When buying tailored clothing the customer gets a much better fit than ready to wear items and can often customize the design. Tailored clothing is especially beneficial to people who do not have a standard build. Most off the rack clothing may not fit them well enough to wear without tailoring. In addition, customers can request small alterations like the replacement of buttons or the removal of sleeves. Lastly, in some situations, tailoring can make clothing last longer by adjusting them after a person has lost or gained weight.
Tailored clothing is altered to give the wearer the best fit possible. This is different from clothing found in chain retail stores and even high-end boutiques. The clothing found in such stores are off-the-rack and designed to fit a standard size in which most people do not perfectly fit. For example, an off-the-rack button-up business shirt might not fit a woman with smaller or larger than average breasts, or a man with broader shoulders than most. To get a better fit, these people can usually buy the same shirt one size up, then have a professional tailor alter it to fit them.
In addition to dissembling and reassembling clothing according to a customer’s measurements, tailors can usually add sleeves, hems, and other things to a piece of clothing. Tailors can also usually remove items like sleeves and rework fraying hems. A customer can drop off clothing, get measured and discuss the details of what they want done, then pick up tailored clothing that fits well and is completely unique.
Tailored clothing is different from bespoke clothing. Bespoke clothing is made from scratch after a tailor takes a customer’s measurements and usually sketches a unique design. On the other hand, while tailored clothing is altered and can be one of a kind, the tailor started from a ready to wear base. Essentially, tailored clothing is a bridge between ready to wear and bespoke.
Many people like tailored clothing because it allows them to keep their favorite outfits a little longer. Waist size, length, and even chest room can be adjusted to suit the customer. It is not always possible to adjust a clothing’s size well enough to make it wearable again, however. Sometimes there is not enough fabric to do what is requested, and other times there is simply too much fabric in a difficult-to-alter area. A skilled tailor usually tells his or her customers what is possible upfront, without having to first experiment on the garment.