Labor day is over, and the save 50% and 75% off flash sales went directly to your spam folder. You go over to your closet and place your index finger against your bottom lip, and take your following hand and rifle through your closet. You say out loud “This will go with this pants, shirt, and jacket.” You lay your outfit on the bed, and try on everything. The shirt barely stretches over your head; then you hear your pants hem tear, and your jacket barely fits your shoulders, but not your arms. You shrug your shoulders, and toss your clothes to the ground. Shape tells you can lose it in five days, Essence tells you to own your beauty, and Glamour says tailor it! Why spend money on new clothing, when you can have it tailored?
According to Zac Posen “When your garments really fit, they’re like armor.” You can walk into any board room focusing on your presentation; instead of worrying about the structure of your outfit. Since the 1940s, the American government has tried to regulate the garment industry’s sizing of apparel, but instead of following the rules they have broken them. Ever wonder why you can suddenly fit into a size 8 at The Limited, but weeks ago you could only fit into their version of a size 12, well this is what the fashion industry refers to as vanity sizing. They create a tag that reads a size smaller, but it is actually two to three sizes larger. The average dress size for American women is a size 12, and yet the industry tries to create this illusion that we have finally hit our target weight and size, but in reality we have remained the same. The industry has tapped into a garments tags underlying meaning; instead of the importance of one’s inner beauty and self-worth.
Although the fashion industry wants us to rest our self-worth in their hands, we can outsmart them by tailoring our garments from our closets. A tailored garment lays differently against one’s body, than an item that comes off a department rack. A designer may have designed it, but a tailor’s hands can alter it to your figure. Making alterations to a garment is an investment, but it is worth the cost because you will know the fit of your item, and you will be able to wear it over and over again!
Another alternative is to tailor your items yourself. Hollywood’s Fashion Secrets tape is a double sided tape that is perfect for blouses that insist on opening. This tape helps you to keep those buttons in place. Amazon sells hemming tape which you can iron onto your pants, instead of cutting off several inches. Since the hemming tape is not a permanent alteration, it will give you the flexibility to wear heels or flats.
What are some ways you save money on clothing alterations?
