How to Tailor a Suit Jacket, Sport Coat or Blazer
Which parts of a man’s suit jacket or blazer can be altered? What can’t be tailored? How much does it cost?
More In This Series
This guide is part of a series of articles about clothing alterations. Feel free to check out the rest of the series:
- How to Tailor Men’s Pants
- How to Tailor Men’s Dress Shirts
Oh, and if you don’t have a go-to tailor, here’s how to find a tailor you can trust.
Here at The Modest Man, we talk a lot about fit and how to dress for your body type.
Fit is important with all clothes, from jeans and dress shirts to shoes and accessories. It’s especially important when it comes to formalwear like suits and sport coats.
If you can afford bespoke suits, congratulations! Most guys, however, don’t have enough cash to buy custom clothing (especially young men who are in entry-level positions or even just entering the job market).
Luckily, any off-the-rack suit jacket, blazer or sport coat can be tailored for a better fit.
How Can Suit Jackets Be Tailored?
Suit jackets can be altered in a variety of ways, from basic adjustment that any tailor can handle to full-on reconstructive surgery.
At a minimum, most suits should be altered in three ways:
- The waist should be suppressed
- The pants should be hemmed
- The sleeves should be shortened
These basic adjustments are easy and relatively cheap. Oftentimes, however, you’ll need additional tailoring for that perfect fit.
This graphic will give you an idea of which parts of a suit jacket or blazer can be changed and how much it will cost you:
You might be wondering if a specific alteration is “worth it” or not. Unfortunately, the answer depends on your situation.
How much did the jacket cost? Typically, you don’t want to spend more on alterations than it would cost to buy a new garment unless it has sentimental value.
