Puzzle: Lengthening Functionally Cuffed Sleeves

[just_another_guy3]

Hi all,
I posted this over at MFA, and a couple people said I should ask here. There are more details there, but basically I took out the sleeve of my Brioni sport coat almost two inches (still shows at least a half inch of shirt cuff), and now the buttonholes are three inches up the sleeve. I'd like to do one of three things to deal with the buttonholes (unless you think I should taper the sleeve or leave the buttons), though a better idea is more than welcome. Money for alterations to a Brioni coat is really no object.

1. Sew the buttonholes shut. We have some extra fabric we could put in there, and could cover some scars from the two bottom buttonholes with the two top buttons, but the issues are that the buttonholes have a substantial hole, so more fabric would be needed, and the check goes through the holes, so it would have to be done very carefully.
Pro: everything else stays the same. Con: scars from the stitching

2. Sew the outside of the sleeve under the inside. You know how on every jacket and shirt, the cuff with the buttons points down and away from the wearer, with the piece from the bottom coming underneath? We could take out the sleeve seam and put the piece from the bottom on top and sew the buttons on to it, so it pointed up and toward me.
Pro: the fabric would be perfect. Con: it would look off, and I don't think in a fashionable way

3. Do the above, but switch the left and right sleeves. If you switch a sleeve that points in, it will point out correctly.
Pro: nothing is visibly wrong with the jacket Con: it would probably lose the perfect pattern matching on the shoulders, which is great with the windowpane pattern as the horizontal lines are unbroken.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Maljunulo]

Hi all,
I posted this over at MFA, and a couple people said I should ask here. There are more details there, but basically I took out the sleeve of my Brioni sport coat almost two inches (still shows at least a half inch of shirt cuff), and now the buttonholes are three inches up the sleeve. I'd like to do one of three things to deal with the buttonholes (unless you think I should taper the sleeve or leave the buttons), though a better idea is more than welcome. Money for alterations to a Brioni coat is really no object.

1. Sew the buttonholes shut. We have some extra fabric we could put in there, and could cover some scars from the two bottom buttonholes with the two top buttons, but the issues are that the buttonholes have a substantial hole, so more fabric would be needed, and the check goes through the holes, so it would have to be done very carefully.
Pro: everything else stays the same. Con: scars from the stitching

2. Sew the outside of the sleeve under the inside. You know how on every jacket and shirt, the cuff with the buttons points down and away from the wearer, with the piece from the bottom coming underneath? We could take out the sleeve seam and put the piece from the bottom on top and sew the buttons on to it, so it pointed up and toward me.
Pro: the fabric would be perfect. Con: it would look off, and I don't think in a fashionable way

3. Do the above, but switch the left and right sleeves. If you switch a sleeve that points in, it will point out correctly.
Pro: nothing is visibly wrong with the jacket Con: it would probably lose the perfect pattern matching on the shoulders, which is great with the windowpane pattern as the horizontal lines are unbroken.

Thanks in advance.

Why on earth did you buy a jacket which need the sleeves let out 2"?

(especially with working buttons)

 

[just_another_guy3]

Why on earth did you buy a jacket which need the sleeves let out 2"?

(especially with working buttons)

Fair question, the measurement wasn't great. I also have a hard time finding the right length in both the sleeves and the torso, so I'm used to hemming jackets and this one didn't require that (I was excited that it would fit along both dimensions, but alas no).

 

[Chowkin]

Why don't you just add two buttons below the existing ones - yes, six buttons may look excessive but it's better than your first option.

Your two other options don't work

 

[Tacosauce]

Why don't you just add two buttons below the existing ones - yes, six buttons may look excessive but it's better than your first option.

Your two other options don't work

That’s a damn good idea!

 

[just_another_guy3]

Why don't you just add two buttons below the existing ones - yes, six buttons may look excessive but it's better than your first option.

Your two other options don't work

That'd be possible, though matching the beautiful hand-stitching on the holes would be quite the challenge for my tailor. Would six buttons ending properly be better than four three inches from the cuff?

Also, can you tell me why you don't think the latter options wouldn't work? The concept of flipping the sleeves was my tailor's idea and I thought it was quite clever.

 

[Chowkin]

Why don't you try four buttons three inches from the end and see if you're comfortable? If after a while you still feel awkward then try other options.


The reason flipping the sleeves won't work is because they are not straight - they are actually slightly angled forward:

If you flip them, they would angle backwards

 

[just_another_guy3]

Why don't you try four buttons three inches from the end and see if you're comfortable? If after a while you still feel awkward then try other options.


The reason flipping the sleeves won't work is because they are not straight - they are actually slightly angled forward:

View attachment 869834

If you flip them, they would angle backwards

Ah, I never noticed that. Thanks! How about the idea of just flipping the sleeve so that the buttonholes are underneath? Would it look too off?

 

[Chowkin]

Unfortunately it will. In order to do that you need a lot of seam allowance which sadly is missing on most RTW stuff. Even if it has, how are you going to make what's underneath to come out above?

Please disregard the red marking- I googled the photo

 

[just_another_guy3]

Unfortunately it will. In order to do that you need a lot of seam allowance which sadly is missing on most RTW stuff. Even if it has, how are you going to make what's underneath to come out above?

Please disregard the red marking- I googled the photo

View attachment 869835

My tailor was suggesting this (and then putting non-functional buttons on the new top layer). So when you talk about seam allowance, do you mean the green measurement? If so, I can check how much there is, but I don't quite see what difference it makes.

 

[Chowkin]

Pray tell me, how can your tailor get the two to swap without cutting them?

 

[just_another_guy3]

Pray tell me, how can your tailor get the two to swap without cutting them?

I would assume ripping the sleeve apart up to the shoulder and re-sewing it.

 

[Chowkin]

Use some logic and you'll know it is not feasible

 

[just_another_guy3]

Use some logic and you'll know it is not feasible

Maybe I'll take a cheap or worn jacket to try first, but I would think messing with that outer seam wouldn't affect much—maybe the pitch would be off depending on how much twisting was required.

 

[blueberry7]

Would you consider having the sleeves shortened back to the (for you) maximum tolerable distance of buttons from the sleeve end and then have your tailor let the sleeves out from the shoulders?
Should be even less effort than your current option three.