Large armscyes = ill fitting shirt sleeves?

[merkur]

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[teddieriley]

the overall size of the sleeves is what makes it baggy. you probably also want higher armholes. if the shirt isn't made that way, it's not something worth fixing with RTW.

 

[merkur]

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[Journeyman]

A number of Italian shirtmakers have high armscyes and narrower arms, but the problem is distinguishing between the slim-cut ones and the other (such as Borrelli) that often make more tent-like shirts with larger armholes for the US market.

Borrelli does make slimmer shirts, but they aren't that common on the internet.
Others are more knowledgeable about this than am I, but I believe that brands such as Finamore and Barba have smaller armholes and slimmer arms.

Also, if you ever happen to go to Japan, there are plenty of shirts with high/smaller armholes that are beautifully made. I've got a couple by a shirtmaker named "Camiciao" (which is basically a bastardisation of the Italian word for shirt) that have MoP buttons and unfused collar and cuffs in lovely fabrics, both of which I bought from Matsuya department store in Ginza for the princely sum of Y7000 (about AU$80 at the time) each. Even Uniqlo makes reasonable business shirts - particularly with button-down collars - with high armholes.

 

[cs1]

Originally Posted by merkur

Is there some way (other than bespoke) to reduce the size of armscyes on shirts? The reason I ask is that even though I wear shirts with the right (more or less) sleeve length, my shirt sleeves always end up looking baggy due to the excess fabric of the large armscyes and my small biceps. Am I right in thinking that smaller armscyes make for better fitting shirt sleeves (assuming that the sleeve length is correct)?

Most good alteration tailors can fix that. I've had some shirts done that took a lot of the excess material out and they look better than the typical Brooks Bros blousy baggy look. Just look up some tailors and spend an hour on the phone. You're bound to find somebody that can help. Good luck