Clothing Alterations: Taking In vs. Letting Out

Last Updated on May 21, 2026 by Alterations Express Staff

We get this question a lot: “Can you let this (fill in the blank clothing item) ______ out?” or “This (random clothing item) doesn’t fit me anymore—can you take it in/let it out?” On the flip side, we get the same questions for taking clothing items in for customers, too. Whether you’ve lost a significant amount of weight and need all your pants taken in or are just experiencing normal weight fluctuations throughout the year, this is a common question and occurrence in our business and among our customers. So, what do you need to know about taking in vs. letting out your clothing? And what should you consider when looking for this service from your tailor? Check out our guide to taking in vs. letting out your clothing and what to consider.

Image via Threads Magazine

Quick Links:

• Our Two Big Tips to Get the Proper Fit
• Taking In Your Clothing
• Letting Out Your Clothing
• Summary

Our Two Big Tips to Get the Proper Fit

Before we get too involved in the details of taking in vs. letting out, here’s our advice for getting the proper fit for your clothing:

1. Purchase Your Clothing to Fit the Biggest Part of Your Body

   Most of the time, if your clothing fits you where your measurements are largest (whether in your hips, thighs, bust, or waistline), alterations can help perfect the fit everywhere else.

2. Taking In is Always Easier (And Usually More Affordable) than Letting Out

A general rule of thumb is that making a garment smaller is always easier than attempting to make it bigger. We’ll get into some exceptions later in this article, but this rule of thumb generally stands true.

Taking In Your Clothing

When considering taking in your garment, ask these questions: ‘How much do you need to be taken in?’ and ‘What type of garment is it?’.  As a general rule, we always encourage customers to buy slightly bigger when purchasing garments online. But, too big will make alterations more difficult. So, buy one to two sizes bigger than your normal size if you’re worried about fit, but not any larger (again, only when shopping online).

How much can you take in a pair of pants?:

Taking in and letting out a pair of pants is typically one of the easiest and most common alterations tailors perform. Usually, a customer needs the waist and/or seat of a pair of pants taken in by about half an inch to an inch. You can generally take about two inches of fabric from the waist without worrying about other design factors. However, if you want to take in more than 2 inches, you’ll likely encounter issues, such as needing to raise the rise or taper the legs further. These additional factors will likely mean your alteration costs more.

How much can you take in a dress? Or skirt?:

Dresses are definitely more complex than taking in pants, mainly because of the wide range of designs. The most significant factor for dresses is where you need the extra material taken from. For example, if the dress has side seams with extra fabric, that’s where we’ll take in the material. We’ll typically take in the fabric at the zipper if you need a bustline alteration. Typically, with dresses, we can take up to 2.5 to 3 inches of material from the garment on each side and along the zipper. But after that, pricing will usually increase because a seamstress will begin redesigning the garment.

(Remember to bring the proper shoes and undergarments with you when you come in for your dress fitting!)

Letting Out Your Clothing:

The seam allowance is the most important thing to consider when asking if you can let out an item of clothing. Turn the garment inside out to check the seam allowance on a dress or skirt. Then, find the seams either on the side of the garment or the zipper. Then, see how much extra fabric the garment was manufactured with. That will give you a good idea of how much a garment can be let out. For pants, look for extra fabric at the waistline, just below the back belt loop. There needs to be a seam on both the inside and outside of the waistband; otherwise, we can’t let them out. That should tell you how much extra material is available to let out of your pants. Check out our examples below for a better idea of what to look for.

Extra Considerations:

• What is Seam Allowance? The area between the fabric edge and the stitching line on two (or more) pieces of material being sewn together. Seam allowances can range from 1⁄4 inch (6.4 mm) to several inches. (Wikipedia)

Final Thoughts

• If your clothing wasn’t manufactured with extra material at the seams, it’s unlikely that a tailor will be able to let it out.
• We recommend buying 1 to 2 sizes larger than your usual size to ensure proper fit.
• If you need several inches taken in or let out, it might be easier and more affordable to consider other options rather than alterations.