You know your trousers are too long, but how do you explain the change you want at a tailor’s shop? Sewing and clothing alterations vocabulary helps you describe the problem, identify the part of the garment and agree on the result before work begins.
A hem is a finished garment edge, a seam joins pieces of fabric, and a lining is an inner layer. Ask a tailor to take a garment in to make it narrower, let it out to make it roomier, or shorten it to reduce its length. Name the area and confirm the amount of change: “Could you shorten both sleeves by two centimetres?”
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Hems, seams and garment parts
A garment is one item of clothing. An alteration changes its fit, length or design, while a repair fixes damage. For the names of everyday clothing items, see our clothes and accessories guide.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hem | A finished edge, often folded and stitched | The hem of my skirt has come undone. |
| Seam | The join between pieces of fabric | The side seam has split. |
| Stitch | A loop or length of thread made in sewing | A few stitches are loose. |
| Lining | A layer inside a garment | The jacket’s lining is torn. |
| Waistband | The band around the waist of trousers or a skirt | The waistband feels tight. |
| Cuff | The finished band at the end of a sleeve | This shirt cuff needs a new button. |
A seam and a hem are not interchangeable. If the join down the side of your trousers opens, say “The seam has come apart.” If the stitching around the bottom edge comes loose, say “The hem has come down.”
You may also hear blind hem, a hem with stitching that is difficult to see from the outside. Singer’s blind hem guide describes this finish. A useful request is “Can you make the stitching less visible?”
Common alteration verbs
The verb tells the tailor what kind of change you want. “Make it smaller” is understandable, but “Take it in at the waist” identifies both the change and its location.
| Expression | Change | Natural request |
|---|---|---|
| Take in | Make narrower or tighter | Could you take this shirt in at the sides? |
| Let out | Make wider or roomier | Is it possible to let the waist out? |
| Shorten | Reduce the length | Please shorten the sleeves a little. |
| Lengthen | Increase the length | Can these trousers be lengthened? |
| Hem | Finish or sew the edge | I’d like these trousers hemmed. |
| Taper | Make gradually narrower | Could you taper the legs towards the ankles? |
| Replace | Remove one part and put another in its place | Could you replace the zip? |
| Mend | Repair damage | Can you mend this small tear? |
Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries confirms the clothing meaning of take in and identifies let out as its opposite. Letting a garment out depends on how it is made and how much fabric is available, so ask whether the change is possible rather than assuming it is.
Put pronouns in the right place
With a noun, you can say “Take in the jacket” or “Take the jacket in.” With a pronoun, say “Take it in,” not “Take in it.” For trousers, use the plural: “Could you let them out a little?”
Take up can mean shorten a garment: “These trousers need taking up.” Do not confuse it with take in, which changes width or fit. If you are unsure, “shorten” and “make narrower” are clear alternatives.
Sewing tools and actions
A needle carries thread through fabric. A pin temporarily holds fabric in place, and a tape measure measures lengths or body dimensions. A seam ripper is a small tool used to remove stitches.
Thread can be a noun or a verb: “I need black thread” and “Can you thread this needle?” Similarly, stitch can describe an individual stitch or the action of sewing: “The pocket needs a few stitches” and “Please stitch the pocket back on.”
Other useful actions include pin, unpick and press. You pin fabric to hold it, unpick stitches to remove them, and press fabric with an iron. In a fitting, “Could you pin it first?” asks the tailor to show the proposed adjustment temporarily.
Seam allowance is the fabric between a seam’s stitching line and the cut edge. Basting means temporary stitching used to hold fabric before permanent sewing; tacking is another term you may hear. These words help you understand the tailor’s explanation even if you are not doing the sewing yourself.
Describe the fit and measurements
Start with what feels or looks wrong, then state what you want changed. “The shoulders fit well, but the sleeves are too long” is more useful than “This jacket doesn’t fit.” It also tells the tailor which part you are happy with.
- “It’s too tight across the chest.”
- “The waist is too loose, but the hips fit.”
- “The trousers are baggy around the thighs.”
- “The sleeves are different lengths.”
- “The lining hangs below the hem.”
Tight means close-fitting or restrictive; loose means there is extra room. Baggy describes a particularly loose shape and can be intentional. To keep that style, say “Please shorten the legs, but keep the loose fit.”
“By” gives the change; “to” gives the result
“Shorten the skirt by three centimetres” gives the amount to remove from its length. “Shorten the skirt to knee length” describes the desired result. You can also point to a position and say “I’d like the hem to sit here.”
For width changes, clarify whether a measurement means the total reduction or the amount at each seam. Ask “Do you mean two centimetres in total?” if the instruction is unclear. Confirming the pinned fit is often easier than trying to describe a complicated adjustment with numbers alone.
When you want someone else to do the work, use have or get plus the item and past participle: “I’m having my coat altered” or “I need to get these trousers shortened.” This differs from “I’m shortening my trousers,” which normally suggests you are doing it yourself.
A conversation at the tailor’s
A fitting is a session where you try on a garment so its fit can be checked or adjusted. Before leaving the item, ask about the price and collection date. A quote is the proposed price for the work.
Customer: I’d like to have these trousers altered. The legs are too long, and the waist is a little loose.
Tailor: Please try them on so I can check the fit.
Customer: Could you shorten them to here and take the waist in slightly?
Tailor: I’ll pin them first. How does that feel?
Customer: That feels comfortable. Please keep the legs the same width.
Tailor: Certainly. I’ll shorten them and adjust the waist.
Customer: Could you give me a quote? And when will they be ready?
If you want to check whether extra work is included, ask “Does that price include altering the lining?” For timing, “Can I collect it on Friday?” is natural in British English; “Can I pick it up on Friday?” works too.
At collection, you can say “Could I try it on before I leave?” If something needs attention, describe it precisely: “The left sleeve still feels longer than the right one.” This gives the tailor a specific issue to inspect.
Practice and common questions
Choose the right expression
- The waistband is too loose. Could you take it in / let it out?
- The join along the side has split. The seam / lining needs repair.
- I want the skirt three centimetres shorter. Please shorten it by / to three centimetres.
- The trousers are too tight. Could you let them out / let out them?
- I want someone else to change the sleeves. I’m having the sleeves shortened / shortening the sleeves myself.
Answers: 1. take it in; 2. seam; 3. by; 4. let them out; 5. having the sleeves shortened. Now describe one item of your own clothing using this pattern: “The ___ is too ___. Could you ___?”
Is hemming the same as shortening?
Not exactly. Hemming finishes an edge, while shortening reduces length. Shortening trousers often involves making a new hem, but repairing an existing hem does not necessarily change the length.
What is the difference between an alteration and a repair?
An alteration changes the garment, such as making a jacket narrower. A repair fixes damage, such as sewing a torn lining or replacing a broken zip. An alterations shop may offer both services.
Should I say “sewed” or “sewn”?
Use sewed for the simple past: “She sewed the button on yesterday.” Sewn is the usual past participle: “The button has been sewn on.” The present-tense verb sew sounds like so.
Are “zip” and “zipper” different things?
They name the same fastening. Zip is common in British English, and zipper is common in American English. “The zip is stuck” describes a problem; “Could you replace the zipper?” requests a particular repair.
