Can Suede Jackets Be Tailored? (Cost Of Alterations)

Years ago, my brother gifted me a suede jacket. But because brothers are stupid, he accidentally got me a size L. I’m barely a size medium.

And this was the time when returning an order was not as easy as getting an Amazon person on your doorstep.

So, instead of getting mad at my brother (okay, after getting mad at my brother), I decided to take matters in my own hand and get the jacket altered.

I learned a lot during that entire process, and I am here to share it with you.

Can suede jackets be altered?

Yes, suede jackets can definitely be tailored. However, you would need to find a dedicated tailor who would have the heavy duty equipment required to alter leather.

Tailoring suede requires special kinds of needles and machinery which are just not available with most tailors.

But before you run off, understand that there are some things that you need to keep in mind before getting your suede jacket altered.

What can you alter in a suede jacket?

Most parts of a suede jacket can be altered easily by an experienced leather crafter.

You can have the size of the point collar reduced, the sleeve diameter reduced, the sides taken in. What you can’t alter is the length of the jacket and the position of the shoulders.

Well sometimes you can even alter those things, but it’s usually not worth the price. You would be paying more than the original cost of the jacket.

How much does it cost to have a suede jacket tailored?

The cost varies depending on exactly what part of the jacket you want to alter. However, on average you can expect to pay anywhere between 75$-400$ for getting your suede jacket tailored.

This is much cheaper than tailoring a leather jacket. If you want to know more about the differences between both of these iconic pieces, you can check out this guide.

If there is something extreme that you want to change in the jacket, it will accordingly cost more. If there is something minor that you want to take care of (fixing a zipper, for example), the cost would be much less.

Go to a dedicated leather crafter

Leather and suede are heavy duty materials. Regular tailors usually do not have the machinery to handle such fabrics. If it is possible, I would suggest you to go to a leather shop instead.

Most leather shops also partake in altering and tailoring suede jackets. They will happily take in your jacket and make it fit you perfectly.

If such leather shops are not available in your area, I would suggest you to go to a well-reputed tailor who has the specialized machinery to deal with suede. Call them up beforehand to confirm.

Let the tailor take your measurements

A leather crafter friend of mine once told me that many people just send a rough note along with the item that they want tailored. Something like “Make this a size M”.

Please don’t do that.

If you are paying so much money to get your suede jacket tailored, it makes sense for you to actually go and get your measurements taken. This will result in the best overall fit of the jacket.

Do not D-I-Y tailoring a suede jacket

If you know what you are doing, or have experience tailoring leather garments, then go ahead and do what you want to your jacket.

But for most of the people reading this, I would recommend that you get a professional to do the tailoring for your jacket. Doing it yourself is simply not worth it.

Suede is an expensive and difficult material. If you do not have a certain amount of expertise, you may very well ruin your jacket. And we don’t want that, do we?

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In closing, I would like to say that getting your suede jacket altered is not that difficult; the only thing you have to do is approach the right people.

PS: I still hate my brother.