You know the feeling. The jeans that fit everywhere except the waist. The blazer that's perfect except the sleeves swallow your hands. The dress that's a size 8 on top and a size 12 on the bottom. Most of the time, the problem isn't your body — it's that clothes are cut for an average that almost nobody actually is.

Here's the good news: a tailor can fix almost all of it, usually for a fraction of what a new item would cost. Below are the 10 alterations people ask for most, in plain language — what each one actually does, when you'd want it, and what it tends to cost.

1. Hemming Pants

This is the classic. Hemming shortens (or occasionally lengthens) the leg so your pants break at the right spot instead of pooling around your shoes or riding up above your ankle. It's the single most common alteration there is, and for good reason — almost no pair of off-the-rack pants is cut for your exact height.

At WeDoLaundry: $14.99 for a regular hem, $18.99 for an original hem (recreating the factory finish, including the original stitching and hem tape) — 3–5 day turnaround. See the full Alteration rate card.

2. Taking In (Making Something Smaller)

If a waistband, shirt, or jacket is loose through the waist or sides, a tailor can take in the seams to bring the fit closer to your body. This is the go-to fix for clothes that fit well everywhere except one area that's just a bit too roomy.

At WeDoLaundry: $19.99.

3. Letting Out (Making Something Bigger)

The opposite of taking in — if there's extra fabric in the seam allowance, a tailor can let it out to add a bit of room through the waist, hips, or chest. There's a limit to how much can be let out (it depends on how much seam allowance the garment was originally cut with), but it's often more than people expect.

At WeDoLaundry: $19.99.

4. Zipper Replacement

A broken zipper is one of the most common reasons a perfectly good piece of clothing ends up sitting unworn in the back of a closet. Replacing it is usually quick, inexpensive, and far cheaper than replacing the whole item.

At WeDoLaundry: $9.99.

5. Button Repair or Replacement

Missing or cracked buttons are an easy fix, and matching the original button (or choosing a close substitute) is usually straightforward for a tailor with a well-stocked button collection.

At WeDoLaundry: $3.99.

6. Patching Holes or Worn Spots

Moths, friction, or just age can wear through fabric at stress points — elbows, knees, inner thighs. A patch (visible or invisible, depending on the fabric and how noticeable you want the repair to be) can extend the life of a garment well past the point most people would throw it out.

At WeDoLaundry: $9.99.

7. Dress Alterations (Bust and Waist)

Dresses are notoriously hard to buy off the rack because they're fitted through multiple points at once — bust, waist, and hips don't always scale together the way pattern sizing assumes. Taking in or letting out a dress uses the same take-in/let-out principles as #2 and #3, but the presence of linings, boning, or complex seaming can add time and cost.

This one is worth getting a specific quote on rather than assuming a flat rate — ask your tailor to look at the garment before committing to a price.

8. Sleeve Shortening or Lengthening

Sleeves that run past your wrist (or stop short of it) are a common fit complaint on jackets, blazers, and dress shirts, especially for anyone outside the “average” arm-length range that ready-to-wear sizing assumes. A tailor can adjust sleeve length either from the cuff or the shoulder, depending on the garment.

This isn't currently on WeDoLaundry's published rate card — ask directly for a quote if it's the alteration you need.

9. Jacket or Blazer Shortening

Beyond sleeves, the overall length of a jacket or blazer can also be adjusted — useful if a jacket's proportions feel off relative to your height, or if a hand-me-down or vintage piece is a bit too long.

This is a more involved alteration (it usually affects the hem, pockets, and sometimes the vent), not currently listed on WeDoLaundry's rate card — worth a direct quote.

10. Seam Repair

Different from patching a hole, this is about fixing a seam where the stitching has come undone — a common issue after a garment's been worn and washed many times. It's usually one of the quicker, cheaper repairs a tailor can do, since it's fixing thread rather than fabric.

Not currently listed as a separate line item on WeDoLaundry's rate card, but a straightforward ask for most tailoring services.

Alter It or Replace It?

Not every ill-fitting item is worth altering — if something's cheaply made, badly worn, or would need several alterations at once to work, buying new can end up cheaper. But for anything well-made that fits almost right — one problem area, not five — alterations are usually the better value. A $15–$20 hem or waist adjustment on a $150 pair of pants is a much better trade than replacing them outright.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common clothing alteration?
Hemming pants. It's the single most requested alteration, since very few off-the-rack pants are cut for an exact height.

How much do clothing alterations typically cost?
Simple repairs like button replacement or a zipper swap tend to run under $10. Hemming, taking in, and letting out are usually in the $15–$20 range. More involved work — dress alterations, jacket shortening — varies enough that it's worth getting a specific quote.

Can any tailor let out or take in clothes?
Most tailors can, but how much room is available depends on the garment — specifically how much seam allowance was left when it was originally made. A tailor can tell you what's possible by looking at the inside seams.

Is it worth altering clothes instead of buying new?
Usually, if the item is well-made and only has one or two fit issues. A well-made garment with a $15–$20 alteration is often a better value than a cheaper replacement that won't fit any better.

How long does a typical alteration take?
At WeDoLaundry, most alterations have a 3–5 day turnaround.

Get It Altered

If you've got a pile of clothes that almost fit — the jeans, the blazer, the dress you love but never wear — it's usually a smaller fix than it feels like. WeDoLaundry's alteration pricing covers hemming, taking in, letting out, zippers, buttons, and patches, with pickup and delivery built in. Anything outside that list, just ask for a quote.

Schedule a pickup and we'll take it from there.