Cover credit: Charles Ciccione for Getty Images
We very regularly receive questions about retouching, as evidenced by the 800 comments under our dedicated article .
In this article, I propose to answer 6 frequently asked questions on the subject.
For your information, it is AM Retouches which carries out the alterations of our Parisian boutiques on rue Commines and rue Madame .
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1. Can I make my top bigger/wider?
To enlarge a garment, you need fabric value. That is to say extra fabric in the garment, around the seams (side or central).
Most of the time, on jackets, shirts or t-shirts, you will not have any additional fabric value.
In this case, the only solution available to you would be to add an exterior fabric (different from that of your garment) to the sides of the garment (at the level of the side seams), to gain width. But we don't recommend it because it won't work well the vast majority of the time.
However, you will sometimes have a little fabric value, on dress jackets for example. We are talking here about 1 or 2cm.
Inside our latest striped jacket for example, you have a seam in the center (blue dotted lines in the photo), with fabric around it (demarcated by the green lines). So you can widen it slightly.
You will also sometimes find additional fabric on the sides of the jacket.
2. Can I bend a jacket / jacket / coat?
The answer provided by AM Retouches on this point is quite clear: it is possible to bend almost any type of jacket.
The price is logically not the same depending on the complexity of the operation, and above all, not all retouchers will necessarily be able to carry out this operation correctly and cleanly.
Such alteration is often carried out at the side seams, sometimes at the central seam, and working these areas on a padded winter jacket for example is not easy.
Also, if your garment has welded seams , unpicking them will remove the waterproofing at this level.
3. Can I shorten my coat/jacket?
This is a question I often see on blazer jackets or coats.
My answer: yes we can shorten, reasonably, up to 4, 5 or 6cm, let's say.
I would advise against it if it is to remove more length.
For what ? Because shortening it too much risks distorting the proportions of your garment.
These two trench coats ( Burberry on the left, Devred on the right), of different length, have proportions that go hand in hand with their length:
- The Burberry, which hits the knee, has buttons further apart and a lapel of generous width,
- The Devred, which hits mid-thigh, has closer buttons and a thinner cuff.
Shortening the Burberry to mid-thigh would create a visual inconsistency :
- Regarding the spacing of the buttons: the last button would probably have to be removed, but that would still leave a visible buttonhole on the other side,
- And the width of the lapel: voluminous lapels on a rather short garment.
The Burberry trench coat is long and its proportions are designed accordingly. Shortening it too much would degrade the initial desired aesthetic, I think.
That being said, it is technically possible to touch it up to mid-thighs.
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4. Can I make my pants bigger?
Whether you want to widen your pants at the waist or at the leg, it is once again a matter of the value of the fabric present in the garment.
This value will depend on the type of pants and the fitting of the belt.
In any case, by looking in the right place you will have the answer.
Here, we can clearly see the extra fabric, which goes up to the top of the belt (red lines). BonneGueule pants
On jeans on the other hand, there is no additional fabric to widen them. Jean BonneGueule
And if you want to widen the leg on jeans, you have to look at the inside of the leg:
There is a little extra fabric on both side seams of these pants. We can gain approximately 2cm on the leg circumference, therefore 1cm on the garment measured flat. BonneGueule Joggers
5. Can I tighten my pants?
Tightening wool pants or chinos at the waist is done quite well. When it comes to jeans, it's more complicated and we will only recommend this operation to a very good retoucher.
Also note that reducing pants at the waist reduces the seat of the pants: this tightens the pants at the buttocks.
If your jeans are a little baggy and you're not sure of your fit: wear them with a belt.
AM Retouches tells me that you can take up to a size and a half off a pair of pants, two sizes large maximum.
It will potentially be necessary to unstitch and shift the pockets, which could be too close to each other with the alteration (which is done from the back).
Also, tapering pants at the leg level (calves only, or thighs + calves) is an operation that is done well, whatever the type of pants.
6. Adding pleats to pants that don't have them, is it possible?
It's a good question.
The answer is: yes, it is possible , provided that the pants are not too fitted.
In fact, to add clips, you have to remove the belt and... pinch the fabric (fold it back on itself) and put the belt back on.
So if the pants are very fitted, pinching the fabric will make them even tighter at the hips and upper thighs.
Pleats don't look very good on very fitted pants.
These Luxire pants, upon receipt, were too tight for me. The two clips at the front go out to the sides. It is not very aesthetic.
The final word
First of all, remember that the most complicated alterations are those consisting of widening a garment which has no - or little - additional fabric value.
Also, if you make too many alterations to a garment, you risk encountering problems that you would not necessarily have imagined. For example, tightening pants too much poses the problem of the two back pockets, which risk being too close to each other.
Finally: the degree of feasibility of a retouch depends a lot on the retoucher. An operation that is feasible on paper but entrusted to a person who is not expert or experienced enough can lead to a failed result and a damaged garment.
Before going to a retoucher, you can of course look to see if there are online reviews regarding the work done.
If your editing looks a little complex, I invite you to test the person in front of you to see their level of skill. For example, you can ask if the retoucher knows how to shorten the sleeve of a suit jacket at the shoulder.
If the person is able to do it, and explain it to you well, then that's a pretty good sign.
As such, you will find lists of retouchers here:
