Episode Introduction and Guest Preview

“If you have sort of a more straight figure like that, look into wearing men’s jeans, because men’s jeans are cut straighter through the waist and hips.”

Angela:

And that, my friend, is just one of the many juicy tips that Jennifer shares in this Petite Alterations episode.

Now, before we get into the rest of them, be sure to follow Inside Petite Style so you never miss out on a petite style tip. All right, let’s get started.

Introducing Jennifer Serr: Master Tailor and Designer

Angela:

I am so excited today to welcome Jennifer Ser, who is a master tailor and designer. And she has been so kind and generous as to offer to answer all of the questions that members of the Petite Revolution, sent in about how to best do Petite alterations.

But before we get to that, I know you guys would love to hear more about her background and her extensive experience. So, Jennifer, do you mind just sharing a little bit about how you got here and what you’re doing now?

Jennifer:

My background is in the fashion industry. I worked at Gap as a technical designer for many years, and then I left. When I left Gap, I worked creating couture wedding gowns as well. So I did that. And then simultaneously, I was also teaching, teaching in the fashion department at the California College of the Arts, either in the pattern making department or in the garment destrict in garment construction classes. So that’s a little bit about my background. And currently I own the Sewing Room, which is a sewing school for enthusiasts of all ages. So we have every kind of class from beginning sewing all the way up to couture sewing and then fashion classes as well.”

How to Alter Jeans Without Ruining the Hem

Angela:

I love that. So if you’re ready, do you want to dive into the questions that my one on one coaching clients and my newsletter list sent in for you?

Jennifer:

Absolutely.

Angela:

I was going to say they came up with some really juicy ones. So there was a lot to be about jeans and denim and all of that. So what would you say the best way to alter jeans without the hem looking undone.

Jennifer:

There’s two ways to do it. And one way is to have your tailor or you yourself, use a heavy duty, I’m going to put this up to the screen, hopefully you can see it well.

Angela:

And I was going to say I can always put it in the video links below too.

Jennifer:

So this is Coats and Clark. It’s called Extra Strong for jeans and it is a special jean top stitching thread. So I think you can buy it in different colors that match the top stitching on your jeans. So you’ll have to go to the fabric store, if there’s one near you or, or you can probably buy it online also. So that means, this has to be your top stitching thread and you have a regular thread on the bobbin and you’ll have to hem your jeans from the right side, not from the back side but from the right side.

So you get them all lined up and then you can stitch them down and then when you’re doing that you want your stitch length to be a little longer than normal. So when we sew at home we usually use a 2.5 and when we sew, when we’re sewing a top stitching, if we, if we want it to be more distinct then it should be a 3 or a 3.5 just so it’s a little bit longer, it’ll look a little bit more distinct and more like what we see in the industry.

The Original Hem Preservation Method

Second way of doing it is. So here’s your jeans. Here’s your jeans. And I actually. I actually hemmed these. I didn’t realize that. I thought this was a regular, factory hem, but it’s not. I actually shortened these, these jeans here. I’m pretty sure. Anyways, so here’s your jean hem, but you want it to be shorter, so what you do is you’ll turn it inside out, okay, for the amount of fabric that you need to hem. So, you know, you have to make sure you get that right, because it’s doubled now. So whatever. Like, say you want to hem it an inch and a half, then you’re going to have three quarters of an inch where you’re going to stitch it down, and then you’re going to stitch it really close to that hemline.

And so when it’s finished, it kind of blends in, and you still get to have that original jean hemline. It does have a little tiny bit of a shadow right next to it. So with like, super light jeans, it might show a little bit more, but, I mean, people aren’t looking at your legs that closely. But from rom afar, it does look really good. And I learned that from our sewing ladies at the Gap, because everybody wanted their jeans to look like they came out of the tailor. Have your tailor do this too, but you might have to explain it to them. And once you explain it to them and they do it, they’re never going to go back. They’re going to love you so much because you’re going to want to do that. So if they don’t already know how to do that, then you can show them that little technique.

Fixing Jeans That Are Too Big in the Waist and Hips

Angela:

So this one came in from Kathy and I want to make sure. I’m going to read it because I want to make sure I get it exactly right. So she has a problem finding jeans that fit in the waist comfortably and not being unflatteringly wide in the hips and baggy in the rear. What alterations will make them more flattering?

Jennifer:

Okay, so a couple of things. Jeans are probably one of the most difficult ready to wear items to alter because they have rivets on them. So if you’re buying for your waist and your hips are smaller, you would take it in along the side seams. But with jeans, if it’s got a rivet, you have to take it in quite a bit to avoid that rivet with rivet on your needle on your machine.

