This week we’ll look at some of the typical updates that can make not-quite-right garments look picture perfect, often for just pennies. Of course your specific issues may not be the same as these clients, but their examples should give you ideas you can apply to your own clothes. 

If you need to call in a sewing professional, ask your local fabric store for a recommendation or search  www.sewingprofessionals.org.

The most obvious update is customizing the length of pants, skirts and sleeves. Traditional pants should end ½ - ¾” from the floor when viewed from the back, wearing the correct shoes. Skinny pants have to be shorter, since they lack the width to fit down over the top of your shoe,  

Skirts should hit a flattering spot on your leg – typically either barely below the knee or below the fullest part of your calf.  Fuller skirts need longer lengths to maintain a longer-than-wide proportion (for the skirt, and for you).

Too-long sleeves look dumpy and none of us need that.  If you stand with your arms at your sides, hands extended palms down (as if you were about to walk like a penguin) the sleeve edge should just graze the back of your hand.  Even a half-inch change can make an important difference. 

Blouse sleeves can be shortened just by moving the buttons so the cuffs fit tighter on the wrist, allowing the extra length to drape slightly.  Ruching is an easy fix for sleeves on knit tops.  Simply add a 4-5” row of stitches to the seam allowance and gather the fabric until the sleeve is the perfect length.

Jacket sleeves can also be too full, especially in sizes above 12.  Then there’s no daylight between your arms and your body, so you look wide and block-y.  Tapering the sleeve instantly gives a slimmer look.  On the client's jacket below, we narrowed the left sleeve and also reduced the size of the contrasting cuff to avoid drawing unwanted attention to her hips. (Of course after the photo we altered the right sleeve too!)

Buttons are the fastest, easiest update to any garment.                               

• Plastic buttons can change color over time so they no longer match the garment and need to be replaced.
• Metal buttons can tarnish; updating them makes the garment look new again.  Be sure you choose your most flattering metal color.
• Too-shiny metal buttons can overpower an outfit; swapping them for brushed or antiqued metal lets the focus go to you instead of those buttons.
• Blouses look instantly more expensive when you replace ordinary plastic buttons with creamy mother of pearl.
• Buttons that echo the color of your hair create an especially effective connection between you and the garment . See how the new buttons with brass centers (above) echo the colors in the client's hair?  They also make the fabric's tiny pin stripes look camel.

Don't know how to sew on a button?  Check YouTube for a variety of how-to videos.

After you've changed buttons, insure they'll stay on longer by putting a drop of Fray Check on the thread. It's a clear liquid sealant you buy at fabric stores.  Apply it with precision; it dries clear, but can slightly discolor some fabrics.

Next, check out the slimming potential of tapering a straight skirt or a pant leg - sewing a deeper side seam to narrow the silhouette of the garment.  I know the "What Not To Wear" folks give tapering  a huge thumbs-down,  but stay with me here.  We’re not talking an obviously pegged look – that really can make your hips look broad as a barn.  But a gentle taper -- like you see in the black and cream examples below --  elongates your legs while it trims pounds off your lower body. I'm all for that, aren't you?

What pieces could move into the “LOVE” category with a quick update?  I’d love to see your pictures.

Next week we’ll talk about equally easy ways to update your own shape underneath your clothing ... without spending hours at the gym!