How it works
- You pay once.Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal. No account to make, no subscription.
- The book opens.A download link comes up straight away, and a copy lands in your email within a minute.
- It stays in your email.Read it on your phone, tablet or computer, or print the pages you need for the tailor. Nothing ships.
The math
One man’s closet, two ways
Replacing it all new
- A new blazer and a new suit$400
- 3 pairs of trousers and 3 dress shirts$270
- 2 pairs of leather dress shoes$200
- A cardigan, a raincoat and a belt$200
The fitting-room way
- Alterations on 7 pieces$345
- One new belt$30
- Polish and a fabric shaver from the kit$0
You keep about
$695
If you’d have replaced those pieces over three years, that’s about $230 a year. The book costs $27, once.
The right-hand column is the sorted closet on page 17 of the book. Both columns use typical prices from October 2026: an independent alterations shop and a department store’s regular prices. Your tailor’s prices and your closet will differ.
What men are told, and what the fitting room knew
“If it doesn’t fit, give it to the thrift store.”
In the sample closet, 9 of the 12 pieces stayed: 2 as they were, 7 with an alteration or two. p. 20
“A good tailor can fix any jacket.”
Not if the shoulders are wrong. That’s the one fit nobody can save for a fair price. p. 32
“Once the waist changes, the trousers are done.”
Most waists can be let out about 1½ inches, for about $25. p. 61
“Worn-down shoes mean new shoes.”
New heels cost about $45. New dress shoes cost about $100. p. 185
“A tight collar means a new shirt.”
A collar extender gives you about half an inch, for about $5. p. 86
Real pages from the book
Look inside
What’s inside
| # | Part | Page |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Closet Sort. Keep, alter or let go, and the half rule | 15 |
| 2 | Trousers. Length, waist, seat, pleats and creases | 49 |
| 3 | Shirts. Collars, sleeves, tucking and pressing | 80 |
| 4 | Jackets and Sport Coats. Shoulders, sleeves, length and buttons | 113 |
| 5 | Sweaters and Knitwear. Fit, pills, washing wool and moths | 147 |
| 6 | Shoes. Heels, resoling, polish and comfort | 178 |
| 7 | Belts, Braces and Small Things. Belts, braces, ties, socks and wallets | 210 |
| 8 | Coats and Outerwear. Overcoats, raincoats, zippers and storing | 242 |
| 9 | Warm Weather and Easy Days. Polos, shorts, linen and easy days | 274 |
| 10 | Church, Weddings and Funerals. The one suit, funerals, weddings, packing | 307 |
A few things you’ll find
- The one fit no tailor can save for a fair pricep. 32
- Where a trouser hem should land on your shoe, front and backp. 52
- How to tell from the back seam whether a waist can be let outp. 61
- The two-finger collar checkp. 83
- Which jacket buttons to fasten, sitting and standingp. 132
- Drying wet leather shoes without cracking themp. 200
- The one tie knot that does for every occasionp. 228
- When renting a tuxedo is the better dealp. 329
- Getting ready for a funeral in a dayp. 323
Plus the fit rules on one page, the full price table, a printable tailor ticket to pin to each piece, a closet sort sheet, an index by garment and an index of the cheapest fixes.
Get The Chalk Book
The Chalk Book
- 100 fixes in 10 parts, each with how to check it, how to fix it, and what it costs
- One closet sorted into keep, alter and let go, every price added up
- The fitting rules from the chalk book, beside nearly every fix
- The half rule, so you know when a fix isn’t worth the money
- Printable tailor ticket, closet sort sheet and price table
- PDF + EPUB, for phone, tablet, computer or e-reader, in large type
- Every future edition free
🔒 Secure checkout by Gumroad · Card · Apple Pay · Google Pay · PayPal
Coming next: Dressing Well on a Fixed Income, the 30-piece closet for a retired man, what to buy and when. Buyers hear first.
How the book was made
Leon’s chalk book
I started at a men’s store in Dayton in 1968, pressing trousers in the back. The head fitter, Leon Abrams, taught me the trade at his bench.
Leon kept a little gray notebook: where a sleeve ends, how a trouser breaks, when a jacket isn’t worth saving, and what each job cost. He gave it to me when he retired in 1979. I ran the fitting room for 33 years and kept writing in it.
The store closed in 2012. I took work in my basement until 2021, and the men who came were my age, all asking the same things.
So I wrote the book out in plain steps, with today’s prices beside every fix.
Ray Dunbar
What this book won’t do
It won’t sew for you.
Many fixes are tailor jobs. The book tells you exactly what to ask for and what it should cost, and which ones you can do at home.
Your prices will differ.
The prices are typical for October 2026. Your tailor may charge more or less. Ask first, and run it through the half rule.
It’s not about fashion.
No trends, no labels, no brands. It’s about fit, care and what things cost.
Some pieces can’t be saved.
If the shoulders are wrong, I’ll tell you to let it go. A few of your clothes will end up in that pile.
The Fitting Room Promise
Read it, sort a rail or two, try the checks in your mirror. If it isn’t for you, email within 7 days and you get every cent back. No questions. Keep the book.
Questions
What exactly do I get?
One book, as a PDF and an EPUB: 100 fixes in 10 parts, the sorted sample closet, the fit rules on one page, the price table, and printable sheets for the tailor and the closet sort.
Can I read it on my phone?
Yes. The type is large and the contents are clickable: tap a fix and you’re there.
Can I print it?
Yes, all of it or just the pages you need. The tailor ticket and the closet sort sheet are made for printing.
Is there a paper copy?
Not yet. It’s a digital book, so you can print it at home or at a print shop.
What happens when the clock runs out?
The $27 price is held for you for 90 minutes from your first visit. After that, the book is $37.
Is this a subscription?
No. You pay once. Nothing renews and nothing else is charged.
I lost the file. What do I do?
Look for the receipt email; the download link is in it. If you can’t find it, write to contact@thechalkbook.com and we’ll send it again.
Do I need to know how to sew?
No. You need a tape measure, a mirror, some pins and a helper for a few checks. The sewing jobs go to a tailor, and the book tells you what to ask for.
Is it safe?
The book covers irons, steam, stain removers and mothballs, with plain safety notes from product labels and US guidance. It gives no medical, health or financial advice.
Who is it not for?
A man who wants the latest fashions or designer labels. This is about making the clothes you own fit and last.
Stand in front of your mirror with it.
100 fixes, each with the check, the fix and the price, so you know what to keep, what to alter and what to let go.
Fit first. Then we talk money.