Alterations in Bangkok
A garment that has stopped fitting is usually fixable and usually worth fixing. We alter clothes from anywhere — bought here, brought from home, or inherited — and we will tell you honestly when a piece is not worth the work.
What we can alter
What can be altered, and what cannot
Most of a garment is adjustable. One part is not.
- Routine: trouser length and taper, jacket waist, sleeve length, shirt body, zips, linings.
- Possible, within limits: jacket length — constrained by pocket position and vents; chest — realistic on a canvassed jacket, rarely on a fused one.
- Effectively not: the shoulder. It is the structural point the whole jacket hangs from, and recutting it means taking the garment apart and rebuilding it. The cost almost always exceeds what the suit is worth.
That last point is the single most useful thing to know when buying anything off the peg: buy for the shoulder and alter the rest. Everything else on this page is fixable; that one is not.
Indicative prices
These are indicative starting prices only. Alteration work varies enormously with the garment and what has to be opened up, so the real figure is quoted after we have seen the piece — in front of you, before anything is started. Quoting blind would mean quoting high.
| Work | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trouser hem / shorten | ฿200 | Plain or blind-stitched |
| Trouser waist in or out | ฿300 | Up to about 5 cm |
| Trouser taper (leg slimmed) | ฿400 | Full leg, both sides |
| Sleeve shorten or lengthen | ฿400 | From the cuff; more if buttons are functional |
| Jacket waist taken in | ฿500 | Side seams and back |
| Jacket shortened | ฿800 | Limited by pocket position and vents |
| Shirt slimmed | ฿250 | Side seams, back darts |
| Dress or skirt taken in | ฿400 | Depends on lining and construction |
| Zip replacement | ฿300 | Trousers, skirts, dresses |
| Lining repair or replacement | ฿600 | Partial to full |
Bringing a garment in
Bring the shoes
For anything involving trouser length, bring the shoes you will actually wear with the garment. Hem height is set from the shoe, and a change in heel height alters the break completely — it is the most common reason a hem comes back for a second go. If we are checking a jacket sleeve, bring the shirt you would wear under it for the same reason.
Garments from anywhere
We do not care who made it. A suit bought in London, a jacket from a Bangkok department store, a dress that has been in a wardrobe for a decade — all fine. What we will look at first is how it was constructed, because that decides what is safely possible. A canvassed jacket has room to be opened and reshaped; a fused one has adhesive holding the front together and behaves differently under the iron. You will be told which you have and what it means before any work is agreed.
Restyling rather than replacing
An older garment in good cloth is often worth updating. Tapering the trouser, shortening the jacket slightly and adding waist suppression brings a dated suit a long way forward. Very wide lapels are the hard limit — they can be narrowed only so far before the proportions of the chest stop working. Where a piece has sentimental value and replacing it is not the point, we will do more than a purely economic calculation would justify — and we will tell you that is what we are doing rather than pretending the numbers work. An inherited jacket in sound cloth is often worth considerably more work than its resale value suggests.
Turnaround
Many simple jobs are same-day, and most work is ready within one to three days. Being inside Platinum Fashion Mall means the workroom is on site rather than off-premises, so a quick job stays quick. Come early in the day and tell us your deadline at drop-off — we will give you a real time rather than an optimistic one, including when the answer is that it cannot be done by then.
Frequently ✳ Asked
How much do alterations cost?
Simple work starts from a few hundred baht — a trouser hem from about ฿200, a jacket waist from about ฿500. Price depends entirely on the garment and what has to be opened up, so we quote after seeing the piece rather than from a list. Bring it in and we price it in front of you before anything is started — quoting blind would mean quoting high. There is no charge for having something looked at, and we will tell you when a garment is not worth the work rather than taking it on. My Suit Bangkok handles alterations at the shop on the 2nd Floor of Platinum Fashion Mall in Pratunam.
Can you alter a suit I bought somewhere else?
Yes — we alter garments from anywhere, whether bought in Bangkok, brought from overseas or inherited. It makes no difference who made it. What matters is how it was made rather than the label: a canvassed jacket gives us room to open and reshape it, while a fused one has adhesive holding the front together and behaves differently under the iron. We will tell you which you have and what it means for the work before anything is agreed, because it changes what is safely possible.
How long do alterations take?
Many simple jobs are finished the same day, and most work is ready within one to three days depending on the queue. Being inside Platinum Fashion Mall means the workroom is on site rather than off-premises, so a quick job does not lose half a day in transit between the counter and the bench. Come early in the day if you need something back fast, and tell us your deadline at drop-off rather than afterwards — we will give you a real time rather than an optimistic one, including when the answer is that it cannot be done by then.
What cannot be altered?
The shoulder. It is where a jacket is built, and recutting it means dismantling and rebuilding the garment — which normally costs more than the suit is worth. This is exactly why shoulder fit is the one thing to get right when buying anything off the peg — everything else on a jacket is adjustable, and that is not. Chest can sometimes be adjusted on a canvassed jacket and rarely on a fused one. If a garment fails on the shoulder we will say so rather than taking money for work that cannot fix it.
Should I bring my shoes?
Always, for anything involving trouser length. The hem is set from the shoe, and a two-centimetre difference in heel height changes the break completely — it is the single most common reason a hem has to be redone. Bring the shirt you would wear underneath as well if we are checking a jacket sleeve, for the same reason — sleeve length is judged against the cuff showing beneath it. These sound like small details and they are the difference between one appointment and two, which matters if you are working to a departure date.
Can you restyle an older suit rather than replace it?
Often. Trouser taper, jacket length and waist suppression can bring a dated garment much closer to current, though narrowing a very wide lapel is limited. Whether it is worth doing depends on the cloth rather than the age: a good wool in sound condition justifies the work, a tired fused jacket generally does not, and we will say so rather than take the job. Bring the garment to the shop in Pratunam and we will tell you honestly which it is before quoting anything.
Book a fitting at Platinum Fashion Mall, or message us on LINE / WhatsApp to start your suit.