One of the most common problematic areas to properly fit is... believe it or not... the shoulder! People often make the mistake of purchasing clothes that are the correct arm length, or fit in the bust, while neglecting the all important shoulder. Why is the shoulder fit, where the shoulder seam of the shirt falls on your body, so important you may ask? If the shoulder seam sits outside of your natural shoulder bone, clothes not only look sloppy, but they make you look larger than you actually are! Look for shoulder seams in jackets that fall on, or very slightly outside of your shoulder bone, and shirts that fall on, or just inside (closer to your neck) of your shoulder bone. Fit the shoulder first. If the shirt/jacket fits your shoulder, but the arms are too short, or the shirt is too tight across the bust, the general rule is: do not buy this item of clothing!!! (Although some shirts where the arm is too short you might be able to get away with rolling up the sleeves whenever you wear them).
If the hem at the wrist is unembellished (no decorations like embroidery or sequins), and has extra material underneath a tailor can lengthen the sleeves for you at minimal cost - around $5. Unembellished sleeves that are too long can almost always be shortened. There is not much you can do with shirts that are too small in the bust, where the next size up doesn't fit your shoulders. Getting a tailor to move shoulder seams is a major alteration, and for the most part not worth the cost. If a shirt fits your shoulders, but is too large in the bust or stomach area, a tailor can add darts to the shirt to make it fit (around $10-15).
One final note: always know the store's return policy, and keep your receipt until you check with a tailor to confirm that the shirt is alterable, and to double check the price. It may seem like a pain to take the time and money to take a shirt to a tailor, but the cost of these alterations is relatively small in comparison with the average price of a shirt. You should know that clothes that fit really well, and are tailored specifically to your body look more expensive, which I would say is well worth the investment!
RF
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