Alteration for Tall People
Hey everyone, so I usually struggle with finding clothes that fit me well. I’m 6’4” 170 pounds and I have some moderate posture issues. Usually, shirts drape on me weirdly and the sleeves are way too short. Pants tend to be too short and too tight on the hips but loose on the waist.
I had the idea to buy things that I like in a larger size and have them altered. I don’t have much experience with bringing things to a tailor, and finding a good tailor where I’m at isn’t that easy. Is there anything I should know before trying this out such as limits that a tailor has? Any resources anyone can share? I’ve only ever had adjustments done by the nearby dry cleaner which are limited to hemming pants and reducing the waist slightly. I would just start out with basics like Oxford button downs and chinos to see what fits well. I don’t know if tailors even work on anything else haha.
I also don’t yet have a reference for what fits me “perfectly” I.e. something I could bring a tailor for reference. A couple things come close but either bunch up excessively when tucked or are too short.
Thanks!
10 Replies
there's limits to what a tailor can alter before it affects the actual structure of the garment (usually a couple inches/sizes; you aren't going to get a size 4X shirt down to a XS, for example)
in terms of finding a "good" tailor places like yelp, google reviews and word of mouth are best. in a pinch you can always call or reach out to ask about what they're able/willing to do
if you know what specifically you want in terms of 'perfect' fit, you should be able to tell a tailor and they'll let you know if it's possible for them. if you're not sure of how much to alter, feel free to post pics to get a better idea
the best advice imo is buying stuff that comes close to fitting; check the measurements on the size chart against those of a garment that fits well/your body measurements to get a decent fit, then go for alterations
Hey what’s up homie
We’re built pretty similarly, I’m about an inch shorter and 10 lbs heavier but the point stands. (Check some fits I’ve posted in WAYWT to confirm that we have a similar enough build for this advice to make sense). It took me a little bit to figure out how things fit and how I like them to fit, and the starting point to success there is knowing your measurements to a T, and more importantly, knowing the measurements of garments that fit you exactly how you want them to.
Most off the rack stuff from mall brands and fast fashion is unfortunately just not cut for anyone our height. (It’s part of the reason I got into smaller clothes companies in the first place) That said, there’s a lot of companies out there that make stuff a bit more forgiving. Obviously without knowing your exact measurements I can’t make any specific suggestions, but I’ve had good luck with Wrangler, Rockmount, and Ariat—limited luck with Levi’s on occasion.
If we’re talking tailored clothes or suiting, etc, yeah you’ll probably need to get things tailored. I’ve never bought a suit and worn it off the rack. Just the nature of the game. For shirts, try to find a place that has numbered, not letter sizing. There’s way more options, and they tend to fit better for it.
Fixing your posture will help as well, fwiw. I used to have pretty bad posture issues and a lot of problems with how stuff fit cleared up once I started focusing on correcting those issues.
also depending on what clothes you wear/what style you prefer, you may not need the skin-tight fit popular in the 2010s
Thanks so much for the advice, I’ll look into those brands as far as ready to wear. I didn’t mean suiting so much, I actually ideally would just wear casual stuff I’m interested in but make it fit. Say like a denim jacket and some work pants. But I know a lot of tailors are old school and suiting is what they know. Kind of why I had limitations a tailor might have in mind haha.
Kinda off topic but what did you incorporate to help your posture? Right now I do some strength training 3x per week and stretches
For lack of a better term I like workwear , just to keep it as general as possible haha
Maybe more “street” than actual workwear
Truth is nothing is really close to my measurements out of the things I like, at least from my research, hence my issue haha
I figured the best course of action is to buy stuff a size big and bring it to someone
For pants a lot of workwear brands will have at least some tall stuff, a quick search shows 32x38 and 32x36 on Levi and wrangler.
Shirts might be tougher. If you don’t have anything that fits to measure one option could be to go to a tailor and get measured before you buy anything and then at least you have an idea on size and the tailor could give an idea of what can be corrected and what can’t.
Good thinking thanks!
I think 31 waist has been the closest fit but it’s usually snug in the hips then. Even then, I can pull the waist pretty good, so shirts don’t stay tucked
Workwear definitely makes sizes that will work for you (read: us)
Dickies, carhartt, wrangler, etc all make extended sizing for shirting and pants (eg, tall, long inseams, etc). I’m a 32 x 35ish, so I usually gravitate more toward those brands or similar. Of note: a lot of higher end denim companies do unhemmed jeans, so the pants are generally just standard 36”. Part of the reason I have so much denim. Lol
As far as posture goes, I do a lot of physical activity—hiking, competitive shooting/training, fencing, etc, all of which require carrying weight for a long while. Good posture just kinda happened by necessity.
Thank you thank you 🙏 strength training is a new addition and I can be more rigorous about stretching so I hope it helps
I didn’t do much for most of my life and I am almost 30, so I have a hunchback posture. Looks like kyphosis but it’s not diagnosed
I’m in my 30s and just recovered from a serious leg injury and I’m probably in the best shape of my life lol, never too late!
Go get em tiger
I don’t wear as much street or workwear stuff, but I’m 6’3” 175 and learning to search shirts by measurement instead of size has been a game changer. I went 15 years just rolling up all my sleeves because I thought nothing fit. Searching eBay for Long/Tall cuts and shirts by neck-sleeve measurement has gotten me a lot of stuff that fits and also shown me which brands I tend to fit into. That would probably help