Altering a Confirmation Outfit to Fit

What usually needs altering

A confirmation outfit is often bought a touch large and has to fit a body that is mid-growth. These are the jobs that come up again and again, whether it is a suit or a dress:

• The trousers are too long – hemmed to the right length with a clean hem or a turn-up.
• The sleeves are too long – shortened, and on a suit jacket usually from the shoulder if the working buttons are to be kept.
• The waist bags – the jacket, trousers or dress bodice are taken in for a clean line.
• The dress is too long or too wide – hemmed and shaped at the waist.
• The shoulders sit wrong – this is the one alteration that is costly and hard, and is best avoided by choosing the right size from the start.

The suit: trousers, sleeves and waist

A confirmation suit is fitted in three steps, and a steady home sewer can manage the two easiest. Hem the trousers with the confirmand in the shoes to be worn on the day, so the length is right. Shorten the sleeves carefully – on a plain jacket from the cuff, but if the jacket has working buttonholes or is lined, it is done from the shoulder, and that is a tailor's job. Taking in the jacket at the waist is the hardest part because the jacket is lined; the trousers at the waist are easier and taken in at the back seam.

The dress: length, waist and straps

A confirmation dress is mostly about length and fit at the waist. The length is hemmed so it sits where you want it with the day's shoes, and a bagging waist is shaped with darts or by taking in the side seams. If the dress has straps that slip off the shoulders, they can be shortened – a small adjustment that makes a big difference to how the dress sits. If the dress has a zip or lining, the waist alteration turns more technical, just as with an ordinary dress.

Buy with a little room – so the outfit can grow with them

This is the smartest move for a growing confirmand. Choose an outfit that is a touch large and take it down, rather than buying it skin-tight. The alterations can then be made reversible: hem the trousers without cutting the fabric away, and take in the waist without removing the seam allowance, so everything can be let out again as the confirmand grows – or the outfit passed on to the next in the family. Plan well ahead of the confirmation, so there is time for a proper fitting without stress.

When should the outfit go to a tailor?

If several alterations are needed at once, the jacket is lined, the sleeves have to be shortened from the shoulder, or you simply want to be sure the outfit fits perfectly on the day, it is worth letting professionals do the job. We alter the confirmation outfit to suit the garment and the fit, and can leave seam allowance so it can be let out later. You send it to us from anywhere in Norway, you order online, and you see the price before you order.

Frequently asked questions