alter clothes

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   to change the size, fit, or style of a piece of clothing so that it suits someone better.

   Grammar: The object is the clothes: alter the trousers. You can say alter clothes for someone.

   Patterns

   • alter clothes
   • alter something for someone
   • have something altered

   The jacket was too big, so I had it altered at the shop.

   She alters clothes for her children when they grow out of them.

   You can alter the waist of the skirt without touching the hem.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   to make small changes to a piece of clothing to repair it or give it a new look.

   Grammar: Often used with 'have' when a tailor does the work for you: have the coat altered.

   Patterns

   • have clothes altered
   • alter a garment

   He altered his old jeans by cutting them into shorts.

   The tailor altered the dress to fit the bride perfectly.

Common combinations

have clothes altered

I need to have these trousers altered before the wedding.

alter the fit

A tailor can alter the fit of a suit in a few days.

alter the hem

She altered the hem to make the skirt shorter.

alter a garment

It is cheaper to alter a garment than to buy a new one.

Synonyms and how they differ

adjust

Adjust is more general and can mean a small change to anything; alter clothes is specifically about clothing size or style.

take in

Take in means to make clothes narrower; alter is broader and can also mean making them larger or changing the style.

let out

Let out means to make clothes wider; alter covers both making wider and narrower.

Word family

alteration noun

A change made to a piece of clothing.

tailor noun

A person whose job is to make or alter clothes.

Commonly confused: alter clothes or change clothes?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “alter clothes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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