Suit Jacket Alterations

Suit jacket alterations are a bit tedious but definitely doable. If the body of a costume suit jacket is too large for the actor, there’s a simple alteration you can make to your jacket to give it a more tailored and fitted look. All you need is a sewing machine, some thread, and a little patience. The suit jacket in this picture (purchased at Goodwill for $8) was several sizes too large for the actor. I altered it down following these steps:

Step 1: Try on your jacket and mark the areas to be altered

The first thing you need to do is try on your jacket and identify the areas that need to be taken in. In most cases, you’ll want to take in the sides of the jacket and the center back seam. Mark these areas with pins or chalk.

Step 2: Remove the lining of the jacket

Before you can alter the jacket, you’ll need to remove the lining. You can do this by carefully unpicking the stitching around the inside of the jacket. Be sure to take your time and use a seam ripper to avoid damaging the fabric.

Step 3: Pin the center back seam

Next, you’ll want to pin the center back seam so that the jacket fits snugly around your back. Pin the fabric together from the top of the seam to the bottom, making sure to keep the pins straight and close together.

Step 4: Sew the center back seam

Once you’ve pinned the center back seam, it’s time to sew it up. Use a sewing machine and a thread that matches the color of your jacket to stitch the fabric together. Start at the top of the seam and sew all the way down to the bottom.

Step 5: Try on the jacket and adjust if necessary

Once you’ve sewn the center back seam, try on the jacket to see how it fits. If it’s still too loose in some areas, you can make additional adjustments by taking in the sides of the jacket. Pin the fabric together and sew as you did with the center back seam. Steam press the back center seam of the jacket material. Press the seam open

Step 6: Re-attach the lining

Finally, it’s time to re-attach the lining. Carefully pin the lining back into place and sew it in using a whipstitch.Hand-sew the lining back together. Take in the seam to match the alteration in the jacket fabric.Be sure to take your time and make sure the stitching is neat and tidy.

Step 7: Press the new seams

Steam press the new lining seam to complete the jacket alterations. Be careful not to scorch the fabric. The lining of men’s suits is usually polyester and often can’t withstand the high heat of a steam iron.