Hello Ladies,
My mom wants to hand me down two really gorgeous suits that belonged to my Dad for my son. Dad passed a little more than 5 years ago and she is achingly slowly going through the house and disovered these suits in his closet. Two will go to my DS and two to my nephew who is full grown. She has generously offered to pay for the tailoring something for which I am so grateful.
Here's my dilemma. He's 14 and not yet full grown. So unlike my nephew, he really has no practical use for them now, as he has his own dress clothes that are more age appropriate for Bar Mitvahs and events and such. I want to gratefully take them off her hands but store them until he's fully grown so that he can wear them during his adulthood. If I do that the tailoring won't take place for at least a few years. Do go back to her then and say..."hey mom, remember when we talked about"....and then just hand her a bill? That just seems beyond declasse. I could probably swing the tailoring expense myself when the time comes so do I decline this part of her offer explain why and simply take the suits?
How much does this sort of thing usually cost? I thought of googling it but also thought it might bring back hugely diverse answers.
Yes, I realize I'm over thinking it but .... Hi, I'm S. ... I'll own it. Any thoughts or insight you think might be relevant would be greatly appreciated. He's going to be so HANDSOME!!!
Hoping this finds you all well, S.
Hi Ladies,
What great input. I had my wedding dress cleaned and processed for storage but it never occured to me that I could do this for the suits as well. What a great idea. I hear what ya'll are saying about styles changing but I don't forsee an issue with that. These are pretty classic, preppy, brooks brothers suits, one black and one grey.
Thanks so much for all the input. I will follow all this great advice and I know she'll be glad that he will eventually get some use out of it. Girls get jewelry and boys get suits....who knew! LOL... Hoping all have a wonderful day. :-) S.
Just thank her and let her know he has several suits now and that you'll take care of the tailoring when it's time. This is such a blessed gift.
I think it makes much more sense to store them (properly) and wait until he is full grown. I'm sure your mother will understand that any tailoring you do now will only make the suits usable for a year, and then he'll have outgrown them. I don't think most teens really appreciate those things anyway so waiting until he's older makes sense all the way around. I'd just tell her that, and say you'll hold them for him when he is grown - he won't even wear them for college interviews or any of that, so postpone until he needs them. Say he'll appreciate them much more and get much more use out of them when his growth has stopped. You could, if needed, tailor one of them sooner and still hold the second one out even longer.
I doubt your mother will have a problem with the tailoring bill - I agree you can't bill her for them, and tailoring will still be much cheaper than buying a new, good suit. So pay the bill yourself when the time comes unless your mother brings it up. It's probably helpful for her emotionally to have the suits stay in the family, so consider that you are doing her a favor as well as her doing one for you. She hasn't gotten rid of things in 5 years, so it's hard for her to part with your dad's clothing. That was the hardest thing for my mother, I think - it was the finality of it all.
Meantime, start looking for a good tailor in your town. There's no rush, but do start asking around among your friends. The costs will vary depending on how much needs to be done, so googling it now will accomplish nothing.
It's difficult to predict how much tailoring will cost, because you don't know what size your son will be. I would store them and just wait. Who knows? Maybe they'll just need a little hemming. I would take them to a cleaner's now, if they're expensive, and have them cleaned and properly wrapped in breathable paper and a breathable cloth garment bag, like cleaners do, for long-term storage. Inform the cleaners that these suits will be put away long term, and then make sure to put them in a proper storage place (dry and cool - the cleaners can advise you). Perhaps your mom would pay for that, instead, if you tell her your plan.
Tell your mom that when your son is a man, he'll be proud to wear his grandfather's suits, but that you'd hate to tailor them now and then have him spurt up 6 inches overnight, like boys do, and have the suits be useless then.
Sorry for the loss of your dad, but I'm glad you have good memories and some tangible ways to honor his memory.
Take the suits, store the suits, cross the bridge when you come to it.
I would graciously accept the suits and let your mom know that you will have them tailored when your son reaches his full grown size so that he can utilize and enjoy the suits.
As far as tailoring... let that go and just pay for the tailoring.
No idea on the amount of tailoring and time required to do a good job tailoring so a price is hard to estimate. I have a good tailor I have used for years. MANY items she will charge $10 or less but I've had some very high end clothing where I've paid upwards of $100-$200 to alter. It all depends on what needs to be done, how hard the work will be, time involved and your area.
Best wishes and I am sure your son will be handsome in the suits!
Store them and once your son is grown leave it up to him if he wants them. If he doesn't then maybe donate them to a local theater group or good will so that someone else will love them. Tailoring isn't always a good option and since styles change it could be difficult to make them usable for your son.
Take the suits and explain why you don't want them tailored yet. When the time comes to have them fitted you can discuss it at that time or just have it done yourself.
I'm not sure of the costs, sorry.
I read one answer that said keep them and offer them to your son when he is full grown. Even if he says he does not want them you should just hold onto them if you can. Your son will be in a very different place in life at age 40 than age 30 than age 20. My husband at age 44 is a scientist and this year for the first time in his life has a job where he has to wear a suit every day. I don't know what it costs to get a suit altered. I would wait till your mom pays for them to be altered for your nephew and ask her how much it cost. I would not worry about that yet...maybe your mom will come up with a solution...or maybe when you son needs a suit you or he will be in a position in life where paying for this is really no problem.
Take the suits and properly store them until your son has finished growing.
Styles change and he may not end up being the same build as his grandfather.
My husband got some of his grandfathers suit jackets - lapels were so wide back then - he couldn't use them and eventually donated them.
You'll just have to wait and see - and at that point THEN you have them tailored.
hee! well, good for you for owning your years-in-advance angsting, girlie! :D
if it were someone else, i'd say store them and then just pay for it. you've got a few years to put pennies aside to cover the tailoring.
since it's your mom, and she's offered, and is obviously cognizant of the fact that the tailoring can't take place for a while yet, then yes, when it's time say 'hey mom! now that Son is 19 we're going to go get dad's suits tailored to fit him! we're so excited! i'll let you know how much it's going to cost when we get the estimate. maybe when they're done we can go out and grab a bite, and get some pics of you and Son in his new suit.'
khairete
S.
a talors price will depend on the amount of work that needs to be done. and who knows, once your son is full grown will it need to be altered at all?
gratefully take the suits, let your mom know that when your son is done growing he will have them tailored to fit. foot that bill yourself and show your mom how good your son looks in the suit.
