Mistakes & fixes

A waistband too loose or tight is altered by taking in or letting out the side seams, adding elastic panels, or moving buttons and hooks. Check the fix doesn't distort the closure or shape.

A jeans hem shortened while keeping the factory-finished edge and topstitching intact is done by folding the excess up inside the leg, then stitching just above the original hem from the right side.

Extending sleeves that fall short requires a deeper hem let down, an added cuff, or a contrasting fabric extension at the wrist. Check there's enough hem allowance before promising extra length.

Adding room to a garment that's too tight relies on unpicking the existing seam and resewing with a narrower allowance, which only works if enough seam allowance remains. Check the seam before promising this alteration.

Reducing a garment that's too loose is done by pinning out excess at the side seams or darts while worn, then restitching those seams narrower and trimming the extra allowance away.