This segment began airing on Mirror Mirror in 65 US cities on the LiveWell Network on March 31.
Thank you Kara, Christina, and Penny for donating your “bad” clothes and modeling the befores and afters! Special thanks to Nick Lopez Tailoring and Tailor Rolando Santiago for transforming the bad to fab!
Tailoring doesn’t have to be expensive to make a big impact on the way you look. Small fixes can make a big difference!
Here are some examples of quick, inexpensive tailoring fixes…
Kara’s Black Pants – Before, the waistband was too big and the rise was too long, so the pants looked sloppy and added bulk to her figure. Rolando took in the waist band and shortened the rise, so now the pants have a sliming, custom fit. Cost of tailoring: $17.
Kara’s White Shirt – Before, the buttons gapped at the bustline, exposing her bra and making her look to big for her clothes. We added a snap between the buttons, so now there are no underwear distractions. Cost of tailoring: $5.
Christina’s Black and White Dress – Before, the armholes were too big, so her chest looked wider and her bra was visible. Rolando added two darts to the arm holes, so now the top of the dress fits smoothly and conceals her underwear. Cost of tailoring: $17.
Penny’s Denim Jacket – Before the jacket was too big – the waist was too big, the sleeves were too long, and the whole jacket was too long, making her look juvenile and sloppy. Rolando took in the waist, shortened the sleeves by moving cuffs, and shortened the jacket length, so now the jacket fits her perfectly and makes her look professional. Cost of tailoring: $45.
Kara’s Black Strapless Dress – Before, the top of the dress was too big, so it slipped down and exposed her bra. Rolando took in the top of the dress and the lining, so now it fits and the dress stays in place. Cost of tailoring: $35.
Penny’s Camouflage Tunic – Before the tunic was too long, making her legs look short. Rolando shortened the length of the tunic, so now Penny’s legs look longer and her proportions are balanced. Cost of tailoring: $17.
Christina’s Jeans – Before the jeans were too long, making her legs look short. Rolando shortened the jeans (but kept all the original stitching), so now Christina’s legs look longer. Cost of tailoring: $15.
“Know Before You Go” tailoring tips:
- Always Pre-Shrink – Before you take an item to a tailor, wash and dry it as usual. If the item is going to shrink in the laundry, you want that to happen before you do the tailoring.
- Too Tight? Check The Seams – Anything that’s too big or too long can be tailored easily. But if an item is too small, check the seam allowance inside the item before you buy it to make sure there’s enough room to let it out.
- Keep The Tags – If you aren’t sure if an item can be tailored, bring it to the tailor with the tags still on to see if it can be fixed. If it doesn’t work out, you can still return the item and get your money back.
- Know When To Spend – It is OK to pay more for tailoring that you did for the garment! So, say you get a great deal on a pair of jeans for $20. The tailoring might cost you $30 to get the length and waist to fit right. After tailoring, the custom fit jeans are just $50.
- And, When To Save – When you’ve spent $200 on an item, you don’t want to spend much on the tailoring. For that price, it should already fit well.
For more about tailoring:
Outfit Overhauls – Tailoring Transformations
More transformations – Bad Clothes Made Good
More tailoring tips – How to find and work with a tailor