Trouser Alterations & Repairs

Everyone in one point in their life will need to take their trousers to the local dry cleaners and use a Trouser Alterations & Repairs Service.

This can be for a number of reasons, you may have lost a few pounds & want to alter your trousers so they fit again by bringing the waist in or tapering them. On the other hand, a trouser piece may be worn out with the buttons going loose, or the hemming losing its stitching.

Either way, there’s no feeling like throwing a pair of trousers on that has a perfect fit on your body.

We know that visiting the local tailor can be a daunting experience, that’s why we have written a guide on the different services available to repair or alter your trousers, how much they cost and how long it takes for each service. Without further and due, let’s get started!

 1) Trouser button repair

The most common and cheapest trouser alterations & repairs service to do on trousers is getting the button repaired. In some cases, your trouser button can get so loose that it falls out. If this has happened and you have misplaced or lost the button, don’t worry too much. A good tailor will have a collection of buttons to stitch onto your trousers – simply inform the tailor of the colour/design of the button when dropping them off.

A button repair can be done as quickly as 10 minutes and often a tailor will tell you to come back same day to collect your trousers.

P.S If your tailor doesn’t have spare trouser buttons, or the one you’re looking, there’s many websites like www.alwaysknittingandsewing.co.uk or ebay/amazon where you can get buttons from.

How much does it cost for trouser button repair?

£2-4

How long does it take for trouser button repair?

Same day (Under 24 hrs)

2) Trouser Shortening/Lengthening 

Have you gone to a sale and found the most amazing trousers for a great price, went to try them on only to found out that the trousers are too short or long? Don’t worry, this is common and this is when you must visit your local tailor to get them altered – trouser shortening/lengthening is one of the most popular trouser alterations services available.

How do I take measurements for the shortening/lengthening my trousers?

To get your trousers shortened/lengthened, you will need to have an idea how much you want them to be lengthened by – you have a few options of how you want to determine this. Overall, there are 3 ways to carry out Trouser Alterations & Repairs measurements:

• Do measurements at home

Get someone in your home to do measurements whilst you have your trousers on, be sure to mark where you’d like it shortened using a chalk (so it can be removed during cleaning) or using a safety pin. You can also inform the tailor how many inches/cm’s you like to cut off.

• Book an appointment with tailor for on site measurement

Call your local dry cleaner/tailor via google my business to book an appointment with them. Most dry cleaners/tailors should have a changing room where you can try your trousers on, the tailor can take accurate measurements here.

• Bring in a reference pair of trousers

Lastly, you can bring in a pair of trousers that has a perfect length for you along with the trousers that need lengthening – the tailor will use the reference piece to match the length to the pair that needs altering.

How do tailors extend trouser lengths?

Tailors can often extend the length of trousers by taking the stitching of the hem out and shortening the hem which will in turn add extra inches/cm’s to the trousers. This is however is not always the case, its best to take to the tailors anyway so they can advise you best on whether it is do-able.

How much does it cost to shorten/lengthen my trousers?

£15-20

How long does it take to shorten/lengthen my trousers?

24-72 hrs

  

3) Trouser pocket repair

Another common repair for a trouser is a rip within the trouser pocket which can lead to change amongst other things going missing – this can be extremely inconvenient but nothing to major for a tailor to fix.

If material is still available on a pocket then a tailor can simply restitch it although it is most likely that the pocket will need to be patched up which is a straight forward job for an experienced tailor.

How much does trouser pocket repair cost?

£5-15

How long does trouser pocket repair take?

24-48hrs

 

4) Tapering My Trousers

If you believe your trousers are too loose around your legs and want to go for a tighter & more professional look, then tapering your trousers is your best option.

Tapering trousers is a trouser alterations service that is popular for those that have lost weight and looking to get a perfect fit from their old trousers.

For any measurement of tapering, we strongly recommend you book an appointment with your local tailor to take measurements. They will put a series of safety pins on your trousers to mark where to tighten from.

How much does it cost to taper my trousers?

£25-£35

How long does it take to taper my trousers?

 24-72 hrs

 

5) Doing Waist in/Waist out for trousers

Another popular service for trousers is taking in or letting out the waist of your trousers – this can be helpful for those who have had any adjustment to their body weight.

To take the measurement for this, we again strongly recommend customers book an appointment with their local tailor who can take on-site measurements.

Alternatively, if you know your waist size, you can simply inform the tailor this when dropping off the trousers.

How long does it take to do waist in/waist out for my trousers?

24-72 hrs

How much does it cost to do waist in/waist out on my trousers?

£20-30

 

6) Trouser Zip Repair

A common repair for tailors is getting zips repaired for trousers. A pair of worn-out trousers can have their zips broken overtime or have the zip stuck in a certain place.

Simply take the trousers to your local tailor and inform them about the zip, in most cases, the tailor will decide to add a brand new zip to the trousers.

Tailors will have a collection of zips to choose from so don’t worry about bringing in a new zip to them.

How much does it cost for Trouser Zip Repair?

£10-15

How long does it take for trouser zip repair?

24-48 hrs

Conclusion

We hope this article has been helpful in guiding you on what trouser repair & alteration services are available from your local tailor, how much they cost and how long to expect to get your trousers back.

1 Stop Wash have altered nearly 200 pieces alone this year, our tailor has over 25 years of experience within the field and known to bring smiles to the faces of people who thought their trousers were damaged beyond repair.

What’s more? 1 Stop Wash dry cleaned nearly 1000 pairs of trousers last year, most customers that get their trousers repaired or altered get them dry cleaned too so that it’s ready to wear.

Interested in getting your trousers repaired/altered or dry cleaned? Schedule a pick up or email us at hello@1stopwash.com to arrange an appointment with our tailor. Our shop is located in Kings Cross but also check out the locations we cover for our repairs and alterations pick up and drop off service. Alternatively, call us on 0207 837 4997 to book an appointment with our tailor today.

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