[AlexandreTheYoungMan]

Hi everyone!

I've been wondering how much I could shorten my suit jacket sleeves lenght? I picked up 6 suits and 2 jackets that are like-new, they are entirely hand made and they fit me pretty well. They were all coming from the same person.

The thing is; I have a large body but i'm relatively short (5'9" but i am as broad as my 6'3" friend...). It will need a bit of trimming down in the front area, nothing too much, but the jacket real problem is in the sleeves lenght. They are too long for about 3 inches.

I know it is a lot so what can I do?

They cost me about 10$ each so I dont mind spending money on it as it would still be worth.

Thanks for the quick replies!

 

[Peak and Pine]

That's quite a bit of overhang, can you see your hand? No worry though, sleeves can be taken up three-inches (and more). But...with sleeves that long, are you sure the jackets themselves aren't too long?

 

[AlexandreTheYoungMan]

That's quite a bit of overhang, can you see your hand? No worry though, sleeves can be taken up three-inches (and more). But...with sleeves that long, are you sure the jackets themselves aren't too long?

The jackets are fine IMHO. I will have them shortened maybe 2 cms (less than half an inch) if I do. I will take my tailor advice on this but the jackets are kinda short compared to the sleeves lenght.

I can see my hands but It is still way too long.

The sleeves have working button holes, do you think I can keep them?
Also can you explain to me how it will be done? I also do not understand why you shouldn't just cut the sleeve and redo it less long...

 

[Peak and Pine]

The sleeves have working button holes, do you think I can keep them?

No.

Also can you explain to me how it will be done? I also do not understand why you shouldn't just cut the sleeve and redo it less long...

That,s what you do. You cut the sleeves and make them, as you say, less long. Or shorter, the technical term I like to use.

 

[AlexandreTheYoungMan]

Thank you for your answers! I appreciate it.

 

[Peak and Pine]

Thank you for your answers! I appreciate it.

You're welcome. A caution tho, if where you want your shorter length falls in amongst the current button holes, either try to make that not happen or sew buttons over the remaining holes.

 

[AlexandreTheYoungMan]

Could we just cut the sleeve shorter than where the buttonholes are now and redo new cuffs? I will take a picture and post it so I can better illustrate what I mean.

It feels like it could be done, but still I had alterations done in the past but never in the sleeves so I do not know. How the sleeves hang around my arms do not create much "creases".

Sorry if those are not the correct terms English is a second language for me!

 

[AlexandreTheYoungMan]

Here is the picture

 

[Peak and Pine]

Could we just cut the sleeve shorter than where the buttonholes are now and redo new cuffs?

Yes. If where you've shown the red cut line is where you want your sleeves to end. No problem, tho time consuming.

Sorry if those are not the correct terms English is a second language for me!

Again, no problem. English isn't my first language either. It's Cat, basically a series of long and short meows, sorta like Morse Code.

 

[paxonus]

If you are cutting the sleeves back that much you may also need to have them tapered as well.

 

[AlexandreTheYoungMan]

My tailor will make sure everything is perfect, thank you both!

 

[Searching_Best_Fit]

Here is the picture

Something is not right here. If the line marks where you want to shorten the sleeve, it will be more than 3 inches, and you will lose the vent from the sleeve (opening where the buttons are). The tailor needs to recreate the vent while tapering the sleeve cuff, if possible, or you will have a sleeve with no vent.

Furthermore, the jacket will then look too long on you without trimming. Going from 6'3" to 5'9" (long/extra long to regular/short) could be quite a change, even with the same chest measurement and style of jackets. The jacket as is now seems in a good proportion. Shortening sleeve only will make it look weird, IMHO.

This is guess-work so far. I think it is better to see you wearing the jacket as is to see how much can be trimmed reasonably before you make the trip to the tailor and hear the bad news.

 

[mlstein]

AlexandreTheYoungMan said: ↑
The sleeves have working button holes, do you think I can keep them?

No.

If there's enough fabric in the sleeves they can be taken up at the shoulder, preserving the cuff and buttons. It's harder and more expensive but it's not an unusual fix.

 

[Matt S]

AlexandreTheYoungMan said: ↑
The sleeves have working button holes, do you think I can keep them?

If there's enough fabric in the sleeves they can be taken up at the shoulder, preserving the cuff and buttons. It's harder and more expensive but it's not an unusual fix.

Because sleeves have a lot of taper, they cannot be taken in very much at the shoulder.

 

[AlexandreTheYoungMan]

Something is not right here. If the line marks where you want to shorten the sleeve, it will be more than 3 inches, and you will lose the vent from the sleeve (opening where the buttons are). The tailor needs to recreate the vent while tapering the sleeve cuff, if possible, or you will have a sleeve with no vent.

Furthermore, the jacket will then look too long on you without trimming. Going from 6'3" to 5'9" (long/extra long to regular/short) could be quite a change, even with the same chest measurement and style of jackets. The jacket as is now seems in a good proportion. Shortening sleeve only will make it look weird, IMHO.

This is guess-work so far. I think it is better to see you wearing the jacket as is to see how much can be trimmed reasonably before you make the trip to the tailor and hear the bad news.

The sleeves will be shorten up by a bit less than 3 inches. The rest of the jacket will be fine once it is tapered in the back. I've had this done with another tailor 2 times already and everything is still in the right place. The style will be more 1940's than 2018 wich is what I want anyway. As I said, this situation is nothing new to me, the only things I'm concerned with are the sleeve hence why I'm going to another, more renowned tailor.

 

[mlstein]

Because sleeves have a lot of taper, they cannot be taken in very much at the shoulder.

This depends entirely on the taper of the sleeves and the extra fabric in them. I've had a couple of inches taken off sleeves at the shoulder without any problem. The tailor will not necessarily know until the seams are opened, but you can't rule this out.

 

[Peak and Pine]

I've had a couple of inches taken off sleeves at the shoulder without any problem.

Common sense says this is not a good idea. Or maybe not, maybe the sense here is not all that common.

Bone fides: I have removed and replaced sleeves many times. But only to narrow a shoulder. I would not screw with the sleeve head itself which, if you remove three inches, because of the sleeve's taper, would make the head's diameter too small to fit the shoulder opening. So what do you do then? The standard seam allowance is 3/8ths inch. Manufacturers are not more generous because they expect no one to be fiddling in there. And there is intricate, layered padding inside the head to re-sew. And the entire head must be re-crimped by hand, as all cloth being curved must. The sleeve must be realigned to the exact position before removal. Registration marks for this, made with colored thread and very close to the sleeve head's edge (to align with the shoulder seam), would be lost with the 3-inch trimming and would have to be made a chancy 3+ inches further down. The lining must be partially unseamed to allow the sleeve's reattachment, then resewn.

Those are the obvious. Then the pit falls, which are unknown until work is begun. So, a suggestion: don't do this.

 

[Searching_Best_Fit]

The sleeves will be shorten up by a bit less than 3 inches. The rest of the jacket will be fine once it is tapered in the back. I've had this done with another tailor 2 times already and everything is still in the right place.

Well, as long as you are certain that after the shortening that there is still some vent left, it is probably ok. Since this sleeve also comes with working button holes, hopefully the new hem line will eliminate these button holes so that the tailor can recreate the hem with interfacing and things. Given that amount of shortening, doing this from the sleeve head would be challenging or impossible.

The style will be more 1940's than 2018 wich is what I want anyway.

That is no problem to me if that is the style you are aiming.