Altering jacket too small

[The Happy Stroller]

I bought a blue candy stripe seersucker jacket from an eBay seller whose stated policy for international purchasers is no refund/no return.

Unfortunately, the jacket was 2 inches less than the stated chest size.

Any suggestions for remedial alterations?

 

[texas_jack]

sadly, there is nothing that can be done.

 

[DocHolliday]

Texas_Jack's right, but have you brought up the issue with the seller? While I can understand not accepting returns, if the item was incorrectly advertised, he or she should take it back.

 

[The Happy Stroller]

Thanks for the returning goods suggestion, DocHoldiday, but I'll leave it to Fate and just consider it a lesson learnt

.

But I've just thought of a solution to my woes. Perhaps some one might care to offer some constructive criticisms.

My idea is to introduce a 3 inch wide self-facing strip between the central back seam of the jacket. The collar will have to be detached first, of course.

 

[j]

Wouldn't the chest still be much too small?

 

[ezboy1000]

If you liked it enough to purchase the jacket, presumably someone else might do the same. Even if you lose a few bucks from what you paid, it's better than having a jacket that doesn't fit sitting in your closet that you'll never wear.

Take some pictures, post them here. If that fails, off to ebay. Recycle and repackage.

 

[ameza21]

Originally Posted by The Happy Stroller

Thanks for the returning goods suggestion, DocHoldiday, but I'll leave it to Fate and just consider it a lesson learnt

.

But I've just thought of a solution to my woes. Perhaps some one might care to offer some constructive criticisms.

My idea is to introduce a 3 inch wide self-facing strip between the central back seam of the jacket. The collar will have to be detached first, of course.


This won't necessarily work. It largely depends on your build (no pun intended). First off, DOES the collar fit? When you put the jacket on with a collared shirt, does the jacket collar lay flush against the shirt collar or is there a space in between the shirt and the jacket? Is the top of the jacket collar roughly ¼ inch to ½ inch lower than the shirt collar? If so, it fits. Secondly, is the jacket pulling at the center seam, side seams, or button in front (or at several locations).

Bottom line, at best this is not a recommended operation. At worst, it will not work and may in fact make the fit even worse.

If you want a good fit, you need to start from a different jacket. The point-to-point (shoulders) will be different, the armhole size will be different, and the darts (if any) will be different.

 

[Arethusa]

Recutting a jacket from a larger one is possible with a good tailor, if usually prohibitively expensive. Recutting a smaller jacket to go larger is almost always impossible, save for small adjustments. You should just flip it back on eBay if you can't get the seller to refund you.

 

[The Happy Stroller]

Seems you were quite right after all. The adjustments required were not that small. Thanks for the resales suggestion also, Arethusa.

Originally Posted by Arethusa

Recutting a jacket from a larger one is possible with a good tailor, if usually prohibitively expensive. Recutting a smaller jacket to go larger is almost always impossible, save for small adjustments. You should just flip it back on eBay if you can't get the seller to refund you.

 

[The Happy Stroller]

Actually, I didn't mind imperfect fit for jackets made from the kind of material, as the original purpose was to use it for leisurely outdoor strolls. However, after rechecking the dimensions, it seems too much alteration will have to be carried out. It still looks nice, though. And thanks for considering the various angles, ameza21.

Originally Posted by ameza21

This won't necessarily work. It largely depends on your build (no pun intended). First off, DOES the collar fit? When you put the jacket on with a collared shirt, does the jacket collar lay flush against the shirt collar or is there a space in between the shirt and the jacket? Is the top of the jacket collar roughly ¼ inch to ½ inch lower than the shirt collar? If so, it fits. Secondly, is the jacket pulling at the center seam, side seams, or button in front (or at several locations).

Bottom line, at best this is not a recommended operation. At worst, it will not work and may in fact make the fit even worse.

If you want a good fit, you need to start from a different jacket. The point-to-point (shoulders) will be different, the armhole size will be different, and the darts (if any) will be different.

 

[The Happy Stroller]

You hit it on the nail, i.

When I remeasured the jacket, I realized the back and sides fitted me quite well. It was actually the front that proved to be too small, about 8 or 9 inches! That's the most difficult part to alter.

Originally Posted by j

Wouldn't the chest still be much too small?

 

[The Happy Stroller]

Good suggestion, ezboy1000. I'll be holding on to it for a while to provide my tailor a model to copy from when I've managed to find suitable 100% natural fabric blue/white candy stripes SS.

Originally Posted by ezboy1000

If you liked it enough to purchase the jacket, presumably someone else might do the same. Even if you lose a few bucks from what you paid, it's better than having a jacket that doesn't fit sitting in your closet that you'll never wear.

Take some pictures, post them here. If that fails, off to ebay. Recycle and repackage.