Totally Random Observation: Why Is It Cheaper To Buy New Clothes Than Get Old Ones Tailored?

Why is it cheaper to buy new clothing than get your old ones tailored?

I have a black peacoat-style winter coat that always gets compliments whenever I wear it. The only thing about it was it had these silly straps on the shoulders that were like epaulets on a military uniform.

Me in my peacoat after I had the
 annoying shoulder straps removed.

 

The shoulder straps were "just for show" and weren't functional. In fact, they became dysfunctional, so to speak, when the buttons holding them down popped off under the weight of the heavy bags with my laptop and all the other junk I lug around on a daily basis.

I procrastinated taking the coat in to the dry cleaners to have the shoulder straps removed and have it cleaned for the upcoming winter season. I finally got around to it last week - right before Labor Day, which reminded me that summer will soon be drawing to a close and jacket weather will soon be approaching.

Having the coat cleaned cost about $15 and having the straps removed was close to $25. The coat only cost me $60 at Target a couple of years ago.

So I could have saved the $40 I spent on dry cleaning and tailoring, packed my lunch a couple of days and chipped in the $20 I would have saved by not eating out and bought an entirely new coat!

As it turns out, I should have bought a new coat. Because when I tried on the peacoat when I got it back from the dry cleaners, I realized that since I've lost weight over the past couple of years, it's a size too big (an XL) and I really should go buy a Large instead.

Oh, well...

If you're blessed to know how to sew and alter garments yourself, or if you have a friend or family member who'll do it for free or cheap, that's really a gift that will save you a lot of money in the long run.