Taking Out a Suit to a New Dimension

Sir, has someone been playing a dirty trick on you? The suit you bought last year has supposedly been safely hanging in your closet since you last wore it in November. But last week, you found that the jacket was a little binding around the chest, the shoulders a little tight, and the zipper on the slacks seemed to stick half-way and that the hook on the waistband wouldn’t clasp.

Could it be that somebody’s snuck into your closet and made some alterations while you’re away?

Probably not.

Your dimensions have changed since you last wore it, and what was once the suit that fit like a glove now fits like a very tight glove.

If you’ve torn a seam while bending or stretching, it probably occurred while wearing an “occasional” suit. A suit that’s worn often stretches with your body.

“When you’re gradually gaining weight and wearing the garment, it’s stretching and accommodating you,” says John Shaw of Alex Sebastian in Costa Mesa. “If the slacks or jacket aren’t accustomed to your new size, it’s easier to tear the seams.”

That’s especially true in slacks, says clothing buyer Bill Rigioni in Huntington Beach.

“The back seam is vulnerable, as is the button or hook inside the front that keeps it latched,” Rigioni says. “Once your slacks are on, look at the pleats. They should drop down to their natural end. If they’re pulled across to the point where it doesn’t look like they’re there anymore, face it--they don’t fit.”

Before you give the suit to a smaller friend, take a good look at it in the mirror. In most cases, it is salvageable.

“If you’ve gained 10 to 15 pounds since you last wore the suit, you’ll notice some real problems with the fit,” Shaw says. “It’s time to have a tailor look at it.”

One of the most common areas where men have fitting problems is at the waist.

“If it hasn’t been let out before, a tailor can usually extend the waistline of your slacks another two inches,” Shaw says. “If your weight gain has been mainly in the seat and upper thigh, that becomes harder to alter since there’s not as much excess material.”

Jackets can generally be adjusted so that they’re half a size larger. Center seams and armholes can be let out, but you’re usually stuck with the shoulders.

“No one’s figured out a way to extend those,” Rigioni says.

Many people think that once a jacket or slacks are let out, it’s easy to see where the alteration has occurred.

“With silk, linen or fabrics that have a nap, the alteration will generally show,” Shaw says. “However, with good wools that haven’t been cleaned a lot, it won’t.”