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How do I know about extra fabric for tailoring?

PilotStyle

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I've been shopping on the various sites and thrift stores for secondhand jackets, knowing that I need to have a decent relationship with a tailor. Generally, I fit reasonably well in a 42L, though in most Italian brands I'm a 44L. The catch, I think, is that I need 18-19" between shoulder seams, but my sleeve length should be 26-27". Most of the secondhand stuff I try on will fit ok through the chest and shoulders, but need to have the sleeves lengthened. How can I tell how much extra fabric is in the sleeve before I decide to buy something? I'm assuming that most higher-priced RTW brands will include at least some extra sleeve material to lengthen the cuff, but that less expensive stuff might cut costs by reducing the amount of extra fabric.
 

pwbower

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I deal with the same issue. I'm a 40L or so, and I need a 26" sleeve, which is pretty rare, especially on vintage. If you're shopping in person, you can feel it under the sleeve lining, so that can tell you pretty much exactly what you're working with. As long as your tailor has a half inch or maybe even a little less leftover, it's possible to extend the sleeves the full length of the available fabric. My tailor has added fabric to strengthen the extension when we take it all the way to the wire.

On Ebay, etc, I'm not sure if there's any way to be sure, since the make varies so much even within brands over time. But many sellers are savvy enough to check for you, if asked.
 

PilotStyle

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Nov 18, 2021
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@pwbower, looks like we are both fellow members of the long arms club!

I've asked a few members on ebay about extra fabric, and it's been hit or miss. I've learned that even good brands leave a lot of extra fabric when a garment is manufactured are sometimes but not always a good choice, because if the jacket has had more than one owner, a prior secondhand owner might have used up a lot of the original extra fabric...
 

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