Recession or not, I've always thought it wise to think twice about tossing out old suits or dress pants. Every so often - usually sparked by a big event like moving, an important formal affair or even starting a new job - I'll take a load of clothes to the tailor to have them re-cut to reflect a more contemporary look.
Forbes.com has a short piece about the growing popularity of this practice:
"The impulse to save a little money, plus ever changing fashions, seems to be pushing people to poke around their closets instead of inside a high-end specialty store. "Even if you can't afford to purchase a new suit, you don't want to walk into the office or a job interview looking like you belong in 1999," sniffs Tyler Thoreson, executive editor of Men.Style.com."
In Chicago I recommend Boguslaw. He's expensive and at times hard to get in touch with [appointment only]. But he does great work.
