In M & S, size 14 trousers are a good fit round the hips but I cannot get the waist to fasten, yet when i try a 16 and the waist fastens, there is too much spare material round the hips. If I bought the 16, how much would a tailor charge to alter the hips to make a better fit? Thanks.
if you can find one of those little Asian tailors shops they usually charge £5 per item, ask in your local convenience shop do they know of one or try your nearest "closed in" market, dont be put off because shop isnt neat or tidy once they have your measurements they can usually do all the work in 24 hours, what I find too expensive is the alteration person sittng in the window of the local dry cleaners.
Gem
have you tried Susan Graver or Nina Leonard on QVC for trousers they are a good fit, if you have time look on the QVC website, have bought both and they hang very nicely.
i'm sure m and s will do free alterations if you have a credit card with them, might be worth looking into? top shop also do a really wide range of trousers and you can choose the leg and waist/ hip size.