L. Paul Cline September 5, 2013

 

Oh happy day!  The healthy life changes are bringing good results but now you’re being swallowed by your clothes!  A great change, but somewhat frustrating wardrobe problem, so what do you do?   We’ll look at the possible solutions item by item.

1.    Shirts
When making shirts smaller there is no issue regarding having enough fabric, but you want to have a good tailor doing your alterations, especially if they are going to be significant.  Every part of a shirt can be made smaller, but you need to consider whether or not the quality of the shirt is worth a total remake.  You also need to know that the alterations are final and can’t be expanded later.  If the weight loss isn’t drastic, moving the collar button up to ½ an inch and a simple side seam adjustment may make the fit much better.

2.    Jackets
Jackets can be made smaller, but drastic alterations may destroy the integrity of the garment.  The canvas in the “bones” of the jacket may make it very difficult to greatly reduce the size without wrecking the balance to a point where the jacket just won’t hang properly.  If the girth of the jacket is the only major change needed, a back-seam adjustment may extend the life of the jackets in your wardrobe.  For the cost involved, it is recommended that no major alterations be attempted on your jackets unless you originally spent thousands for the garment and you know that your tailor is exceptional at his or her craft.

3.    Trousers
When dealing with weight loss the most common alteration for trousers is to take in the back-seam.  If the weight loss is slight this will probably be a totally satisfying adjustment.  However, if a more drastic adjustment is needed a back-seam adjustment is going to place the back pockets too close to one another, which is not a good look.  Trousers can be adjusted at the side seams, but it is a more costly alteration so you will need to consider whether or not the quality of the pants is worth the alteration price.  If you choose to replace your old trousers for new, you may want to consider purchasing pants with an adjustable hidden elastic waistband that will allow for future weight fluctuations.  Finally, if you need to purchase a new suit during this weight shift period, consider buying two sizes of trousers with the suit.   In this way you will be able to handle 25 pound weight shifts without alterations.

4.    Shoes
Weight loss may cause your shoes to become too large for you.  If an insole slid into your shoe doesn’t solve the problem, you may need to replace your shoe wardrobe.  However, it would be wise to wait until you are sure your weight has stabilized before investing heavily in new shoes.

L. Paul Cline, 864-430-4645, lescline.com