Question for the Male Population

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

I do a lot of alterations for guys.  Mostly dress slacks for formal wear. 

I was trained when taking in pants that you go from the crotch up the center back seam, taking off that belt loop so that you can sew it back on once the seam has been finished off.  Those alterations are no big deal and take less than an hour start to finish.

So, I have a gentleman come in a couple of weeks ago with 5 pair of pants to alter.  I explained to him how I will do it and he interrupts telling me that he wants me to use the pair of pants he has included as a model and wants all 5 of these pants to be exactly the same from hem to waistband, including width of the legs at all points.  Don't alter using the back seam as he doesn't like how that feels.  Never again!  I'm only doing three as one pair he actually wanted let out and there isn't enough seam on the pants legs -- could do this easy using the back seam but specifically stated not to do that.  The 5th pair, I held up to my benchmark pair and I couldn't find any difference.

How do you gentleman get your pants alterations done?  I've done several dozen or more pair of pants before and have always done the center back seam method.  His method is very time consuming and I don't think the end result looks near as good as the center back seam method.

Just curious.

Virginia

[SteveA]

Years ago when pants had to have a half inch cuff break on the front of the shoe was the last time I had pants hemmed.
Now in the bigger stores they have every size and length - can't go wrong.  I would say that you need a buzzer on your front door o keep out the crazies !

SA

[gene]

Back in the day when I wore suits, I would occasionally get my pants altered. Sometimes it was to take them out, and some times it was to take them in. It was always done on the back seam. Pants are made to be altered with the center back seam.

https://screen.yahoo.com/samurai-tailor-050000039.html

gene

[sofadoc]

Now in the bigger stores they have every size and length - can't go wrong.

I agree. I haven't had anything altered in well over 20 years.

In Texas, I wear shorts from mid-March through mid-October.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

Back in the day when I wore suits, I would occasionally get my pants altered. Sometimes it was to take them out, and some times it was to take them in. It was always done on the back seam. Pants are made to be altered with the center back seam.

https://screen.yahoo.com/samurai-tailor-050000039.html

gene

Yup, that was how I was taught.  Thought maybe this dude knew something that I didn't.  Told hubby right before lunch that if anyone ever asks be again to alter their pants on the side seam I will ask them to take their business elsewhere.

Virginia

[Mike]

this guy sounds like hes had a lot of tjhis done . last time I had a tailer feel my crotch was probably my prom or my wedding   nowdays it Walmart and  shorts also everyday I have one air a dress pants just in case

[Darren Henry]

In Texas, I wear shorts from mid-March through mid-October.

braggart!  >:( that is when I try not to wear long johns LOL.

Not all of us shop well off the shelf. I'm 5'6" and have been loosing weight at every kick on the highway of life. When I was hanging out at the hospital with Dad last year I was running 114lb. by their scales. I've had a couple more kicks. A 28" wheist is hard to find, so is a 14 1/2" color. I have had to have some clothing takin in more than you would expect and I can see this guy's point ---sort of.

If you take too much out of that back seam, the pockets get too close together[can't get your wallet out] and it can "pinch your package".  It looks and feels better if you can take some of it out of the inseam, but you have to charge him for the extra work---or tell him to go buy something that fits if he is "mainstream".

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

What you say makes sense Darren, except that I altered from a 34 to a 32 so we're not talking a huge difference.  To each his own and yes, I am definitely charging him extra as it was a way more extensive alteration than it would have been had I done the normal.

Virginia

[Darren Henry]

Two inches can be a chunk. I've been issued 30's that I could stick my entire fist into the waistbelt the wide way. [point thumb forward]

[timtheboatguy]

I have never had my pants altered either. Perhaps there is a taylor forum that help?

34 to 32??? Sound like the little feller needs to eat more!

Best wishes!

[Mojo]

My wife has altered my pants in the past but I cannot tell you how she did it as I never paid attention. My problem is not " taking " pants in but letting them out as my mid drift grew over the years. Since there is little material to accommodate letting pants out I typically buy a new pair.

The biggest problem is my shrinking height which is easy to remedy by shortening the pant legs. ( Did you know adults shrink 1 full inch per decade ? ).

