not quite sure when it happened...and it doesn't seem to affect men...as much as women...but somewhere along the line...we fell out of the habit of altering clothes for a good fit...in a cost-conscious society...what you see is often what you wear...the problem with this...of course...is that sometimes what you wear should see a tailor...you should expect that some of the items in your wardrobe need to be altered...with the range of quality ready-to-wear clothing available today at various price points...buying off the rack and then having items adjusted by a tailor is often the best strategy...for instance...i often buy clothing off the rack that fits me well and then head directly to my tailor (happens to be my mom) to have items "tweaked" for an even better fit...
if you don't sew for yourself, i highly recommend that you develop a relationship with a skilled seamstress or tailor...interacting with someone who knows garments inside and out (literally) will provide a priceless education and further your fashion savvy...
a good tailor is like a good pair of shoes...necessary, worth every penny, and capable of making you look ten pounds thinner
