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Big difference for little effort. My favorite type of fix!

I think most of us don’t usually fit into clothes off the rack. Well, maybe we fit IN to them but they’re not going to fit perfectly. For me, I have the hardest time with jackets. I think I’ve never found one that fits directly off the rack. Broad shoulders, long waist, small chest = impossible. One trick i’ve used is to add a hidden snap to the lapel to make the jacket lay better.

Materials

Only need a few things for this easy fix

• Sew-on Snap
• Thread (closely matching fabric color)
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Jacket or top with open neckline

Time

15 minutes

Difficulty

Easy. (and easy to fix if it doesn’t work the first time!)

Details

1. Try on jacket (vertical stripes plus a bad fit? What was I thinking?)
   

   Slouchy stipes... not good!

2. Put pin in the spot where you want a snap.
   

   I placed a yellow pin where I want the snap to go

3. While the jacket is still on, put a second pin just though the bottom layer.
   

   Try to line the second pin up as closely as possible with the first

4. Pull the first pin out of the bottom layer. You now have a pin marking where each snap needs to go.
   

   Now you can take off your jacket, just watch out for those little daggars!

5. Take off the jacket carefully and thread the needle. I used button thread which is thicker and stronger, but it’s not necessary. Regular cotton thread will work fine.
6. Sew on one side of snap. Put the pin right through the center of the snap so you know you’ve got it in the right place. The pin will also help to keep it in the right spot as you sew.
   

   Sew the snap right through the center of the pin

7. Pull the thread knot under the snap to hide it from view. Be sure to only sew through ONE layer of fabric so that it doesn’t show from the outside. Pull the threads tight as you go to make sure the snap will lay flat along the fabric. I sewed around the snap three times, but I think two times would have been better to reduce bulk. Cut thread ends as short as possible. Remove pin from center of snap
8. Try on jacket again to make sure first side of snap lines up with the second pin, adjust pin as necessary
9. Sew on other side of snap

Done!  A quick fix, and doesn’t the jacket fit so much better?

Vertical stripes and a little more, uh... vertical.

Do you have any tricks or tips for making your clothes fit and looked more tailored? I’d love to hear them!