Occasions and ordering · 8 October 2026 · 3 min read
Sent the wrong measurements? What to do next
Gave your tailor the wrong measurements? Send the corrected numbers at once. What can change before cutting, what is harder after it, and what is not a fault.
InspirationTell the tailor straight away
If you realise you gave your tailor the wrong measurements, send the corrected numbers at once and ask for them to be confirmed in writing. Before the fabric is cut, wrong numbers are simply replaced. After cutting, what can be done depends on which measurement was wrong and in which direction. And once the outfit has been delivered, a garment made to the numbers you sent matches what was agreed, so it is not treated as a fault.
Speed is everything here. The same mistake can cost nothing on Monday and be much harder to put right by Thursday.
Sending a correction that cannot be misread
A rushed correction can create a second mistake, so take two minutes over it. Our guides to checking measurements before you send them and common measuring mistakes help you find what went wrong.
- Name each measurement and give both numbers: “Hip: I sent 40, the correct figure is 42.”
- State the unit, especially if the mistake was mixing inches and centimetres. That one error changes every number in the set.
- Say how you re-measured, for example with a helper this time, or over lighter clothes.
- Say whether the rest still stands, so nobody has to wonder if other numbers changed too.
- Wait for the written confirmation before you treat the correction as made.
Before cutting
With us, measurements and design details are agreed in writing before anything is cut, so a correction at this stage simply replaces the old numbers in that agreement. If you have not yet approved your quote, ask for it to be updated before you approve. If you have approved and paid, message us at once, and the corrected numbers are confirmed back to you.
If you are unsure of a number, say so rather than guessing. Our measuring help can take you through it step by step, and the size guide shows where the tape goes.
After cutting has started
Here general dressmaking sets the limits. Cloth that has been cut away cannot be put back, so a piece cut too large can often be brought in, while a piece cut too small can be let out only as far as its seam allowances allow. The same goes for length: shortening is usually possible, lengthening usually is not without adding a band or facing.
Whether anything can be done for your outfit depends on what has already been cut and sewn, so ask at once. A change at this stage may affect the total and the making time, and both are confirmed in writing before work continues.
After delivery
Our fault terms cover an outfit that does not match the agreed measurements or design. If it matches the numbers you sent, it was made as agreed, even if those numbers were wrong. If it does not match them, that is our mistake: tell us no later than 7 days after delivery, with photos, and we correct or remake it without charging for the work, with you paying the postage both ways. Our guide to what to do if your outfit does not match your order explains how to check.
We do not alter clothes once they are delivered, but a tailor near you can often take a seam in or let it out a little; see letting out a kameez. For your next order, start again with fresh numbers through custom stitching and the stitching quote form.
Common questions
How can I tell whether the mistake was mine or the tailor’s?
Measure the finished garment and compare it with the measurements in your written quote, remembering that a garment is meant to be larger than the body by some ease. If the garment follows the quoted numbers, the numbers were the problem. If it does not, report it as a fault.
Can I send a kameez that fits instead of new measurements?
Yes, if it is not too late. A well-fitting kameez can be measured in place of body measurements, and that option is set out on the quote form.
Will a correction before cutting cost anything?
Replacing numbers before the fabric is cut is usually straightforward. If the correction also changes the design or needs more fabric, any effect on the total is set out in writing first.
