Suit Alterations
Getting the perfect fit to your workplace wardrobe will likely require a trip to your friendly neighborhood tailor.
by Rita Gworek

Unless you are purchasing tailor-made suits – highly unlikely on a military income – it’s very likely that your wardrobe purchases are going to need some type of alterations. Here are some things to consider when tailoring your wardrobe for career success.

Keep in mind that when you purchase clothing off the rack it was not made just for you. The manufacturer came up with specifications to use for the average person. They decided on the person’s height, weight, shoulder width, sleeve length, neck width, chest size, waist line, hip measurement, rise etc. But you’re not average, you’re in the military! So that means the clothing will probably not fit you exactly unless you hit all the manufacturer’s specifications. So what do you need to do? Have the clothing altered so that it looks like your clothing and not someone else’s.

Suit Jacket
Here are some things to keep in mind about the fit of a suit jacket. The collar should hug your neck. It should not look like it is too big for you. If it is too large, ask the tailor to make it tighter around your neck. This is an expensive alteration. So if your tailor says they can’t do it, look in the Yellow Pages for a custom tailor shop and see them about getting it corrected.

If you have square shoulders you may notice a bubble in the fabric just under your collar in the back. This should be corrected by a tailor who will lower the collar. Some stores do not like to do this alteration. If that’s the case, take it to a custom tailor shop to have it done. It’s the right thing to do to ensure a proper fit.

The length of the suit jacket should at least cover your buttocks. Put your jacket on and have someone take a measurement in back from under your jacket collar down to where your pants end at your shoes. The length of the jacket is then determined by dividing that measurement in half. You may have heard that the length of a jacket should be where you can cup your fingers under it. This may not be accurate if you have long or short arms. At any rate, it is better to go a little too long than too short in the length of a jacket. Shortening a jacket is not a good idea. Make sure to pick the right length suit jacket to start. They come in short, regular, long and extra long-sizes.

Sleeves
The sleeve length should end right where your hand and arm meet. You will be able to feel the sleeve just brush the palm of your hand with your arm down. I have heard people in my class say the shop where they purchased their suits said that they could not shorten the sleeves on the suit jacket because the buttons were in the way. Not true. A good tailor removes the buttons, duplicates the placket and sews the buttons back on again. Again, check the Yellow Pages for a custom tailor shop. They will do it right. Check the rise in your pants. The rise is the crotch area. Some manufacturers will give you choices in long, medium or short rises. See which works best for you.

Body
With your suit jacket on, pull the jacket out away from your body at the top button of a two-button model or the middle button of a three-button model. You should be able to pull it no more than three inches away from your body. This is the correct fit around your middle. Put all the things in your pockets you will carry. It is best to carry a checkbook style wallet in your inside breast pocket. Put your cell phone, business cards and what ever else you carry in your suit jacket. This way the tailor will give you enough room so that your jacket doesn’t bulge out in the wrong places.

Pants
If you decide to wear plain-front pants, then leave the bottoms plain also. Do not cuff them. When wearing pleated pants, they look better with cuffs. Pleated pants also give you a little more room to expand when you sit down. Pleats are best if you have heavy thighs or fuller buttocks. The pants should end with a break on the top of your shoes. Tailors often ask if you want a light, medium or heavy break. It is your choice. Place the pants on your hips where they are most comfortable for you before the tailor marks the length. Always wear the shoes that you will be wearing with the pants to get the length right, too.

Check the rise in your pants. The rise is the crotch area. Some manufacturers will give you choices in long, medium or short rises. See which works best for you. A tailor can also make changes in the rise of the pants.

When you are having your pants altered, it is a good idea to place all of the things in your pockets that you tend to carry. This could be a pager, cell phone, coins, money clip, keys and what ever else you carry. Then the tailor will give you enough room around the hips and waist so that your pant’s pockets do not pull open.

Finally, check yourself out in a mirror. Look front, back and side views. Look good? Then you are good to go!