The other day I did a wardrobe consultation with a client. She had recently purchased some new clothes on her own and felt unsure about a few of her choices. She asked for my feedback to help her decide what to keep and what to return.
A few things were obvious to her one way or the other, and I quickly validated what she already knew. But, there was one jacket, in particular, that she felt confused about.
She put it on and I knew immediately from her face and body language what the outcome would be but I wanted to help her come to that realization rather than have me just declare it one way or the other.
I asked her how she felt in it. She said it was soft and she liked the color, but it felt tight in the sleeves and clingy on her hips. I explained that we could alter it on the sides to give her more room. Her very quick response was “I don’t like it enough to invest money in the tailoring.” Our eyes met, and she laughed. Her decision was made – she would return it.
It is always (whether the item costs $5 or $500) worth it to tailor something you love to make it fit perfectly! If it needs tweaking and you are not willing to invest in the tailoring, don’t buy it. You will always regret it or not look your best wearing it. As an example, a few years ago I bought a casual top that I really liked except it was too long and the sleeves were these huge wild ruffles. The top cost $29. I took it to the tailor and had her shorten it and reduce the ruffle by half so they were not so voluminous. The tailoring cost $35 (more than the original cost of the top). But, I wore it endlessly and felt great in it every time.
Do you have something in your closet that could benefit from some tailoring? Do you like it enough to make that investment?
