Alterations For Short Men: Pants

Pants

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As a short guy, you will most probably find that many off-the-rack pants are either the right length but too snug around the waist, or fit comfortably at the waist but are a few inches too long. Wearing pants that are too long or loose fitting presents a shabby and unkempt image which will make it hard for people to take you seriously. Not to mention dragging your pants cuff along the ground can make for a messy situation. 

See Also: Alterations For Short Men: Dress Shirts

To know if you are wearing the right pants for your frame and height, simply stand in front of a mirror. The pants should not touch or drag on the floor, they should not have unsightly breaks along the length or taper off too far and they should not bunch up around the shoes or under the belt. If any of these is true, then your pants need alteration. Below are some general guidelines for altering pants.

All types of pants can be altered, whether it is slacks, khakis or jeans a good tailor can make alterations without leaving signs that there have been changes made to the pants. With a good understanding of how alterations work, you can shop at your preferred stores without compromise on color, patterns style and quality.

How Much Alterations Costs Depends On What's Being Altered | Source: ShortGuyCentral

When buying pants that will need altering, try as much as possible to get the right seat and rise; two of the hardest to alter parts of pants. Experienced tailors can shorten the rise by 1” without moving the side pockets.

Hemming to alter the length of your pants is both easy and cheap, some dry-cleaners can hem your pants for a small fee. The objective in hemming is to get your pants to end just past the top of the shoes. Also ensure to keep the original hem (if there was one) to avoid your pants appearing like they have been folded in.

The waist of pants in general are designed in a way that allows you to easily let out or take in an inch at the center back seam without altering the fit in other places.

The ideal leg opening varies from one individual to another, it also can easily be tapered from the knee by a tailor to fit your style and build.

Re-cuts are the extreme makeover of pants. The tailor takes apart the pants and pretty much makes a new pair using the fabric. It is best (and cheaper in the long run) to let the professionals handle re-cuts.

See Also: Why Every Short Man Should Own A Large Face Watch

Regardless of whether you plan to do the alterations yourself or have them done by a tailor or the dry-cleaner, don’t take your measurements yourself. Get a tailor to take your measurements. Alternatively, you can save yourself time and money by getting one pair of pants altered to perfection then you can use it as a benchmark for all other pants you need to have altered.

Always keep in mind that you do not need to wear pants that make you appear taller, you need to wear pants that suit your body type and most importantly your personal style. Remember how you dress is not only for others to see, its about how you treat you. Fitting stylish pants not only look good but I bet you feel a heck of a lot more confident and better.

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