Fixing collar, cuffs good way to keep treasured shirt
Q I have a very high quality, very cool Zanella shirt, but the collar is showing clear fraying. I think you once wrote that this can be repaired; is that possible? If so, can the same be done for cuffs?
A As your question suggests, we sometimes have a favorite item of clothing that no longer looks as good as it should, and we wish it could be restored. Often a man’s favorite shirt will fray at the collar and get worn-looking, while everything else about the shirt is still in perfect condition. Collars take the most abuse because that’s where the fold is repeatedly ironed, because when starch is used on collars it wears down the fabric, and also because a man’s beard or stubble rubs the fabric and puts more strain on it there. Though wearing a frayed collar may seem like a small detail, it is noticeable to anyone who sees it, and does not reflect well on the wearer.
The good news is that your very upscale shirt can once again be part of your shirt rotation. Back in the days when quality men’s dress shirts might cost as little as $30, it didn’t always make sense to repair them. But today, most fine ready-made shirts cost from $70 to $250, and luxury brand and designer shirts can well be much more expensive. So, if your shirt is one you are fond of, why would you want to throw it away (and then shop for a replacement) just because the collar is frayed?
Certain repairs and adjustments can be made to the clothes in our closets, and others cannot be trusted to work. “Turning a shirt collar” to repair it by exposing the non-frayed side is one that is indeed possible. It is a relatively easy alteration, one that our grandmothers used to do quite often. It is not difficult for a good seamstress or tailor to accomplish with perfect results. And even if the collar has those tiny pockets/slots for collar stays and cannot be turned, it can usually have one side replaced with fabric from the shirt’s tail (though this is not as simple or as cheap a project).
Because not every repair person is up to doing a perfect job, I often suggest a professional establishment that has for years been doing all types of shirt alterations, L. Allmeier. These professional shirt surgeons can be trusted with anything that can be done to a shirt: turning a collar, adjusting the neck size, replacing collars (and cuffs), shortening sleeves, tapering the sides for a trimmer silhouette, and monogramming. Individuals, as well as fine men’s shops, have been sending them shirts from across the country for decades. Email them at Shirtdoc@gmail.com or call (516) 652-3232.
Allmeier charges $35 to turn a collar and $50 to replace a collar. They charge $35 for new cuffs, and $30 to shorten the sleeves. When they finish with your shirt, it looks like new. Depending on whether or not a shirt was expensive when it was new and how much you enjoy wearing it, the decision of whether to repair is an easy one. This sort of repair can certainly be a worthwhile investment.
I assumed your question about cuffs is referring to shirt cuffs, but perhaps you meant trouser bottoms. These, too, can be altered (shortened, lengthened, narrowed, turned up to create actual cuffs) by most competent tailors. They can also do other types of clothing alterations, such as sleeve shortening on suits, narrowing lapels, adding suede elbow patches to sport coats, tapering and trimming. Do keep in mind that one area that cannot be altered successfully — and should not be attempted — is the shoulder on a suit, a blazer or a sport jacket. You cannot change a 1990s suit into a 2020s one, but, again, your 2010 shirt can certainly have a new life.