and a matching jacket for $20 at Salvation Army. The pants were too wide and the jacket too broad, but with sewing skills put to work I could alter it in less than two hours.

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Altering your own clothes is all about thinking outside the box.

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My first thought when I go into a store, isn’t “if it doesn’t fit I will alter it.” But it should be.

Rather than spending hours searching for the perfect fit with the perfect price I can look at the stores and my own closets as endless possibilities.

Now when I look through my own clothes I ask myself if I’m not wearing it because it doesn’t fit quite right. Then I decide whether it is worth my energy to make it fit the way I want.

Let’s review some of the possibilities.

1. If a jacket zipper is broken, just replace it.

Jackets can be expensive, but a new zipper only costs a few dollars. Learning to replace the zipper could get you many more winters with that favorite jacket.

Zippers can be challenging and you might not be perfect on the first few that you do, but don’t give up. I recommend using YKK zippers for replacing jacket zippers. These are available on amazon. I have had much greater success with them than Coats and Clark or other brands.

2. When pant legs are too wide, make them narrower.

The styles come and go. A few years back pant legs were a bit wider. Rather than donating the jeans that are no longer in style, you can tailor the pant legs to be more suitable to the current style. This may seem a little complicated if you are a novice seamstress but don’t let it intimidate you.

3. Shorten the skirts or dresses that have gone out of style.

Cotton or linen skirts with a top stitched seam are the easiest to alter. (If you are unfamiliar with the term top stitch, check out this list of sewing terms on colette blog) Shortening a knit dress can be a little more complicated because you will need to use a seam that can stretch. A basic zigzag stitch will do.

If the dress has a connecting piece it can also be shortened at that connection point like this dress below.

4. Don’t settle for a high neckline that you don’t like. Instead learn to lower it.

For a number of years I had a dress that sat in my closet. Every time I put it on I took it off very quickly. The neckline was just uncomfortably high. This can also be easily rectified be creating a new facing and neckline. The neckline of the dress pictured above was originally about three inches higher. Check out the full post for further instructions. 

5. Do your pants gap every time you bend over? Try a few darts.

This is one of my pet peeves in my own pants. You might say that I could just wear a belt but that isn’t always a great solution because the belt creates add bulk if I’m wearing a shirt that isn’t tucked in. Darts are a quick and easy fix which can also eliminate the need for a belt. 

6. When pants are too long just hem them.

One of the most common problems for those who are below average height is the need for a tailor to shorten their pants. Of course I make a bit of money this way but you could learn to do it yourself.

With these clothing alterations you are well on your way to being able to alter clothes yourself. Don’t give up if the first few don’t turn out the way you wanted. With a little practice you will get the hang of it.

Also be sure to get your free troubleshooting checklist if your machine stitches aren’t catching. We all have sewing machine troubles at times but many times it is an easy fix to get it running again. For the checklist go to the post page and scroll down to the bottom where it will tell you to click for your download. 

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