How can you tell if a suit jacket sleeves can be let out?

[lilmann40]

Just like the title reads, how can you tell by looking at the jacket?

 

[Steve Smith]

1. Put the jacket on.
2. Look in the mirror. Remember what that looks like.
3. Go to the Black Fleece section of the BB website.
4. Look at the suits and sport coats.
5. If yours fits like that, the sleeves need to be let out. But you probably don't have enough material.

Seriously, put on a properly fitting long sleeve shirt. Put on your jacket. You should show a fraction of an inch of shirt cuff.

 

[lilmann40]

Originally Posted by Steve Smith

1. Put the jacket on.
2. Look in the mirror. Remember what that looks like.
3. Go to the Black Fleece section of the BB website.
4. Look at the suits and sport coats.
5. If yours fits like that, the sleeves need to be let out. But you probably don't have enough material.

Seriously, put on a properly fitting long sleeve shirt. Put on your jacket. You should show a fraction of an inch of shirt cuff.

Oh, I'm sorry...I meant how can you tell if any material CAN be let out? The question isn't regarding my fit of the jacket, just how you can tell if there is material available to be let out for the sleeve to extend it.

 

[tgt465]

Not a tailor, but as far as I know: When the sleeves are let out the material normally comes from inside the sleeve cuff. If you look, there should be some suiting material there before the lining begins. This is the length that the sleeve can be let out from the cuff (minus a bit for the hem). You may also happen to have extra material in the shoulder so that the sleeve can be lengthened from there, but this is not guaranteed and requires much more difficult work.

 

[Steve Smith]

^ That is correct, but I might add that you can carefully feel the thickness of the turned under suit material that is hidden by the lining to determine just how much is available. It varies.

I got so excited with my attempt at humor that I misinterpreted the original question.

 

[jefferyd]

RTW (and factory MTM) garments generally have 2" to 2 1/4" in the cuff so you can lengthen up to about 1 1/2"- usually around 1" of cloth is concealed by the lining so you can't know exactly how much is there without opening the lining. The only case in which there would be no outlet is if it had been previously altered.

Oh, and you can't lengthen from the shoulder.

 

[krspdla]

If it's a used jacket, there can be some wear on the edge of the sleeve, so watch out for that too.

 

[gyasih]

Do you have experience with TaT suits? I purchased a suit on here, everything fits well, but received the wrong sleeve measurements. So they will need to be lengthened from the shoulders (surgeon cuffs).