Quite a few guys have asked me over the years what they can expect to pay for clothing alterations. My customary answer is, “Prices vary, so check around, but expect to pay more for a good tailor than a dry cleaner.” Well, after giving a member my pat answer today, I decided to look into current pricing, so I could be more precise and useful with my information.
So, I decided to contact a few tailors and dry cleaners in six of the top US cities: Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, and Dallas to collect and compare prices. I called several of each business per city, and averaged the cost for six of the most common alterations.
I realize my project only samples each city, but my guess is the prices are a fair representation of what the industry charges for these services in both the cities and their surrounding areas. Granted, we don’t all live in, or near, one of these six cities, but I thought it would be interesting to compare prices across the US. (Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to call worldwide, but next time!) Surprisingly, prices were not what I expected, especially in some of the cities where the cost of living is highest. Nevertheless, should anyone from any of these cities ever ask about pricing again, I’ll be able to give them the 4-1-1!
Check out the following list of average alteration prices in parts of the US.
Tailors |
Atlanta, GA |
Chicago, IL |
Dallas, TX |
Slacks: Hem/no cuff |
$10.00 |
$10.00 |
$9.00 |
Jeans: Hem |
$12.00 |
$13.00 |
$7.00 |
Jeans: Original Hem |
$20.00 |
$20.00 |
$12.00 |
Sport Coat: Sleeves Shortened |
$29.00 |
$29.00 |
$20.00 |
Dress Shirt: Take in Sides |
$17.50 |
$15.00 |
$15.00 |
Dress Pants: Take in Waist |
$16.50 |
$10.00 |
$10.00 |
Dry Cleaners |
Atlanta, GA |
Chicago, IL |
Dallas, TX |
Slacks: Hem/no cuff |
$12.00 |
$10.00 |
$10.00 |
Jeans: Hem |
$15.00 |
$15.00 |
$10.00 |
Jeans: Original Hem |
$20.00 |
$20.00 |
$18.00 |
Sport Coat: Sleeves Shortened |
$25.00 |
$25.00 |
$20.00 |
Dress Shirt: Take in Sides |
$25.00 |
$12.00 |
$14.00 |
Dress Pants: Take in Waist |
$18.00 |
$15.00 |
$14.00 |
Tailors |
Los Angeles, CA |
Miami, FL |
New York, NY |
Slacks: Hem/no cuff |
$6.00 |
$12.00 |
$8.00 |
Jeans: Hem |
$6.00 |
$12.00 |
$8.00 |
Jeans: Original Hem |
$15.00 |
$14.00 |
$15.00 |
Sport Coat: Sleeves Shortened |
$16.00 |
$20.00 |
$20.00 |
Dress Shirt: Take in Sides |
$20.00 |
$15.00 |
$17.00 |
Dress Pants: Take in Waist |
$6.00 |
$12.00 |
$8.00 |
Dry Cleaners |
Los Angeles, CA |
Miami, FL |
New York, NY |
Slacks: Hem/no cuff |
$10.00 |
$12.00 |
$12.00 |
Jeans: Hem |
$10.00 |
$12.00 |
$11.00 |
Jeans: Original Hem |
$15.00 |
$14.00 |
$15.00 |
Sport Coat: Sleeves Shortened |
$24.00 |
$25.00 |
$27.00 |
Dress Shirt: Take in Sides |
$14.00 |
$14.00 |
$25.00 |
Dress Pants: Take in Waist |
$12.00 |
$12.00 |
$15.00 |
So, now we all know how much certain cities charge for men’s clothing alterations. I’m not quite sure why we need to know that, but I thank you for humoring me with my curious little project. What I learned more than anything is I should move to LA. Those prices are crazy low! Gentlemen, money is always an issue, so call around your own area to check on prices. However, more important than money is the tailor or dry cleaner’s skill level. It’s always best to ask folks you trust to recommend someone they like and trust. It may save you lots of money and clothing in the long run. Ok, that’s about it. My work here is done!
by Aaron Marino