Can Chinos be Tailored? (Average Tailoring Cost)

Chinos should be a staple in any man’s closet. They are lightweight, and thus make you sweat less than denim. Furthermore, they are available in a bunch of different colors that all look great – what else do you need?

However, all these advantages of chino pants can go to waste if the fit is not on point. After all, if you look like a golfer in your mid-50s while wearing chinos, then you are clearly doing something very wrong.

So, how to change the fit on a pair of chinos? Tailoring.

In this guide, I will be answering for once and for all if chinos can be tailored, and I will also be providing you with a few price estimates that will come in handy when you take your favorite pair of chinos to the tailor.

Can Chinos be Altered?

tailored chinos

Chinos can be tailored relatively easily. There are a number of alterations that are possible on the chinos – The legs can be tapered, the waist can be taken in, the pants can be hemmed, and so on.

Because chinos technically fall in the business casual category of clothing, it is very important that they fit your body exactly right. And that’s where tailoring comes in.

Most chinos are made of cotton fabric, which can be altered very easily by regular household sewing machines. The only time you need dedicated heavy-duty sewing machines for chinos is when the GSM of the garment is very high.

The only thing that you need to be careful about is that you don’t end up with a pair of bottoms that are very tight. Because, unlike jeans, chinos have very little stretch to them, which makes wearing a tight pair equivalent to walking in the tightest pair of skinny jeans possible.

What parts of a Chino cannot be tailored?

There is no such alteration that cannot be done on a pair of chino pants. Sure, there are some alterations that are going to cost you very much because of their complexity, but they can still be performed if the fabric used to make the chinos is cotton.

For example, adjusting the seat or the inseam of chinos is a very difficult and time-consuming process, which might end up costing you more than what you paid for the pants in the first place.

However, doing so is still possible. So never shy away from taking your chinos to the tailor.

Can chino waist be altered?

The waist of chino pants can be altered. It can be made larger or smaller depending upon your preferences.

It is much easier to tighten the waist of a pair of chinos than to make it looser. This is because when tightening the waist, the excess fabric can be stitched onto itself, which is not a very difficult job and can be done relatively inexpensively.

On the other hand, loosening the waist of a pair of chinos would require you to add additional fabric to the pants; a process that is quite complicated. It would require complete reconstruction of the pants.

Therefore, it is going to cost you much more.

Cost of Tailoring a pair of Chinos

Part of the ChinosCost of tailoring
Hemming the chinos$10
Tapering the legs$25
Tighten the waist$20
Adjusting the seat$40
Adjusting the inseam$40
Taking in the thigh$30
Total cost of tailoring Chinos$175

The cost of tailoring a pair of chinos can range from anywhere between $10 to $175 depending on the number and type of alterations you want.

However, these are just rough estimates. Tailoring costs vary on a case-to-case basis. And your location as well as the reputation of the tailor can also influence the price of these changes.

Basically, don’t treat this number as gospel.

Can Chinos be Tailored at Home?

Some alterations on a pair of chinos can be done at home with nothing but a regular sewing machine. These include taking in the waist, hemming the pants, as well as general tapering of the leg.

However, other alterations are far too complex and require the skill of an experienced tailor.

For example, it would be far too risky to adjust the inseam on a pair of chinos, especially for an amateur. It is much better to simply take the pants to a tailor.

Any adjustment near the crotch or the seat of the chinos is also particularly complicated. The presence of additional bells and whistles such as zippers, buttons, etc. make the entire process even more complicated.

Therefore, it is important to decide what you want to be changed in your chinos. If it’s something simple, do it at home. If it’s something complicated, go to a tailor.

Final Remarks

Chinos are the workhorse of any man’s professional wardrobe. They look good in the office, they look good in the streets, they look good everywhere. But there’s a caveat to this statement.

Chinos only look good when they are tailored to fit you perfectly.

Tailoring a pair of chino pants is very much possible. In fact, here’s a small list of alterations you can do to your favorite pair of chinos:

  1. Taking in the waist.
  2. Hemming the pants.
  3. Tapering the chinos for a more slimmer look.
  4. Adjusting the seat of the pants.
  5. Adjusting the inseam of the chinos.