I have always had a difficult time buying pants that fit me correctly in the rear. The Good Lord decided to give me a bubble ass so pants that fit correctly in the crotch can be hard to find. My wife tells me often ( when grabbing my butt ) " a finer ass I have never seen ".

I think she is talking about my butt.......then again maybe not. :)

Chris

[sofadoc]

The Good Lord decided to give me a bubble ass so pants that fit correctly in the crotch can be hard to find. My wife tells me often ( when grabbing my butt ) " a finer ass I have never seen ".

I think she is talking about my butt.......then again maybe not.

Thanks a lot!! Now I have to try  and fight through the day with a mental image of Mojo's butt burned into my brain.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

I think she is talking about my butt.......then again maybe not. :)

Chris

LOLOL.  

I was Active Duty Army for 2 years and Active Reserves for 2 years.  then 2 years Inactive Reserves.  Used to be called, logically enough, 2-2&2.  When I was in the Reserves I attended PLDC, Primary Leadership Development Course.  Part of it was to give a briefing.  The instructor knew me fairly well and knew that I was very uncomfortable standing and talking in front of people.  So he tasked me with briefing on how to rate the male posterior.  I talked about such things as the "squeezability factor".  For some unknown reason, for the rest of PLDC, all of the males walked away from me.  Like you could rate a male butt in baggy fatigue pants anyway.

Back to the pants.  I had a wedding party that went to Men's Warehouse.  I don't know if they just screwed up or this is typical but every pair of pants was at least 6 inches off in the waistline.  That was one time I was worried about taking in via the back seam.  I did the first pair.  Fortunately for me, his waistline was the same as my ever increasing waistline.  I tried them on and looked in my full length and knew that every woman in attendance was going to be drooling after the groom and his groomsmen as the pants really accentuated the butt.  I also warned the fiancé that this might happen.  She was mightily amused.

Fortunately, these pants are finished and out of here.  Customer was NOT pleased that I had not done the pair that there was not enough on the seam to let out.  I asked him if he wanted me to let out the back seam and he said "Of course not.  I gave you instructions."  Which he did and had written on the ticket.  I got out my tape and showed him that the seam have us 1/2" on the raw edge.  I am not comfortable with less than 1/2" on seams as they are just to easy to start stress fraying when there is less.  He was a little huffy -- I guess he expected I could just grow the seam or something.  I did also tell him that I will not do side seam alterations like that anymore as it is way too time-consuming.  He had also commented about the price and not usually being charged that much for alterations.  I'm pretty sure that he's never had pants altered this way before as I did bump up my price but not nearly as much as I should have.  

Lessons learned and all of that.  Off to the garage to the vw.  Perfect weather for spraying the foam pad today.

Virginia

[Darren Henry]

The instructor knew me fairly well and knew that I was very uncomfortable standing and talking in front of people.  So he tasked me with briefing on how to rate the male posterior.

Our combat leaders course (CLC) is similar in that it is where you learn method of instruction. [up here, every one is an instructor --- when tasked]. One CLC I instructed on had a female, admin. clerk candidate in the same boat. She was known to the course officer so  her first 5 or 10 minute  trip to the podium was to lecture on the forward and backward actions of a stapler, I.A's and stoppages, and routine maintenance. The funny part of that is that some of the combat arms types had been teasing her about not remembering the stuff most of her lessons would be on and offering to "help her out". The course officer was a Reg.force infantry Sgt.Maj. He knew that when they started writing lesson plans, making hand outs & OHP slides, etc... they had never even seen her world. She had to qualify annually at the range same as everyone else. He was right, and the team building that ensued did more for her confidence than a bucket of red meat and cheap wine. It also taught the macho types to respect the R.E.M.F.S.   

[gene]

Mojo said:

Did you know adults shrink 1 full inch per decade ?

Methuselah, Genesis 5:27, lived to be 969 years old. If he was 6 feet tall and became an adult at age 19, he lived for 95 decades. This means his height at the time of his death was minus 23 inches. How do you take pants in a minus 23 inches?

gene