How it works
- You pay once.Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal. No account, no subscription.
- The book opens.A download link comes up straight away and arrives in your email within a minute.
- It stays in your email.Read it on your phone, tablet or computer, or print the page you need and take it to the tailor. Nothing ships.
The math
One man’s closet, two ways
Buying the same pieces new
- Blazer, suit and wool trousers$650
- Two chinos, jeans, five shirts, two sweaters$545
- Two pairs of leather shoes, overcoat, rain jacket$770
- Belt and four ties$155
The tailor’s way, from the book
- 12 pieces altered at the tailor’s and the cobbler$575
- Cardigan pills shaved at home$10
- One new pair of jeans (the old ones failed the half rule)$50
- Flannel shirts and four ties kept as they are; 3 pieces let go$0
He kept about
$1,485 in his pocket
Sort your own closet the same way and that’s money kept the year you do it. The book costs $27, once.
Both columns are the real sample closet on page 13 of the book, priced at typical shop prices as of October 2026. Prices vary by town; big-city shops often charge more. Your closet will differ.
What you were told, and what the tailor says
“It doesn’t fit anymore. Time to buy new.”
Most good pieces can come in up to 2 inches at the waist, for about $30 on trousers and $45 on a jacket. p. 21
“Altering costs more than it’s worth.”
Sometimes. The half rule says when: if the fix is half or less of the new price and the cloth is sound. p. 17
“A tailor can fix anything.”
Not shoulders, not for a fair price. That’s the one point that decides whether a jacket stays. p. 87
“Your collar’s tight, you need all new shirts.”
Moving the button gains up to ¼ inch for about $5 a shirt. p. 60
“Long trousers look relaxed.”
An inch of cloth pooled on the shoe is what makes trousers look borrowed. A plain hem is about $20. p. 38
Real pages from the book
Look inside
What’s inside
| # | Part | Page |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Closet Sort. The mirror test, the half rule, one closet priced | 11 |
| 2 | Trousers. Hems, waists, pleats, jeans, shine | 35 |
| 3 | Shirts. Tight collars, long sleeves, frayed cuffs | 58 |
| 4 | Jackets and Suits. Sleeves, waists, shoulders, the old jacket | 80 |
| 5 | Knitwear. Moth holes, pilling, stretched cardigans | 103 |
| 6 | Shoes. Heels, resoles, polish, what to stop wearing | 125 |
| 7 | The Small Things. Belts, braces, ties, socks, handkerchiefs | 148 |
| 8 | Coats and Outerwear. Overcoats, zippers, linings, raincoats | 170 |
| 9 | Warm Weather. Shorts, polos, linen, summer jackets | 192 |
| 10 | Occasions. Weddings, funerals, church, the family photo | 214 |
A few things you’ll find
- The five points a tailor checks before he says a wordp. 15
- Why the shoulders decide whether a jacket staysp. 87
- The $5 fix for a collar that pinchesp. 60
- Jeans belted high: fix them or retire themp. 52
- How to tell a 20-year-old classic from a dated jacketp. 89
- When a full new sole is worth it, and when it isn’tp. 130
- Getting a suit ready for a family weddingp. 218
- What to say at the counter so you pay for what you asked forp. 33
Plus the price card for every job, the mirror test card, a printable closet sort sheet, a tailor’s ticket to take to the shop, a measurement card, 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 what it costs, what the piece costs new, and the verdict
- One closet sorted and priced line by line: $635 against $2,120 new
- The exact words to say at the tailor’s for every alteration
- A line from the chalk books beside nearly every fix
- Printable price card, closet sort sheet, tailor’s ticket and measurement card
- PDF + EPUB, large type, for phone, tablet, computer or e-reader
- Every future edition free
🔒 Secure checkout by Gumroad · Card · Apple Pay · Google Pay · PayPal
Coming next: Buy It Once, a tailor’s guide to buying clothes that fit after 60: what to check on the rack and what each piece should cost. Buyers hear first.
How the book was made
The notebooks in the cutting-table drawer
I came to a downtown men’s shop in 1973, twenty-two, and learned the trade at the cutting table under Aldo Benedetti, a tailor trained near Naples.
Aldo kept a pocket notebook at every fitting: the garment, the measurements, the price, and often one word. Keep, alter, or let go. I started my own that year. There are about sixty of them now, his and mine.
Lately most of the men on my fitting step are my own age, asking the same thing: is this worth fixing, and what will it cost?
So I went through the chalk books, wrote down the hundred jobs that come up most, and priced every one against buying new.
Ray Dunbar
What this book won’t do
It won’t make you look like a model.
It makes your own clothes fit you as you are now. That’s all a tailor can do, and it’s usually enough.
Prices vary by town.
Every figure is a typical price at an ordinary shop as of October 2026, with the usual range. Big-city shops often charge more. Ask before the pin goes in.
Some things can’t be saved.
Shoulders, worn-through cloth, a jacket that’s too short. The book says so plainly, and tells you when buying new is the cheaper road.
You still need a tailor.
Some fixes you can do at home with a $10 shaver or a needle and thread. Most need a tailor’s machine, and the book tells you exactly what to ask for.
The Fitting Room Promise
Read it, sort your closet with it. If it isn’t for you, email within 30 days and you get every cent back. No questions. Keep the book.
Questions
What exactly do I get?
A digital book of 100 tailor’s fixes in 10 parts, as a PDF and an EPUB, with a printable price card, closet sort sheet, tailor’s ticket and measurement card.
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. Print the whole book or just the page you need and take it to the tailor’s with the garment.
Is there a paper copy?
Not yet. It’s a digital book you can print at home or at any 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. There’s nothing to cancel.
I lost the file. What do I do?
Search your email for the receipt, which has the download link, or write to contact@thechalkbook.com and you’ll get it again.
Do I need to sew?
No. Most fixes are done by a tailor or cobbler, and the book tells you what to ask for and what it should cost. A few are simple jobs at home.
Will the prices be the same where I live?
Close, not exact. The book gives a typical price and the usual range for each job. Big-city shops often charge 10 to 40 percent more.
Who is it not for?
Anyone who wants the latest fashions, or a whole new wardrobe. This is for men who want the clothes they own to fit and look right.
Step up to the mirror before you spend a dollar.
100 fixes, every one priced against buying new, so you know what to keep, what to alter and what to let go.
Fix what fits. Let the rest go.