How to Take In a Coat Without Losing Its Shape

How much can a coat realistically be taken in?

A coat can be taken in, but there is a ceiling. How much depends on the seam allowance – how much fabric sits folded inside the seams – and on what is built into them. Side pockets, welt pockets and vents often sit exactly where you would want to take it in, and moving them is a far bigger job. As a rule of thumb you can safely bring a coat in by about one size, sometimes two, through the waist and body; take it in more than that and the armholes, shoulders and pocket placement start to fight you, and the coat stops hanging right. Taking in is also easier and safer than letting out, because you are not limited by how little fabric was left inside the seam.

• Seam allowance: how much fabric is folded inside the seams.
• Pockets in the side seam: side and welt pockets often sit right where you would take it in.
• Shoulders and armholes: leave the structure alone – changing it is a different job entirely.
• Vents at the back or sides: a vent limits how far the side seam can move.

Choose the right seam: back, sides or both

There are two main places to take a coat in, and confident sewers combine them. The centre-back seam (if the coat has one) is the cleanest place to take in the upper back and waist – the change hides along the spine and does not disturb the front. The two side seams share the reduction and are where you shape the waist, but remember the lining and any side pockets run through them. What you generally leave alone is the shoulder and armhole area: recutting the armhole of a set-in sleeve on a structured coat is real tailoring, not a home take-in.

• Centre-back seam: hides the change along the back, best for the upper body and waist.
• Side seams: split the reduction in two and shape the waist – but the lining and side pockets run through them.
• Princess seams or darts: if the coat has them, they give the most precise shaping.
• Leave shoulders and armholes untouched: the structure should stay put.

How to measure and pin the take-in

The safest way to get the amount right is to pin the coat while it is on the body, then measure what you pinned.

1. Put the coat on over the layer you would normally wear under it (a shirt or jumper), and fasten it.
2. Pinch in the excess width along the side seams – or have someone pin it for you – and split it evenly between the two sides.
3. Mark with pins or tailor's chalk where the new seam should run, tapering it out gradually towards the chest and hip, with no sharp step.
4. Take the coat off, turn it inside out, and measure how much you actually took in on each side.
5. Tack it first and try it on again before sewing for good – wool does not forgive many needle holes.

Don't forget the lining

This is the step that sets a coat apart from a shirt. A lined coat has a shell and a separate lining that hang together; take in the shell but not the lining and the lining goes tight, drags on the shell and either bubbles or splits. You take the lining in by the same amount, along the same seams. It is usually attached at the hem with a little slack (a 'jump hem'), so you unpick a stretch of it, take in the lining seam, and rehang the lining with the same ease so it does not pull the shell up. Getting the lining to sit loose but still matched is the fiddly part – and it is exactly where home jobs come undone.

Press the seams – that's what gives the shape

On wool and melton, pressing is half the result. Press each new seam open (or to one side on heavier cloth) with steam and a pressing cloth so you do not shine the fabric, and use a tailor's clapper or a firm edge to set the seam flat as it cools. An unpressed take-in looks homemade however straight the stitching is; a well-pressed one disappears. Remove the old stitch line completely before pressing, so the original crease does not ghost through.

When should you send the coat to a tailor?

A simple, unlined or lightly lined coat with a plain back seam is a realistic home job if you sew and press carefully. Send it in when the coat is tailored with canvas, shoulder structure or pads; when you would have to move a pocket or a vent to get the fit; when the reduction is more than the side and back seams can absorb; when the cloth is heavy melton your machine will not feed; or when it simply has to hang perfectly – a good structured coat is worth getting right once. A tailor takes it in along the seams that keep the balance, matches the lining, and presses it so the change is invisible. You order online, and you see the price before you order.

Frequently asked questions