Taking In Versus Letting Out

Almost every alteration question comes down to one thing: is there enough extra fabric hidden inside the seam to work with. That hidden fabric is called the seam allowance, and how much of it a garment has decides whether an alteration is a quick job, a harder job, or not possible at all. It is worth understanding before you bring a piece in, because it changes what kind of answer to expect.

What seam allowance actually is

When a garment is manufactured, the seams are sewn a certain distance in from the raw edge of the fabric, and that distance is the seam allowance. A well made suit or a garment cut with future alterations in mind might leave a generous allowance, sometimes close to an inch on each side of a seam. A mass produced or budget garment often trims that allowance down close to the stitch line to save fabric, which leaves almost nothing to work with later, even if the garment itself looks well finished from the outside.

Why letting out is limited

Letting out a garment means opening a seam and using some of that hidden allowance to add room. It only works if the allowance exists in the first place, and even then there are limits. The old stitch line usually leaves a faint crease or a row of needle holes in the fabric, and letting out too far can expose that mark, especially in a lighter or shinier fabric where the old line is hard to hide. A double layer of fabric, like a lined jacket, also has to be let out on both the shell and the lining evenly or the two will not match up, which takes more care and more time than a single layer garment.

• Can usually be let out: a seam with generous allowance and no visible old stitch line once released
• Cannot be let out: a seam trimmed close to the stitching, or fabric that shows permanent marking from the original seam

Why taking in is more flexible

Taking in a garment, making it smaller, does not depend on how much allowance was left behind. It simply moves the seam further in, which is why taking in a waist, a bodice, or the sides of a jacket is almost always possible regardless of how the garment was originally cut. This is part of why alterations skew toward taking in more often than letting out. It is the more reliable direction to work in, and it is why a garment that fits a little loose today usually has more options later than one that already fits snugly.

Fabric weight and fiber matter too

Seam allowance is only half the picture. A heavier wool holds a crisp seam line and hides an alteration well, while a lighter silk or a fabric with a sheen shows every needle mark and every pressed crease more readily. A knit or stretch fabric behaves differently again, since the seam itself carries less structural weight than it would on a woven fabric, and taking one in or letting one out changes how the whole panel stretches, not just the width of that single seam. None of this rules an alteration out. It simply changes how carefully the work has to be done, and it is one more reason a garment is worth looking at in person rather than guessing over the phone.

When a garment is not worth altering

Not every garment is a good candidate for alteration, and it is worth an honest look before committing to a job. A structural change like moving a shoulder seam can affect how the whole jacket hangs and is not guaranteed to come out clean on every cut. A garment that would need to be let out well beyond its allowance, or one where the fabric is already worn thin at the stress points, may not hold up to the work. Bringing the piece in and having it looked at directly is the only way to know for certain what is realistic, rather than guessing from how the fabric looks on the outside.

Getting an honest answer

Gregory's Fine Tailoring has been resizing and altering clothing in Waltham since 1978, from a simple waist adjustment to more involved work on suits, dresses, and coats. One customer needed coat sleeves shortened after they came out too long from the store, a straightforward take in that made the coat fit properly. If you are not sure whether a piece is worth altering, bring it by 18 Arcadia Ave or call (617) 482-1111 and ask before you decide what to do with it.