Do you accept things the way they are?
Or will you go to any lengths to change them?
If you find a dress sold out in every size but petite, will you buy
it & have it lengthened?
If you find a skirt you love available only in a bigger size than
you wear, will you buy it & have it taken in?
I regularly buy things in the wrong sizes & then pay to have
them altered. But sometimes the trouble I go to backfires.
I'd even say that sometimes the more I adapt an item, the
less likely I am to wear it later. Talk about an investment
not paying off!
For today's post, I tried to pull out everything I've had altered
to see how much of it has been worth it; how often have I
worn the corrected items?
Here's my best attempt at the ROI analysis...
Or will you go to any lengths to change them?
If you find a dress sold out in every size but petite, will you buy
it & have it lengthened?
If you find a skirt you love available only in a bigger size than
you wear, will you buy it & have it taken in?
I regularly buy things in the wrong sizes & then pay to have
them altered. But sometimes the trouble I go to backfires.
I'd even say that sometimes the more I adapt an item, the
less likely I am to wear it later. Talk about an investment
not paying off!
For today's post, I tried to pull out everything I've had altered
to see how much of it has been worth it; how often have I
worn the corrected items?
Here's my best attempt at the ROI analysis...
Too big
Both the skirt & the top below have undergone adjustments. I bought the skirt in too large a size & had it taken in, & I had a hook added to the neckline on the top. Even though the cost to alter the skirt was high, I paid less than $20 for the skirt, & I love the color & wear it constantly, so that alteration was definitely worth it.
Both the skirt & the top below have undergone adjustments. I bought the skirt in too large a size & had it taken in, & I had a hook added to the neckline on the top. Even though the cost to alter the skirt was high, I paid less than $20 for the skirt, & I love the color & wear it constantly, so that alteration was definitely worth it.
 Top: Forever 21, under $15 Skirt: Banana Republic, under $20 | Skirt alteration cost: $20 Times worn: too many to count =Worth it! |
Too low cut
I went through a phase when I got hooks added to several of my tops to keep them from opening too low. It cost me very little--just a couple dollars at most. I would say it was worth it, but this top I've only worn once--to a crêpe restaurant for lunch. The top is from Forever21 & cost, like, $15. I enjoyed wearing it that day, so it was certainly worth it. Maybe some day I'll wear it again.
I went through a phase when I got hooks added to several of my tops to keep them from opening too low. It cost me very little--just a couple dollars at most. I would say it was worth it, but this top I've only worn once--to a crêpe restaurant for lunch. The top is from Forever21 & cost, like, $15. I enjoyed wearing it that day, so it was certainly worth it. Maybe some day I'll wear it again.
Hook added: $2
Times worn: 1
=Still worth it!
Too short
I loved the style of this dress below & thus bought it in a petite (only size available) knowing it would be too short.
Hoo-boy, was it too short! I had it taken down the full amount available, which was about 3 inches. It's still too short!
I think it might be less poofy (as my kids call it) if it were longer. I'm thinking about adding longer slip of chambray to lengthen it further. Cost to lengthen the dress: $15 so far.
So far I've worn it twice, & I predict it's not going to get worn much even when altered, so I'm not so sure I should throw more effort into it.
I loved the style of this dress below & thus bought it in a petite (only size available) knowing it would be too short.
Hoo-boy, was it too short! I had it taken down the full amount available, which was about 3 inches. It's still too short!
I think it might be less poofy (as my kids call it) if it were longer. I'm thinking about adding longer slip of chambray to lengthen it further. Cost to lengthen the dress: $15 so far.
So far I've worn it twice, & I predict it's not going to get worn much even when altered, so I'm not so sure I should throw more effort into it.
 Friend: "Are you wearing shorts under that?" | How it should look...  GAP Palm-print Denim Dress, $27.36 after discount < Lengthened hem cost: $15 Times worn: 2 =Probably not worth it :-( |
Too long
This dress had the opposite problem: I had to buy a Tall size (since they were out of Regular) & have it shortened. After I got it back from being altered, I realized that I should have matched the hem at the bottom to the length of the hem on the sleeve. I'm off by about a half inch. It frustrated me a bit, but it's not a deal breaker. I wear the dress constantly, so this alteration was worth it!
This dress had the opposite problem: I had to buy a Tall size (since they were out of Regular) & have it shortened. After I got it back from being altered, I realized that I should have matched the hem at the bottom to the length of the hem on the sleeve. I'm off by about a half inch. It frustrated me a bit, but it's not a deal breaker. I wear the dress constantly, so this alteration was worth it!
 Boden dress, around $50 Shortened hem cost: $15 Times worn: too many to count =Worth it! |  |
Dramatic shortening
You may have seen the post a couple years ago when I shortened & belted an old dress (post here). I like the new look, but I still haven't worn the dress. The right occasion hasn't arisen, my bra shows in it, & I don't like the dress enough.
You may have seen the post a couple years ago when I shortened & belted an old dress (post here). I like the new look, but I still haven't worn the dress. The right occasion hasn't arisen, my bra shows in it, & I don't like the dress enough.
 White House Black Market dress, around $40 in the '90s |  Shortened hem cost: $20 Times worn: 0 (in this decade at least) =Not worth it :-( |
Small adjustments
Not long ago they had a super cool "Tailor Swift" event at the Museum of Contemporary Art during which seamstresses would alter anything for $5 (see my post about it here). I took several pants I needed lengthened to the event. I've worn a couple of them a bunch of times since. I also had them put an extra button in a too-tight wrap skirt.
Not long ago they had a super cool "Tailor Swift" event at the Museum of Contemporary Art during which seamstresses would alter anything for $5 (see my post about it here). I took several pants I needed lengthened to the event. I've worn a couple of them a bunch of times since. I also had them put an extra button in a too-tight wrap skirt.
 Three pairs of hemmed pants from dELiA's & Victoria's Secret Cost: 3 pairs @ $15 + 1 skirt @ $5 = $20 Times worn: several =Worth it! On a different day but to a similar end, I had a snap added to this wrap skirt so help me wear it.... |  Extra button added to a Banana Republic skirt from the '90s |
 Extra snap added to a Zand skirt | Added snap cost: $2 Times worn: too many to count =Worth it! |
The Bottom Line:
It seems to me I get a lot of bang for my buck from small adjustments--an extra hook or snap. But when I try a major overhaul of a mis-sized item, I do end up throwing good money after bad.
Final recommendation: Try to stop buying oversized & undersized things. Do not hesitate to make small alterations to favorites you already own & wear all the time.
It seems to me I get a lot of bang for my buck from small adjustments--an extra hook or snap. But when I try a major overhaul of a mis-sized item, I do end up throwing good money after bad.
Final recommendation: Try to stop buying oversized & undersized things. Do not hesitate to make small alterations to favorites you already own & wear all the time.
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