Cost · A straight explanation
What alterationsactually cost
Hemming is inexpensive. Shoulders are not. Here’s the order of cost, so you know what you’re deciding before you hand anything over.
Suit alteration cost depends on the job. Hemming trousers sits at the low end, sleeve and waist work above that, and structural work such as shoulders at the top. The Man’s Shop in Arlington, Texas quotes with the garment on you before any work begins, and will tell you when altering isn’t worth the money.
Why no price list
The garment decides, not the job title
Two jackets can need the same nominal alteration and cost very differently, because one has seam allowance to work with and the other does not.
A published price list would be wrong often enough to be useless. What we can tell you is the order of cost, which is stable, and quote your specific garment when it is on you.
The quote comes before any work starts, and you are free to take the garment home and think about it.
Order of cost
From least to most
- Trouser hemming
- The least expensive and the most common. Plain hem or cuff. Bring the shoes or boots you will wear with them.
- Trouser taper and waist
- Modest. Taking in the waist and seat, or narrowing the leg, transforms how a suit reads for very little.
- Shirt body and sleeves
- Inexpensive relative to replacing the shirt, and one of the highest-impact changes available.
- Jacket sleeves
- Moderate. Cost depends on whether the cuff has working buttonholes and whether the sleeve is shortened from the cuff or the shoulder.
- Jacket waist and sides
- Moderate. There is a limit past which pockets and vents start to distort, and we will tell you where that limit sits.
- Shoulders
- The most involved and the most expensive. The sleeve comes off and the canvas is affected. Worth it on a garment you love; rarely worth it otherwise.
Before you spend
Three honest questions
Does it fit in the shoulders?
If yes, almost everything else is fixable for sensible money. If no, think hard before spending.
How much will you wear it?
Alterations on a suit you wear weekly pay for themselves. On one you wear annually, less so.
What did it cost new?
On an inexpensive garment, significant alteration work can exceed what the suit is worth. We will say so.
Common questions
Alteration costs, answered
How much do suit alterations cost in Arlington, Texas?
It depends on the specific job and garment. Trouser hemming sits at the low end, sleeve and waist work above it, and shoulder work at the top. We quote with the garment on you before starting so there are no surprises at pickup, and the assessment costs nothing.
Why don’t you publish an alterations price list?
Because the same nominal alteration can cost quite differently depending on the garment. A jacket with generous seam allowance is straightforward; one with almost none is not. A published list would be wrong often enough to mislead you.
What is the most expensive suit alteration?
Shoulder work. The sleeve has to come off and the canvas is affected, which makes it the most labour-intensive job in the room. It is worth doing on a garment with real value or sentiment, and rarely worth doing otherwise.
Is it worth altering an inexpensive suit?
Sometimes. Taking in a generously cut suit often makes a dramatic difference for modest money. But significant structural work can cost more than the suit is worth, and we will tell you when that is the case rather than take the job.
Do you charge for the assessment?
No. Come in, put the garment on, and get an honest opinion and a firm number. You can leave with it unaltered and think about it.
How long do alterations take?
Most standard work returns within one to two weeks. Busy seasons around weddings, graduations, and the holidays run longer. Tell us at drop-off if you are working against a date and we will give you a straight answer.
Quotes are free
Bring it in
Wear the shoes you’ll wear with it. Ten minutes on the floor and you’ll have a real number.
100 S. West Street, Arlington, Texas 76010
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm · Closed Sunday
(817) 265-1116