So you could, you could have them take out a wedge, kind of like what we were talking about with the hem that’s next to the seam, like a dart in the side. So you would essentially be doing it kind of where the pocket is and moving the pocket over. So if you can see like here I have it, and then I’m folding out a bit, you could do it that way. So it’s kind of like a dart near the side seam.

Angela:

Can you hold them up? I can’t see that.

Jennifer:

It’s a little tricky to show. I’ll show it from the inside. It would be a little easier. So here’s our side seam on the inside. Okay. You can take a dart out like right here next to the pocket. And then you would just do that all the way down the leg or through the thighs. But you will have a seam line there afterwards.

Alternatively, you can take the jeans apart and you could top stitch it. If it’s a big enough amount, you can move the rivet out or try to pry the rivet off and then stitch over it that way. So you’re taking that fullness off of the side seams and the hips. But I would consider, if you have sort of a more straight figure like that to look into wearing men’s jeans, because men’s jeans are cut straighter through the waist and hips. So it would be something just to consider, to try to, you know, the only difference is usually the rise tends to be a little longer, but these days the rises aren’t that different.

Angela:

Jennifer, that is game changing right there. What a brilliant idea. Now, I do have one question. If they are going to do the wedge on the inside, is that going to make the pockets be weird?

Jennifer:

There’s a potential for that. That’s what was really tricky. I mean, you can sometimes move the pocket over if you have to. It is a lot of work. So it just depends on how much you’re willing to invest in getting your denim to fit correctly.

The Reality of Jean Shopping: Try Everything

Angela:

The men’s jean thing, I think that’ll be super helpful for Kathy. I can’t wait to hear what she has to say about it.

Jennifer:

I would say. It’s a frustrating experience, but try on like a thousand pairs of jeans, like go shopping because you’ll notice a difference. The same jean measures differently in the same size. So I mean, just keep trying stuff on. You might find a jean that is supposed to have a smaller waist, but for some reason it got cut bigger and has a bigger waist and smaller hips. So I mean, you just have to try on a lot of jeans. It’s like you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you get that prince. It’s like that with jeans.

Angela:

Oh, my gosh. Okay. That’s what we’re calling the video ‘what jeans and frogs have in common’.

Jennifer:

Yes, absolutely. No, it is true. Especially with, so much fast fashion and even semi-fast fashion. Like, sizes we know from the same brand run so differently. Sizes in the same style run so differently. I don’t know about you, but I’ve bought, like I’ve fallen in love with something and then bought it in several different colors because it fits and it looks good and blah, blah, and they come and they don’t fit at all alike. And typically black fits smaller than any other color because of the way the dye is.

Angela:

Okay, that is interesting.

Jennifer:

Yeah. So black will tend to not stretch as much in a T shirt as other colors. It just depends. Black tends to be a little smaller than the other colors.

Angela:

Interesting, interesting. That’s a fun fact that we won’t forget.

What Should Never Be Altered

Angela:

Okay, so next question, ‘Is there anything that we should absolutely not alter?’ If we’re in the store or we buy something online and it arrives, we try it on and it doesn’t fit perfectly. Should we just say, okay, unfortunately, this is one of those things that cannot be altered and I need to send it back?

Jennifer:

Well, unfortunately, it’s a case by case scenario because there’s some garments that really aren’t going to be worth it. If the alteration is going to be too extensive and it’s going to change the garment too much, then I would say, you know, if it’s just going to be more than 2 inches in any direction, it’s probably not good to alter it, because it’s going to change the proportions and everything. And that correction where you were talking about. We were talking about it earlier offline of raising at the shoulders.

Angela:

Yes. That’s really a tricky alteration as well.

Jennifer:

So that. And very expensive if it’s done correctly, you know.

Angela:

Right, right. Isn’t that the case? We really do have to weigh it out. Like, how much do we love this garment and all of that? I think, it comes up a lot right now because I have so many clients because they are either they’ve lost a significant amount of weight and they have items in their closet that they love and they don’t want to part with, or on the flip side, they’re maybe going through some hormonal changes and they’re having some weight fluctuations. So then, you know, like, how much do I, you know, do I put into some of those things?

Jennifer:

So it just depends on the garment, how much we love it and how much we’re willing to spend on it to have it done correctly.

Angela:

Okay, got it, got it, got it.

How to Find a Qualified Local Tailor

Angela:

Okay. So because I work with so many clients remotely, I don’t always have an awesome local tailor recommendation if they don’t already have one. And as much as we try to avoid, you know, buying garments that have to be altered to begin with. I mean, it happens. You know what I mean? There’s that evening gown or there’s something with sequins or beading or whatever. Is there a way that we can find a local tailor that is an expert?

