I take mine to the local dry cleaners and she always does a great job. She usually charges 3.00 a leg for pants, or 5.00 for a dress/skirt. Yep, she measures every time. Wear the shoes you intend to wear the pants with when you go to get measured. Yes, they can do cuffs and alterations too. If you walk into a dry cleaners and the first thing you see is a sewing machine, you're in business ;) I wouldn't have them tailor make a suit or anything, but have never had a problem with things like hems or sewing a seam....their machines do nicely finished edges and their work certainly lasts longer than mine does.

I don't like going to the dry cleaners, but that's just me. I have a tailor and he doesn't charge any more than $5 a hem, even with same-day service. The tailor will want to fit and pin each pair of pants, and they should be able to do those invisible cuffs for no extra charge. Taking stuff in is easy, but taking stuff out is highly dependent on the quality of the garment - cheap garments don't generally have extra material at the seams.

I found my tailor in the local alt-weekly's annual "Best Of San Antonio" issue.

Hemming is quick and easy and generally reliable at any drycleaner that advertises it. Wear or bring the shoes you'll most likely wear with the pants (or the shoe with the most representative height heel) and you'll change into the pants; the tailor will pin them in place. Then, walk across the room, sit down, and ask the tailor to adjust the height of the hem as needed. You can ask the tailor to keep note and hem everything accordingly, but because pants all hang a little differently, I always have them measured.

My drycleaner has replaced the lining in a couple coats for me; she did a nice enough job that I'm considering having her take in a few things that I bought when I was much heavier. Taking in is generally less tricky than letting out. For letting out or reshapings, (anything that requires moving a shoulder, or--for instance--a dress which is constructed as a skirt piece attached to a top piece), I go to a tailor across town that isn't a drycleaner. I have found, though, you have to really speak up during the fitting. It's like a hair cut that doesn't grow out. If the tailor pins the piece so it fits, but the waist is about two inches higher than you want to wear it, it's wrong. Or if the tailor isn't aware that you like the sleeves a little long, if she moves the shoulder, your sleeves will end up shorter than you want them.

I go to an individual tailor and while it's more expensive than going to a drycleaner, they know me well enough to be able to fiddle with just about everything.

You'll put the pants on there (and the shoes that you'll likely wear with them) and they'll pin them, but you do have to speak up if there's something weird that you don't like.

I always have everything measured, but my weight fluctuates a lot and so I never know how something is going to work out until I get there. I've had my tailor do some serious alterations to a dress I bought on super sale to make it more personalized and they offer total dress/suit making services, but I've never used them.

I love my tailor. (I have a freakish inseam that is nonstandard so my pants are all highwaters or dragging on the floor.)

I usually pin them and iron them 1st, so that I will be happier with the result. It's better to be a tad long, cause too short can't be fixed. It usually seems to cost 10/pants so 3/leg is a good deal, even for 3-legged people, which Miko does not seem to be. Do what I do: Ask people for recommendations, lose the number, take to drycleaner and forget to pick up, and just use doublestick tape on the next pair of great pants that are a deal at the Goodwill. Or leave them in a "to be hemmed" basket until I gain weight and can't wear them anyway.

LLBean will hem most pants for you, I think for free. I shop the outlet exclusively.

Have you tried petite in your normal size? I have a long waist and when I wasn't 60 pounds overweight I'd buy tall size tops.