Thanks to society reaching new heights of progressive thinking, I think it’s safe to assume that it might be somewhat acceptable for grown men to wield sewing machines. If you’re any bit as conscious about your appearance, and the fit of your clothing as I am, take heed.
If you don’t think mimicking a day in the life of a sweatshop worker is your cup of tea, find yourself a decent tailor. Those of you who want to turn an old pair of jeans into a flash pair of skinnies, a la Russell Brand, please keep reading.
Before you start, you’re going to need your supplies. Besides a sewing machine, you’re also going to need a pair of proper tailoring scissors, some pins, and of course, the correct thread colour.
Once you’ve got your supplies in order, you can move on to creating perfectly fitting garments.
Tailoring/tapering jeans:
- Turn the jeans inside out and put them on.
- Start at the inner thigh and begin to work your way down. Pinch off the amount of fabric you want to take in and place a pin every few inches.
- After you have pinned off your trousers to your desired tapering, remove them.
- The marks you have made are what you will follow with your sewing machine.
- Start at one end and work your way down, creating a new seem in the pants.
- Grab a pair of tailoring scissors and cut the excess fabric.
Tailoring a shirt:
- Turn the shirt inside out and put it on.
- Begin pinning the shirt on either side of your torso, and move your way up, towards your arm pit
- Continue pinning the sleeve toward your wrist.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
- After you’ve pinned the shirt in its entirety, take it off.
- Sew along the marks you made with the pins.
- Once you’ve sewn both sides of the shirt, grab the scissors and cut away the excess fabric.
If you’re uncomfortable pinning the shirt, have someone help you do it. It’s easiest to pin the clothing in front of a mirror so you can actually see what you are doing. Make sure you are sure the clothes fit the way you want before you start sewing and cutting. Like a haircut, it’s better to leave a bit extra and take it off later than chopping too much on the first go.
If you’re a bit unsure of yourself, try these techniques on some old clothing you don’t care about first. Once you have the process figured out properly, you’ll be able to customize most any piece of clothing to fit you properly. And as I said, if you don’t feel confident in your ability to perform this on your nicer pieces, find yourself a good tailor.