Jennifer:

So I would say you’re going to want to look online. Google reviews, Yelp reviews, all of those. You’ll learn a lot just by reading the reviews. Some of the reviews will be wackadoo reviews. You’re like, oh, my God, that person was craz. But a lot of them will be really, really informative. And then alternatively, if you’re buying at Nordstrom’s, I believe they alter. They can alter everything there. They usually hire experts to do it. So the people who are working at Nordstrom’s are usually very talented. Nordstrom’s, Neiman Marcus, all of the super high end places. And then the designer places as well.

So they do hire and pay usually a living wage to their alterations people.

Angela:

Good, that’s a good one. And I mean I had to laugh when you were like, ‘there’s going to be some wap doodle reviews.’ Because aren’t there always? You’re like, okay, this girl, well, number one, she had time to give 150 reviews on various things because you know how they’ll say how many. She clearly has too much time on her hands. But no, that’s a good one.

Jennifer:

Looking at the different reviews and to be quite honest, there might be somebody at the, whatever store you’re shopping at, even if they don’t have somebody who does alterations, they might have a recommendation.

Angela:

Yes. And then if you’re having evening wear done, you might even go to a bridal salon and ask them because they’re going to be more knowledgeable about how to alter formal wear, which is different than altering a pair of jeans.

Jennifer:

So I would recommend, you know, having your formal wear done by someone who specializes in that.

Angela:

Another great tip. Yes, absolutely. Because I mean you spent all that money on the gown. You don’t want it to come back looking janky.

The 2-Inch Rule for Alterations

Angela:

The other thing I just want to reiterate because that was interesting when we were talking about like the 2 inch mark. I’ve always told my clients to keep it under four depending upon the style. Like if it’s a pair of pants that are, you know, I don’t know, flare, you know, you have to be really cautious with how much you whack off because it will hang wonky afterwards. But now you’re saying 2 inches.

Jennifer:

So I like the more conservative approach. I’m saying 2 inches. As far as circumference or shoulders or something that’s more in the width wise the lengthwise. Like especially with a pair of pants factories tend to make and brands tend to make pants that are going to fit the tallest possible person. So unless you’re buying Petite, they’re going to be made for a person who’s 5’10, you know, which isn’t that tall. Like I know some six foot women, but typically for the Petite person, if you’re not buying Petites, you can shorten your pants more.

Especially if they’re a straight leg or a taper. Tapered legs are a little trickier because then your knee ends up in the wrong place.

Fixing the Wavy Hem Problem with Stretch Fabrics

Angela:

So, next question. It’s less of a question and it’s more of a situation that a couple of my one on one clients have run into lately. So I wanted to run this by you and see what your thoughts were. So, you know, we talk a lot about material, mix, meaning, you know, if we have a problem with the butt getting saggy or the knees sagging or whatever, then we want to make sure that we have a certain percentage of Lycra so that it has more of a bounce back, keeps it shape type of thing. Recently a couple of clients have taken in those type of pants that have, you know, 4% Lycra in them you know, like in that mix to the tailor. They’ve gone to pick them up. And then the hem has, I’m calling it waffling, but it’s almost wavy. It’s like stretching out at the bottom.

Jennifer:

Yes. So because of that stretch, when you put it through a machine one way to avoid that is to use a longer stitch length. The longer stitch length doesn’t have to go through the needle, doesn’t have to go through the fabric as much so it’s not spreading those fibers apart. Alternatively, you can ask them if they have a cover stitch machine. And a cover stitch machine is like what they use to hem T shirts with the double needle on the front with it looks like a, a covered, stitch in between on the back side. And that would be a great way to hem them because it’s a stretch stitch. It’s meant for stretchy fabrics and it doesn’t stretch out as much.

Angela:

Okay, so that was perfect. That was exactly what I wanted, was to be able to ask for something very specific when they take it into their tailor. So that’s perfect.

The Complex World of Dress Alterations

Angela:

Next question. BA has a question about dresses. How to alter dresses that need to be lifted from the shoulder so the waist and the, I’m assuming she means bust darts are in the right spot.

Jennifer:

If the tailor tries to do that, then the zipper in the back of the dress makes the collar too small and you can’t get your head through. I think we’ve all looked at something and thought, gosh, I wish it could just be a little bit shorter. You know what I mean? So when you adjust a dress like that, you have to address the neckline and the collar as well. Typically, if you’re going to take apart a dress to do that, the zipper should get shortened as well. Like that. And it shouldn’t buckle in the back. If it’s buckling in the back, they’re probably sewing it back in wrong or they’re doing something wackadoo. In order to take up the shoulders, you have to basically take it apart through, like, the back has to come apart, the neckline has to come apart, all of that. And if you don’t want the neckline to be too high, you have to drop the neckline. Then you have to make sure the collar, if there is a collar, that the collar fits back into that neckline. You might have to shorten the length of the collar for it to fit. So there’s all sorts of moving parts that have to be attended to. But, when you’re trying it on and they’re pinning it up, make sure you tell them, oh, I need to be able to get my head in. Or I need to, you know, I don’t want this up in my chin. You have to really communicate with your alterations person about this.

