A suit bought three years ago, correctly fitted at the time, no longer closes comfortably. The instinct is that the suit has failed. It hasn’t; it is exactly as it was. What changed is the man, and that distinction matters because it points at a repair rather than a replacement.
Where three years usually goes
The waist, almost always, and rarely the shoulders. That’s fortunate, because the waist is among the most adjustable parts of a jacket and the shoulder is the one part that can’t be touched.
How much is available
More than most people assume, in both directions, though the exact amount depends on how the suit was made and how much cloth was left in the seams. Roman, master tailor at Lincoln Tailor, on site in our store, can tell you at the fitting and quotes before he starts.
When it genuinely is finished
When the cloth has worn through at the seat or elbows, or when the shoulder seam has ended up out on the arm. Short of those two, a three-year-old suit is usually a repair away from fitting again: small jobs often while you wait, and for bigger work Roman quotes the job and confirms the completion date before he starts.
Also for Canton: M-14 and I-696, and Planning for Two Visits. More on alterations, or plan your visit to our Oak Park showroom.
