Great clothes deserve to fit. A trouser that breaks perfectly on the shoe, a dress taken in at the waist, a beloved coat given a new zip instead of the charity bag — alterations are the quiet difference between a garment you tolerate and one you reach for. Here's what we do, how it works, and what you'll pay.
We handle the full range of everyday alterations and repairs in store, by hand. Simple jobs start from £5.75 for a replaced button and £9.20 for a hem repair; most trouser, skirt and dress work sits between £17 and £46 depending on lining and complexity, and lined coat or jacket tailoring runs a little higher. Bring the garment into our Shaw's Road shop and tell us what you'd like changed — a new zip, a couple of inches off the hem, the waist taken in. We'll agree a price and a collection date, and our tailor does the rest. Prices below are a guide and confirmed once we've seen the piece.
The jobs we're asked for most
Most alterations fall into a handful of familiar requests. If yours isn't listed, it almost certainly isn't a problem — just ask.
- Shortening & lengthening — trouser, skirt and dress hems taken up or let down, with turn-ups, linings and pleats all handled properly.
- Taking in & letting out — waists reduced or extended, side seams and sleeves tapered for a cleaner line.
- Zips & fastenings — replacement zips in trousers, skirts, dresses and coats, concealed zips, and buttons re-secured or replaced.
- Sleeves — shortened or extended, with or without working buttons, on shirts, dresses and jackets.
- Invisible repairs — holes patched or rewoven, on both lined and unlined garments, so the fix disappears into the fabric.
- Curtains — length adjustments on flat and curved, lined curtains.
Cleaned and altered in one drop-off: because we're a dry cleaner too, you can leave a garment with us to be both cleaned and altered — handy for a suit before an event, or a coat coming out of storage. Just mention both when you drop off.
How it works
There's no appointment, no fuss and no fittings. Just bring the garment in and tell us what you'd like done. If it's a length change, it helps to try the item on at home first — with the shoes you'll wear it with — so you know roughly how much to take off.
- You tell us what you need. A new zip, the hem up a couple of inches, the waist taken in — describe the change and we'll note it down exactly.
- We agree the price & a collection date. A firm quote from the list below, and a date to collect — usually around a week, as the work is done by our tailor.
- You collect from the shop. Try it on when you pick up; if anything isn't quite right, bring it back and we'll sort it.
How to measure at home
Because we don't fit garments in the shop, a couple of quick measurements at home let you tell us exactly what you'd like — and mean you leave with the fit you pictured. All you need is a soft tape measure.
- 1Chest / bust — around the fullest part, tape level and not too tight.
- 2Waist — around your natural waistline, where the body bends side to side.
- 3Hips / seat — around the fullest part, feet together.
- 4Sleeve length — from the shoulder seam along the arm to the wrist bone.
- 5Inside leg — from the crotch straight down to where you want the hem to sit, in the shoes you'll wear.
The simplest method of all: for a length or width change, lay a garment that already fits you well flat, measure it, and just tell us the difference. "Take two inches off the hem," "let the waist out by one inch," or "shorten the sleeves to 24 inches" is all we need to pass to our tailor.
Alterations & repairs — price guide
Trousers & jeans
Skirts
Dresses
Shirts
Coats & jackets
Repairs
Curtains
Tailoring terms, explained
A few of the words on the list above, in plain English:
- Hem
- The finished, folded edge at the bottom of trousers, a skirt or a dress. A "hem repair" re-secures one that has come down.
- Take up / shorten
- Reduce the length — the most common alteration, on hems and sleeves alike.
- Let down / lengthen
- Add length, where there's enough spare fabric folded inside the hem to allow it.
- Turn-up
- A folded-back cuff at the bottom of a trouser leg, finished as a feature rather than a plain hem.
- Taper
- Narrow a trouser leg, a sleeve or a side seam for a slimmer, cleaner line.
- Take in
- Make a garment smaller through its seams — for example, bringing in a loose waist.
- Let out
- Make a garment bigger, using the spare fabric held inside the seams.
- Seam & side seam
- The stitched join between two pieces of fabric. The side seam runs down the side of the body.
- Dart
- A small stitched fold that shapes flat fabric to the body — like the darts that give a shirt a fitted back.
- Concealed zip
- A zip hidden inside a seam so only the pull shows. Common on dresses and skirts.
- Lining
- The inner fabric layer. Lined pieces take more work to alter, which is why they cost a little more.
- Inside leg
- The seam — and the measurement — from the crotch to the ankle. It sets a trouser's length.
Why have it done properly?
A good alteration is invisible. The stitch tension matches the garment, the hem hangs level all the way round, a replaced zip sits flat, and a taper follows the original line rather than fighting it. That's the difference between a piece that looks tailored and one that looks altered — and it's why we hand every job to a skilled, trusted tailor rather than leaving it to chance. It's also, quietly, the kinder choice: a £20 repair that keeps a favourite coat in service for another few winters beats replacing it every time.
Ready for a better fit?
Bring your garment into our Shaw's Road shop in Altrincham and tell us what you'd like changed — we'll quote you and agree a collection date. No appointment needed; alterations are an in-store service.
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