Look tailored all the time

A precise eye and a keen attention to detail can set you apart on the sales floor and in an interview. If your clothes fit well you will look your best and be more confident as you present yourself or your product. However, it’s hard to find clothes right off the rack that fit as well as we would like when they’re made for a “one body style fits all” frame of mind. The trick is tailoring.

As you can imagine, a good tailor is a celebrity secret for being paparazzi ready at all times. When your clothes fit you exactly they are flattering from any angle. But you don’t need a celebrity dressing team to keep your work wear top cut. It won’t require the expense of a professional either, if you take the time to practice some stitches.

The key to a professional look is a perfectly placed blind hem. Learn how to sew a blind hem by hand or if you have a machine you can use a special foot to edge you garment. If you’re scared of sewing there’s always double sided tape to do the trick.

For women’s pants hems should hit about one inch from bottom in the back of pant. Jacket sleeves should fall just at the wrist bone. Men’s hems at the back of the pant should be at the top of the shoe heel and their sleeves should show ½ in of cuff underneath. Skirt length should at least fall just below the knee but try pinning it in different places to see what’s best for your body.

If your pockets pucker then consider sewing them shut on your interview wardrobe. Adding inches to your hips is never becoming. Make sure the rest of your clothes fit just right. Don’t let your collar gap look like the hanger should still be in there. Make sure the waistband of your pants isn’t too lose but still allows for about two fingers worth of space so you can still move and breath. If it’s too tight or too loose because of dieting or indulging you can move the button to find a better fit. If your size cycles often you can find buttons that pin on for temporary alteration in the fabric section of most stores.

If you look polished and professional the people you meet will assume you are and they will be more likely to feel comfortable choosing you to represent their company. You can find more tutorials online about how to adjust the shoulders of jackets, pleats in pants and darts in shirts if you want to go all out.

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By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a writer and blogger for Nexxt. She researches and writes about job search tactics, training, and topics.