Originally Published 11/19/2011
Leeda is my tailor’s name. She’s the best. Incredibly nice, does amazing work, and most importantly knows how a suit, a blazer, and a button up shirt should fit not just any guy, but me. I found her after I bought a suit at a department store, the salesperson pinned me up, and subsequently the suit was then ruined by the store’s off site tailoring service. It’s a scenario that a lot of us have lived through. I wore it three times, retired it, and now it’s a $400 pinstriped pocket square holder.
You need a tailor that is your tailor. Someone who knows what you like, what you can’t stand, and can replicate that same look after they perfect it on (hopefully) the first garment you bring to them. A department store salesperson can’t do that. But Leeda can for me. As a ballpark guide, here’s what she charges:
Taper suit jacket waist – $20
Take in suit jacket sleeves – $20
Shorten suit jacket sleeves – $15
Shorten suit jacket length – $30-$40
Take in pant waist – $17.50
Hem pant legs – $10.50
Take in shirt – $15 – $30
Total cost of my usual suit tailoring bill: Pant waist, hem, & jacket waist tapering = $40 – $60
Your location and the type of tailor you go to will alter (no pun intended) the pricing structure. My tailor mentioned this right away when I told her what I was up to. She works out of her house for a limited group of clients who are glad to work around her schedule. She’s got an eastern European accent, a friendly dog named Blesque (or Blesk? I don’t know what it means) and she’s not afraid to offer a gentle suggestion when warranted.
Ask your friends. Especially those that are women. I found Leeda through one of my wife’s former co-workers.
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