What is an appropriate action regarding pants before altering them?

Before altering pants, unzipping them or unbuttoning them is a crucial step. This action allows the person making the alterations to accurately assess how the pants fit and where adjustments are necessary. By leaving them zipped, it can create tension that obscures the true fit, leading to potential miscalculations in the alteration process. Cutting the material directly without understanding the fit could result in irreversible changes that might not meet the desired outcome. Ignoring the fit entirely undermines the purpose of the alterations, as the goal is to improve or modify the fit to better suit the wearer's body. Therefore, unzipping or unbuttoning is vital for ensuring a precise and effective alteration.