Clothing can be expensive to replace, so if you have an item that can be repaired, mended or altered instead of throwing it away, you will save yourself a lot of money.

Most garments are able to be altered for any number of reasons. It may be that you have put on some weight or lost some weight and need to adjust the size of a garment to fit you. It is possible for a tailor to alter the size of your favourite pieces of clothing rather than having to go out and buy new pieces. Waistlines, cuffs, collars, hems and seams can all be changed to re-shape a piece of clothing. Even brand new items of clothing can be altered by a tailor or seamstress to better fit you.

Simple alterations such as taking in or letting out a waist, taking in the seat on pants, tapering a sleeve, removing or adding shoulder pads, tapering a skirt, tapering or taking in side seams and adjusting straps and elastic waistbands can be achieved effectively and cheaply but there are some garments that cannot easily be altered. Those made of leather, velvet, satin, some silks and rayons, very sheer or shiny fabrics tend to be delicate and difficult to work with so always consult the advice of dressmaker before agreeing to start an alteration job.