How Do I Tailor a Men's Suit?

A suit, no matter how expensive, will not help a man look his best if it doesn't fit right. You can save some money by not hiring a professional tailor to fit the suit for you if you have a measuring tape, sewing pins and a few basic sewing skills. Buy a suit off the rack at a department store or men's store. Take the suit home and have the man stand in front of a mirror while you make the necessary alterations that will make him look like a well-dressed professional.

Instructions

1  Try on the suit in the store. In front of a three-sided mirror, examine the fit. Understand that tailoring or alterations will help make a suit that fits fit perfectly; it will not make a suit that's too large or too tight look right. Observe the overall fit to ensure that the front and back middle of the suit coat fabric does not pull when the jacket is buttoned and that the shoulder pads do not extend beyond your shoulders. Feel for pinching of material beneath your armpits and avoid suits that do not leave you enough room to wear the coat comfortably. Examine the neck of the suit coat to ensure there's not excess material bunching up or rolling around your neck. Make sure the waist of the pants fits comfortably without being snug and without requiring a belt to keep them from falling to your ankles.

2  Take off the suit and purchase it if it fits to your satisfaction. Once home, have someone assist you in pinning for the necessary alterations to jacket sleeves and pant legs. Wear a dress shirt and dress shoes with the suit while the alterations are being pinned.

3  Use a fabric pencil to mark the spot on each coat sleeve where the cuff meets the base of the man's thumb. Remove the coat and use a fabric measuring tape to measure the distance between the shoulder of the coat and the mark. Write down this measurement and continue making marks at the same distance around the entire cuff of each coat sleeve.

4  Measure the distance from the bottom sleeve button, if the coat has buttons, to the edge of the cuff and the distance between each button. Remove the buttons on the arms. Carefully separate the lining from the sleeve (it's usually hand-sewn; you can just tug it free) and make note of the tacking holding the buttons to the coat sleeves. Fold the cuff material under and inside the coat sleeve up to the marks you measured. Use sewing pins to hold the new edge in place and have the man try on the coat to make sure the new cuff falls at the base of his thumb. Make any necessary adjustments.

5  Use a sewing machine to make a new hem at that mark and carefully reconnect the lining inside the sleeve. Measure the appropriate distance for the bottom button and sew the bottom buttons onto each cuff. Sew on the remaining buttons.

6  Mark the point with a fabric pencil on each pant leg where the cuffs hit the top of the dress shoes or the spot at the base of the laces near the toe end of the shoes. Take the pants off the man and measure the distance from the waistline to the cuff mark. Use this measurement to make an even edge around each pant leg. Cut the fabric with fabric scissors, fold the pant legs under at that mark and pin the new cuff with sewing pins.

7  Have the man put the pants back on and check to ensure that the line you've marked lies where it should on the shoe. Remove the lining inside of the pant legs and sew the new hem. Reattach the lining. Have the man try on the suit coat and pants one more time to make sure the new hems line up where they should for a perfect fit.