Off-the-peg trousers fit most people reasonably well in one area and not at all in another. The waist gaps. The leg is too long. The seat is loose while the thigh is fine. Standard sizing works across a range of bodies but not for any specific one.
That is what alterations are for. We alter trousers at Angelz on Arlington Way, a short walk from Angel tube. Hemming starts at £8.99. No appointment needed.
Hemming is the most common trouser alteration we carry out. Suit trousers, chinos, smart-casual trousers, wide-leg styles — almost all of them are sold at a length that suits a specific height band, and the majority of people fall slightly outside it.
Hemming both legs is £8.99. We pin the hem with the shoes the trousers will be worn with. This matters more than most people realise — the difference between a trainer and a dress shoe in heel height changes where the hem should sit by a noticeable amount. Bring the right footwear and the length will be accurate first time.
For trousers with a turn-up — a folded cuff at the bottom — we set the turn-up at the correct depth and press it properly so it holds its shape. If you want turn-ups added to a plain-hem trouser, mention it at drop-off.
Suit trousers and formal trousers cut with a wider leg look dated on most body types when fashion has moved on. Tapering — taking in the leg from below the knee or from the thigh — brings the trouser into a more current silhouette without changing anything that is already working.
Tapering is £14.99. We assess where the trouser fits well and where it needs to come in before touching anything. If the seat and thigh fit correctly, we taper from below the seat seam. If there is excess fabric higher up, we discuss what is achievable before cutting.
Formal trousers with a side stripe — dinner suit trousers — are assessed individually before tapering to make sure the stripe sits correctly after the seam is moved.
A gap at the back waistband is the most common waist fit problem. It happens when the hip-to-waist ratio of the trouser does not match the person wearing it — bought for the hips, too large in the waist.
Waist adjustment is £14.99. We take in the waistband at the centre back, which is the cleanest method for most trousers. Belt loops are repositioned if the adjustment moves them out of alignment. On trousers with a waistband facing rather than a standard waistband, we discuss the best method before starting.
Letting out the waist — adding room — is also possible where the seam allowance inside the original construction allows for it. We check this before confirming whether the adjustment is feasible.
The seat is less commonly altered than the waist, but it matters. A seat that hangs loosely below the seat itself looks wrong and affects how the whole trouser sits. We take in or adjust the seat seam to bring the trouser into the right position on the body.
Seat adjustment is assessed alongside waist adjustment in most cases, since the two are connected through the same seam at the back of the trouser. When both need attention, we deal with them together.
The inner thigh seam is where trousers most commonly fail from wear. Daily friction along the inner leg thins the fabric over time, and once the seam goes, the trouser is unwearable.
We repair crotch seams on one side for £14.99 and both sides for £19.99. The Centre for Sustainable Fashion — the research body at London College of Fashion, part of the University of the Arts London — makes the point that garment repairs are one of the most effective ways to extend the life of clothing that would otherwise be discarded. A well-repaired crotch seam, done before the fabric has thinned past the point of repair, adds months or years of use to a trouser that fits well in every other regard.
We assess the fabric condition around the repair before starting. If the surrounding fabric is still sound, the repair is clean and holds well. If the fabric has thinned significantly, we discuss reinforcing alongside the repair.
Trouser pockets wear through at the corners from constant use. We restitch loose seams for £8.50, do partial pocket lining repairs for £12.99, and replace full pocket linings for £19.99. The replacement pocket bag is cut to the original shape and reattached so the exterior of the trouser is unaffected.
The hook-and-eye fastening at the inside waistband of formal trousers takes significant force every time the trouser is fastened. When it fails — bent hook, pulled eye, or broken attachment — the waistband sits open under the belt and the trouser does not fasten properly. We replace hook-and-eye fastenings for £9.99.
Trouser button replacement is £4.99 per button. Tightening a loose button before it is lost is £3.50. These are small jobs but worth doing before the button goes entirely.
For trousers that need shortening and a formal crease set at the same time, our shortening-and-press service is £14.99. The trouser is hemmed to the correct length and then pressed with a sharp crease down the front of each leg. This is the right option for suit trousers and formal dress trousers where the press is as important as the hem.
We work on most types of trousers — suit trousers, formal trousers, chinos, wide-leg trousers, cropped trousers, and smart-casual styles. For jeans specifically, the considerations around original hems, wash preservation, and chain-stitching are different — those are covered on our dedicated jeans tailoring page.
We alter the full range of garments. Our dress alterations service in Angel and skirt alterations service in Angel cover hemming, shortening, tapering, and zip work for dresses and skirts. The full overview of what our alteration team handles is on our clothing alterations page for Angel.
We are at 18 Arlington Way, Angel, EC1R 1UY — two minutes on foot from Angel tube on the Northern Line. Customers come in from Islington, Clerkenwell, Pentonville, Finsbury, and King’s Cross throughout the week.
Walk in and drop off. No booking needed. Most trouser alterations are ready within two to three working days.
Do I need to bring the trousers in to get them hemmed, or can I measure at home?
Measuring at home is unreliable for most people. The break point at the ankle depends on the shoe, how you stand, and how the trouser hangs on your specific body. Come in wearing the trousers and the shoes you will wear with them. It takes five minutes and the result is accurate.
Can you add a turn-up to plain-hem trousers?
Yes. We add turn-ups to trousers that did not originally have them. The depth of the turn-up is discussed before we cut.
My trousers fit well everywhere except the back waist. Can you fix just that?
Yes. Back waist take-in at the centre seam is one of the most common alterations we do. It does not affect the fit elsewhere.
Can you alter trousers from any brand or retailer?
Yes. The brand does not affect what can be altered — the construction and fabric of the specific trouser does. We assess each pair before confirming what is achievable.
Dress Alterations · Skirt Alterations · Jacket Alterations · Coat Alterations · All Clothing Alterations · All Services
Can You Alter a Dress to Make It Smaller? · How Many Sizes Can You Alter a Dress Down? · How Much Do Clothing Alterations Cost in the UK? · How Much Does It Cost to Hem Trousers in the UK?
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