How easy is it to convert a man's suit into a woman's suit?

**ml2620** · 09-01-2009, 09:42 AM

My father in law passed away in January, and my mother in law gave my husband (who owns a moving company and works in t-shirts and jeans), a dozen gorgeous suits, many of them fine wool, cashmere and gabardine.

Really nice fabric and they are just sitting useless in the closet heading for the donation bin - but I really need a few suits for work.

I'm thinking of contacting a seamstress I know and seeing if she can make men's suits into women's suits - jackets and pants.

How much work do you think this would be? (I'm thinking in terms of hours of labor and how that would impact cost).

**stinkbug** · 09-01-2009, 09:50 AM

My guess is it would be quite expensive. Basically, they are going to have to be taken completely apart and just resuse the materials. If the suit jacket is lined, that's double the work. Also, prices like this vary widely in different areas of the country. The only way you can get an idea is to call some local taylors and ask. Basically, you're going to be paying for a custom suit, minus the materials cost. But, you'll have the cost of them having to disassemble the garmets first.

**Contrary Housewife** · 09-01-2009, 12:02 PM

Probably just as expensive as having a new one made, as whoever is doing it still has the same amount of work to do, or more since the old suits have to be taken apart first. Re-using the suit fabric won't save you much, if anything, since the real cost is in the skilled labor.

If the suits are close to your size you may be able to get away with just having some adjustments made, but the jackets will still look like a man's jacket.

**Thevail** · 09-01-2009, 01:59 PM

Fortunately men's jackets worn over a plain white shirt with a feminine detail is IN this year.

I'd say a lot depends on how close to your dad's size you are, and how "menswear" you're willing for the suit to look.A friend just paid $65 to have a gorgeous men's corduroy (lined in satin) blazer altered. She just had the length changed and two pocket flaps removed.

If he was a 6 foot line backer, and you're a thin 5' it may not even be possible.

**frugalfranny** · 09-01-2009, 02:37 PM

I take it you don't sew.......do you have a friend that does? The jackets could be the worst or the easiest....like thevail said......if you are close to size or not.

Also, are you aware that mens clothes button on opposite sides from women? Unless they were made unisex to begin with and I am betting that they weren't....suits 'usually' aren't....but never know. Shouldn't be a big concern unless you would want that changed too.

If you are just into 'preserving' .......how about using them in a quilt?

**Grainlady** · 09-01-2009, 04:17 PM

I used to purchase men's suits from thrift stores and make them over for myself, but it takes a good deal of tayloring skills and LOTS of patience with a seam-ripper. I found the instructions in a 1980's-ish copy of a women's magazine (Women's Day?). I loved it when the suits came with 2 pairs of pants and a vest. I made skirts out of the pants. The vests you can dress-up with everything from lace to giant colorful buttons.

You can convert the jackets to a collarless style or a small stand-up collar, remove the buttons and buttonholes and use a "frog" closure (http://www.craftsetc.com/store/depar...t=30&subcat=30) on the top, or make crop-jackets, so they don't look quite so "manly".

**2ndGenGranola** · 09-02-2009, 03:13 AM

My guess is if they fit there will be very little you need to do to the pants. Just wear a tad frillier blouse than you normally would. The jackets would be the problem IMO. I haven't seen bulky padded jackets in a while. If the bulky shoulders are coming back in (they are a pain to alter IMO), I would add some of that elastic at waist level that you sew in the foundation then pull the little strands to adjust the fit then sew down. That would give it a little shape at the waist. You can also get clips at the fabric store that do something similar = you pinch them at the back then you have a little belt look on your back waist.

**Thevail** · 09-05-2009, 02:54 PM

Ok, so I had to try it, this thread got me thinking!

Bought a pair of lovely men's gray wool trousers that fit in the hips (I'm not quite good enough to alter the crotch without ending up looking like I'm wearing a diaper on crooked) and had a zipper length that I didn't have to mess with the length of the rise from the thrift store for $2 for the experiment. Also got the flat front sort of pants, I can't wear tummy pleats at the best of times.

Problem: Pants too long.
Solution: created an adorable cuff, sewn in place at side seams

Problem: Legs too unstructured, knee in the wrong place.
Solution: Carefully ironed in a crease from mid thigh to bottom of pant leg (after cuffing). Sewed in simple seam for a permanent crease. (Incidentally makes your legs look a mile long!) This brought the width of the leg back into proportion.

Problem: Belt loops too far apart, waist fit funky. (Note: I have no waist so, I didn't have to fit much of a top hip curve.. your mileage will vary depending on how tiny your waist is)

Solution: I added wider "pretty" belt loops in between the regular men's pant's ones in a black corduroy, especially replacing the center back loop I had to remove to narrow up the waist band.. I also opened the back seam of the pants and brought them in about an inch and a half. I'd have liked to have gone further, but was worried about how it was "pulling" the fabric at the side pockets.

Problem: HUGE front pockets.

Solution: I just cut the bottom half of the pockets off and resewed them shut.