How to Alter Double-Breasted Men's Suits
The cycle of men’s fashion trends moves much slower than trends in women’s clothing. The trends in men’s suits move even slower than other men’s clothing articles. The same fashion details seen on runways this year in men’s suits will be closely related to styles in 2012. A high quality men’s suit is an investment that may be altered to fit if weight loss is discerned by following these instructions.
Items Need:
- Bobbin
- Clothing chalk
- Iron
- Needle
- Pins
- Scissors
- Seam ripper
- Sewing machine
- Tape measure
- Thread
- Ask the wearer to try on the double-breasted jacket over a dress shirt and button it.
- Observe the buttons for proper closure and determine if the buttons need to be moved or the side seams or back darts need to be adjusted.
- Examine the hem length to determine if the suit jacket falls just at the bottom of the buttocks. Mark the correct length with chalk.
- Determine if the sleeve length ends at the wrist so that half an inch of the cuff of the dress shirt is visible past the jacket sleeve. Pin the sleeves at the proper level.
- Measure the outer edge of the left shoulder to the outer edge of the right shoulder and mark with clothing chalk. The material between the chalk line and the seam will need to be removed.
- Gather both sides of the suit between the shoulders and the waist and tug slightly. Excess material should be pinned for alterations.
- Separate the lining from the outer sleeve fabric with a seam ripper.
- Cut the excess fabric and pin the sleeve cuff.
- Hem the sleeve with a needle and thread by hand, preferably with a whipstitch, and press firmly with an iron set at the recommended temperature. Repeat the procedure for the opposite sleeve.
- Utilizing a seam ripper, remove the thread at the hemline that attaches the inner lining to the outer lining.
- Flip the jacket inside out and remove excess fabric from the side seams with scissors.
- Pin the side seams in place securely.
- Sew the side seams with a sewing machine after properly threading the needle and bobbin.
- Press the seams flat with an iron set at the proper setting for the fabric.
- Pin the hemline as marked and hem by hand with a whipstitch, while attaching the outer fabric to the lining.
- Iron the seams flat with an iron set at the temperature recommended on the fabric label.
- Clip the threads from the button with scissors. Place the button in the new location and sew it back on securely by hand.