The fit of a shirt isn’t just important, it’s essential. The collar and waist need to be tight enough so they don’t sag, but loose enough to avoid discomfort. Sleeves need to be big enough for full range of motion, without bunching up under your armpits or making your elbows look like they belong on an ape's body.
Fortunately, you don’t need to panic if you’ve already splashed out on an expensive dress shirt, only to find it doesn’t fit you properly – there’s a professional tailor out there somewhere, hands at the ready, waiting to save you and your shirt.
By making a number of simple shirt alterations, a professional tailor will liberate you from the embarrassment of a baggy shirt, or the pain of being choked by a collar that is far too tight.
How Long Does Alterations Take
But how long will it take to get a shirt altered? Shirt altering usually takes a few hours depending on the alteration. The most time consuming alteration is adding darts to the back of the shirt which you usually have to leave with the tailor and collect the next day.
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Read on to discover how long you should expect various kinds of shirt alterations to take, as well as some tips and tricks to make sure you get the perfect fit every time you buy a new shirt.
How long does altering a shirt take? And how long does a tailor usually take?
Altering a shirt can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to several hours, depending on the type of alterations required.
There are some very simple alterations, such as adding darts to a shirt, shortening sleeves or hemming, and adding new buttons and buttonholes, which shouldn’t take a professional tailor any longer than 30 minutes to do.
There are also more involved alterations, like replacing the collar or cuffs, that may take up to a couple of hours, and require the tailor to order materials ahead to ensure they can carry out the alternations.
Unfortunately, if your shirt is too tight, or fits too long, then there is very little even the most talented tailor can do to save you garment.
Shirts simply aren’t built with additional material, meaning their sides cannot be let out to give you additional room, and the shirt and sleeves cannot be lengthened. In this instance, you might have to say goodbye to your shirt.
How Long Does it Take To Get Clothes Tailored?
This depends on the type of clothing but a good rule of thumb is that is can take 3 days to a week for any clothing alteration. Of all garments, shirts are typically the most complicated in comparison to t-shirts or trousers.
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Shirt Alterations - Other Options
When you buy your next shirt, you’ll want to avoid the hassle of getting your shirt altered, or the heartache of having to throw it out – so we’ve put together a few tips to make sure your next shirt purchase will be your last shirt purchase for the foreseeable future.
1. Get measured by a professional tailor before making a purchase
If you want to make sure your measurements are spot on for your next shirt purchase, head over to your local tailor for an in-person fitting.
A professional can help find the best size shirt for your body type and will be able to give you tips on how best to maintain the shape of your clothing over time.
2. Try on multiple sizes
This tip may seem obvious— but so many people are reluctant to try a range of different sizes – maybe they don’t like the hassle.
But trust us, next time you find yourself at a clothing shop, it’s definitely worth spending time trying on a range of sizes—you'll be glad when you finally have something that fits well and haven’t wasted your money.
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3. Buy TAPERED clothing
If you want to avoid the hassle of taking loads of measurement or having to make alterations to your clothing, then a TAPERED fit shirt might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Take in a shirt... without a tailor
These shirts have been crafted by professional tailors and industry-leading designers to give you a perfect tailored fit and look – without the need for fancy measurements or alterations.
TAPERED shirts taper from the shoulders to the waist – meaning you won’t have to worry about your shirt being restrictive at your shoulders, or too loose at your waist.
With TAPERED clothing you get a tailored fit, without the hassle.
Click here to shop Tapered Fit shirts
Our revolutionary cut provides a 10" drop from chest to waist.
Fully fitted in chest and shoulders whilst tapering sharply down, giving a tailored look. No more bagginess in the waist.
Enhanced Darts
Expertly tailored darts at the back, for the perfect fit.
Stretch Cotton
Super soft, breathable and allows complete freedom of movement.
Perfect for the office.
With our non obtrusive logo stitched subtly on the wrist makes our TAPERED Fit Shirt ideal for formal occasions.
Tapered Fit Shirts are the true solution to your shirt fitting problem. If you want a shirt that fits your body like it should, check out or best selling shirt here