Angela:

Okay. So I have a couple thoughts on that, because that sounds like a lot. And I feel like that might be one of those things. Like, it might be easier to find a dress that fits. The other thing is, I feel like buying a dress with a waist seam is better because you can always alter it at the waist.

Jennifer:

You can always bring it up at the waist. You can shorten it through that seam if there’s already a seam there. And then you can always lengthen the darts, if it has darts. So that keeps the neckline intact, but you’re right, you’re taking it up at the waistline as opposed to taking it up at the shoulders.

Angela:

Okay, got it. Okay, so that’s an alternative too.

Simple Alterations for Beginning Sewers

Angela:

So Sarah would like to know, as a newer seamstress, what are some simple alterations that she can start with? Or is there such a thing as simple alterations?

Jennifer:

I would say hemming your pants or hemming your sleeves is the simplest alteration you can do. And if you’re doing jeans, like I said before, you can use this special thread, like I mentioned in the beginning. But really, that’s the simplest thing to do because you’re folding it back once, you’re folding it back twice, and then you’re stitching it down. A home sewer hemming is definitely the easiest. The other thing is you can fit your clothing through the darts. If you have darts, you can make your dart bigger by just taking out more fabric through the dart. So that’s another thing that you can do. And that’s an easy first timer.

And I have a video on how to do that in my my YouTube channel.

Connect with Jennifer Serr

Angela:

I was just going to ask you. But, I know that people are going to want to continue getting your like, brilliant nuggets of how to alter and all of that. And I know that you have a really awesome channel. Just because I’m a subscriber. So I get your videos, YouTube channel that has like, you know, like, quick ways of doing this, that and the other thing. So did you want to share that so that people can connect with you?

Jennifer:

So the YouTube channel is just. The @ (at sign) The Sewing Room, Alameda. The Sewing Room, Alameda. So A, L, A, M, E, D, A.

Angela:

Thank you. Thank you. The first time I think you popped up, I was like, oh, is that how you spell Alameda? It must have been typing in something else. And I will also include that in the notes in the video description so that people don’t have to search.

Final Expert Tips and Wrap-Up

Angela:

Okay, so, Jennifer, before we wrap up, is there anything else that my clients did not ask that you’re like, I can’t believe nobody asked this. They must, must, must know this if they’re going to take their clothes and to have them altered or try it themselves.

Jennifer:

No, I think, I think you covered it all because. Yeah, they sent in some good questions. Really good questions. The jeans one. The jeans one was really great and I’m glad I could answer them.

Angela:

You’re the expert. That’s why we invited you. Because you know all this good stuff. I can’t even imagine how much you learned about jeans working at the Gap for all that time. So. Yes, yes, yes. Jennifer, thank you so much. I can’t tell you again, your generosity in sharing this with us, helping us get in the right direction, because as Petites, no matter how much we try to avoid it, there are occasions when, you know, we need to have things tweaked a bit so that they have that perfect fit. So thank you so, so much.

Bonus Care Tips for Stretch Fabrics

Jennifer:

You’re welcome. I have one more thing I want to say before I forget it. Just popped into my head. When you buy clothes that have lycra or spandex in them, make sure they are washed on cold and line dried. Heat is like the enemy of the spandex. So like, if you have a pair of Lululemon leggings, those things go on the rack. Air dry them and they’ll last so much longer. And same with your jeans. Your jeans will keep their elasticity, way longer if you just hang them up to dry.

Angela:

So there, I think this is a great tip because so many things have some sort of stretch to them now, which I love, and it can also make it a little bit more challenging. Is there a certain percentage that when it gets to be like over a certain percentage Lycra, spandex, that we should really watch it or is it just any at all? Any.

Jennifer:

So I’m a fan of hang drying just about everything. If I’m going to wash it and I tend to wash more things than people think that they can to wash.

Angela:

So are you saying that we’re taking too much stuff to the dry cleaners?

Jennifer:

Yes. Oh my gosh. That’s a whole other topic for another video. That is a good one because, yes, especially cashmere shouldn’t go to the dry cleaners. This should be hand washed.

Angela:

Oh my gosh, Jennifer, what a tease. Until you said hand wash. And then I’m like, okay, I’m marking cashmere off my never to buy it again. All right, Jennifer, thank you so, so much. And like I said, I’ll make sure to put all of your contact information in the video description below so viewers can get a hold of you, no where to find you, track you down. Thank you so much. This was so great.