How To Alter A Coat That Is Too Big
Recently updated on July 17th, 2022
It is possible to find coats in a variety of designs and colors. They always elevate an outfit by bringing it all together, whether worn formally or informally.
Nicely fitted coats will complement most outfits and give you a polished, minimal yet decent, and out-together look. In contrast, loose coats or ill-fitted coats will make you look very untidy and unpromising.
Our article discusses everything related to alterations of oversized coats. Your best option if you want to wear the same coat that used to fit you perfectly but is now too loose because you’ve lost weight is to alter it.
In order to give a loose coat the proper and needed shape and fit, it requires a great deal of precision. Now let’s get all the information that SewingWithEase prepared for you!
How easy is it to alter a coat?
It is not easy at all. There is just too much difficulty in minimizing the cuts and fits of a coat that is too large or loose. However, a few parts of the coast can be easily altered, such as sleeve length and width. Compared to altering the entire coat, it is easier to make and alter these changes.
Opening up a tight-fitting coat and letting it loose is also not easy if it is all stitched up. A professional tailor can do this or otherwise, it is not at all a very easy thing for someone who has not been trained professionally in the process of changing the fit of the clothes.
The step-by-step guide to altering your too-big coat

Step 1: Start with lining
In order to alter the coat, the first step is to determine its new length. Mark the length of the coat fabric itself with chalk or anything visible on the coat after carefully taking all measurements. As soon as you have measured and marked the coat, cut off the fabric 3 cm below the top along the coat’s inner lining.
It is for finishing the coat hem that 3 cm have been cut and left. To ensure that the fabric remains folded, fold it along the drawn line and iron it well. Sew the lining along the bottom of the coat after turning it upside down. The shortened length should be ironed well after carefully sewing the entire portion.
Step 2: Start with the sleeves’ length
First, mark the exact position on your body where you would like your coat sleeves to fall, and mark the entire line on the coat using a ruler to make sure it’s perfectly straight and not crooked. Cut off the fabric carefully after leaving a couple of centimeters for hemming. Using pins to hold the fabric in place, fold the sleeve inside and stitch it with the same color thread as the fabric after cutting off the extra fabric and the lining. You can quickly get ideally shortened sleeves by removing the pins and ironing the sleeves well.
Step 3: Adjust the shoulders of the coat
It is difficult to alter the shoulders of a coat. Due to their structure and padding underneath, they have a high level of stability. A few things in the entire process can be riskier than altering shoulders. If there is the padding on the shoulders of the coat, the best way to alter them is to remove it. This is recommended because you won’t be able to easily alter the shoulder of any coat with padding.
Step 4: Adjust the collar of the coat
In addition to defining the shape of a coat when worn by a person, the collar is also one of its elements. The collar of a coat will also need to be altered if it is too big for you and you are altering it. To do so, take proper measurements and cut off the extra fabric following the collar’s shape. To give the collar a crisp appearance, the hems are stitched, and the collar is ironed afterward.
Step 5: Make sure all the hems are in place
After altering every part of the coat, starting with its inner lining, sleeve length, shoulder, and collar, you should ensure all the hems are stitched well and no threads poking out. Make sure your hems are neat and crisp if any such thing happens. Ensure all the edges are ironed to ensure the folds are well secured.
Once you have done the fitting, you can iron the entire coat and check whether it looks right. The coat must have the same shape and look from top to bottom, not just the length of the parts that have been altered.
In order to alter a coat that is too big for you without looking flimsy or untidy, you must follow these five steps. All of these steps can be followed to alter a coat to suit your needs.
What types of coats can be altered?
It is possible to alter a few kinds of coats if they are too big. It’s easy to alter and make your coat of your size if you have a loose coat that you love wearing. Alterations can be made to the following types of coats:
- Trench Coats – You don’t have to worry about wearing someone’s oversized trench coat. Trench coats can be altered and converted to fit your size by shrinking their lengths and widths from the right places. If the trench coat is exceptionally loose, its seams can be stitched in to give it a tighter fit.
- Woollen Coats – The process of altering woolen coats is not easy, despite the fact that they can be altered. These coats have thick, woolen fabrics, making sewing difficult. After altering a woolen coat well, you will be able to give it a proper fit only if you have some sewing experience.
- Sport Coats – It is possible to alter sportcoats as well if they are too big for you. If needed, the length and breadth of the sports coat can be minimized by following the alteration process carefully. You can easily alter the entire thing, except for the shoulders, which are a bit difficult.
How much time and money does it take to alter an oversized coat?
It will cost you at least $20 to get a coat tailored to fit you perfectly if it is too large or loose for you. A minimum estimate of the value needed to make the alteration is provided here. Depending on the tailor and the person altering the coat, the alteration process may take a week or two. You can’t just finish it in a few hours without investing any money at all.
If you are a sewing newbie, you can go through our sewing glossary to familiarize yourself with the different terms.
Conclusion
No matter how oversized a coat is and how loose the fitting is, you don’t need to worry because it can be altered and converted into the size you need. Professionals are the best people to handle the whole process, no matter how difficult it may seem. The step-by-step guide to altering a coat provided earlier in this article can prove helpful if you plan to complete the process all by yourself and with a sewing machine. Using it will allow you to accomplish what you want in the most convenient way.