• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Possible to alter armhole to make higher?

RoyalPaJamas

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
215
Reaction score
6
I have a few suit jackets that fit very well except for the armholes, which are somewhat low for me.

Is it possible to have the side seam of the jacket "closed up" so to speak, in order to raise the height of the armhole?
 

westinghouse

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
1,305
Reaction score
5
A good tailor can do it for about $80-$100.
 

Despos

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Mar 16, 2006
Messages
8,767
Reaction score
5,772
Originally Posted by RoyalPaJamas
I have a few suit jackets that fit very well except for the armholes, which are somewhat low for me.

Is it possible to have the side seam of the jacket "closed up" so to speak, in order to raise the height of the armhole?


That does not make the armhole higher. If you take in the underarm it will make the armhole deeper because there is no outlet on the side body.
The only way to make an armhole higher on a finished garment is to remove the sleeve, collar and open the shoulder. Cut the amount you want from the top of the shoulder on both front and back, this brings the armhole up higher on your arm. Remake the shoulder, shorten the collar or lower the gorge. Recut the sleeve to match the new size of the armhole and attach. The jacket is now shorter by the amount you cut off the top of the shoulders. You have to live with the new length or have the jacket made longer if it is too short.
 

Svenn

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2008
Messages
1,614
Reaction score
52
Originally Posted by Despos
That does not make the armhole higher. If you take in the underarm it will make the armhole deeper because there is no outlet on the side body. The only way to make an armhole higher on a finished garment is to remove the sleeve, collar and open the shoulder. Cut the amount you want from the top of the shoulder on both front and back, this brings the armhole up higher on your arm. Remake the shoulder, shorten the collar or lower the gorge. Recut the sleeve to match the new size of the armhole and attach. The jacket is now shorter by the amount you cut off the top of the shoulders. You have to live with the new length or have the jacket made longer if it is too short.
Was wondering what your or others' thoughts were on this excerpt from another forum on 'raising armholes': Finally, if there is extra material anywhere on the jacket at the seam allowances, it can be re-claimed, to make a crescent-shaped gusset at the bottom of the scye. If sewn carefully, the seam is nearly invisible; not to mention being hidden under the arm. Is he correct that such an insert would be nearly invisible? Even if visible, would it look odd or perhaps even attractive? My bespoke tailor made the armholes on a jacket I have as high as he could, yet I still feel they're not high enough... I was told it was a very difficult art to get a truly fitted armscye, and it seems odd a mere gusset could achieve it. Relatedly, are any American tailors capable of a very fitted armscye or will I have to go to some equestrian/military tailor in Europe to get them?
 

benjamin831

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
2,861
Reaction score
895
I have a few suit jackets that fit very well except for the armholes, which are somewhat low for me.

Is it possible to have the side seam of the jacket "closed up" so to speak, in order to raise the height of the armhole?


That does not make the armhole higher. If you take in the underarm it will make the armhole deeper because there is no outlet on the side body.
The only way to make an armhole higher on a finished garment is to remove the sleeve, collar and open the shoulder. Cut the amount you want from the top of the shoulder on both front and back, this brings the armhole up higher on your arm. Remake the shoulder, shorten the collar or lower the gorge. Recut the sleeve to match the new size of the armhole and attach. The jacket is now shorter by the amount you cut off the top of the shoulders. You have to live with the new length or have the jacket made longer if it is too short.

Hi Despos,

Can this be done half-way by simply opening up the shoulder seam and gently taper the amount I want to reduce out to the armhole while leave the end closer to the collar untouched? The excess sleeve circumference can be pleated a la spalla camicia style.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.2%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 38.8%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.2%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.1%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,152
Messages
10,578,810
Members
223,881
Latest member
nor77man
Top