the Cost of Alterations and Mending

The service was the emergency repair of a few inches of split seam on a pair of pants. The company is a full-service tailor and as such can do everything from minor repairs and fitting alterations to full custom garments. Prices vary but there is a $10 minimum for work done.

I split the crotch of my pants squatting down to pick up a box of... stuff. I don't remember what was in the box, just that picking it up ripped my pants. Not having a spare pair of pants at work, or being able to go shopping for a pair of pants (much less go home (all the way across the city!) to get a change of pants), I took a quick break and ran down to the tailoring shop around the corner.

It's an upscale place and I wouldn't have expected them to do quick repairs, but the tailor was more than willing. I stood pants-less in his fitting room while he made short, impeccable work of the split seam. Really, I couldn't tell they had been repaired. I paid and was on my way (fully dressed!) about 5 minutes after entering the shop. A process far less painful than the splitting of the pants.

Sometimes bad stuff happens and you manage to ruin a perfectly good pair of pants. Most people aren't lucky enough to work within sprinting distance of a tailor, so if at all possible keep a spare pair of slacks or chinos in your desk or bag. Emergency pants are a necessity in today's high-pressure business environment. And make sure your pants fit properly (emergency pair or otherwise). If they're a bit tight, as mine tend to be (I'm not fat, I just have a muscular butt. That's what my wife says, anyway), they're more likely to split.