The Tailors' Thread: Fit Feedback and Alteration Suggestions

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Are there buttons only sewn on the sleeve or cut buttonholes?
With the former you can shorten at the hem and not worry about the sleeve head.
I've never made that type of sleeve and if I tried, I doubt I could replicate it without knowing the technique used and doing it a few times.
The bigger risk is shortening form the top by 2" causing the sleeve to be too small and not have sufficient fullness to fit into the armhole. The sleeves get more narrow as you move downward after cutting away 2'' from the top.
Show it to your tailor, he is the only one who can answer you.

Thanks for your response. The buttonholes are cut. The exact measurement to be taken in from the shoulder is actually around 2.5cm as I just remeasured them. Not sure if taking in about 2.5 cm from the sleeves will make the buttons too close to the edge of the sleeves.

 

[Kevin24]

Good Afternoon,

I was wondering if it would be possible to tailor a waxed jacket? If so, what would be the cost and complexity involved for a tailor to do such an alteration?

 

[driving glove]

Good Afternoon,

I was wondering if it would be possible to tailor a waxed jacket? If so, what would be the cost and complexity involved for a tailor to do such an alteration?

I have had a Barbour Commander B have underarm gussets added to increase the chest size, done by the Barbour alterations/repair department. Very satisfied with the the result.

 

[Kevin24]

I have had a Barbour Commander B have underarm gussets added to increase the chest size, done by the Barbour alterations/repair department. Very satisfied with the the result.

Nice,

I own a Barbour but just bought a Brooks Brothers waxed jacket the other day. I probably need the sleeves shortened and I was wondering if there were a reasonable cost and low-risk way to do so for waxed cotton.

 

[Despos]

Thanks for your response. The buttonholes are cut. The exact measurement to be taken in from the shoulder is actually around 2.5cm as I just remeasured them. Not sure if taking in about 2.5 cm from the sleeves will make the buttons too close to the edge of the sleeves.

View attachment 1559205

Talk to your tailor. Possible to shorten 2.5 cm at the front and only 2 cm under the buttons, a bit more angle to the sleeve but enough cloth between the bottom button and the hem to look good

 

[CorozoButton]

Are you referring to the small roll of cloth sometimes seen at the edge of collar? It could be the cloth on the shoulder is fuller than the canvass or the collar is tight. It’s more difficult to baste an undercollar with a high gorge than a lower gorge. Can’t generalize though. Have to analyze each one individually.

This sort of thing, which I believed was due to forward shoulder, but could be wrong. It generally lessens on lower gorge jackets, but very possible there's no causal relationship there.

 

[Despos]

That’s a more serious issue. The shoulder is twisting. Picture doesn’t show enough to diagnose but is commonly related too wrong shoulder slope causing pressure on the shoulder point. Have to square the shoulder to correct that part.
Second, need to shift the shoulder by opening the seam and move the front away from the neck and the back part towards the neck. This is straightening the shoulder. It also will effect the breakline and lapel width when you do this. Can only do this if there are adequate outlets under the undercollar.
Need more fullness on the back part when remaking the shoulder seam.
The high gorge makes this adjustment very difficult to do.
Canvass shoulder construction can be a contributor too.
Complicated and not easy or always able to correct this 100%
This is most common fix but can’t be certain because the pictures don’t give enough info to be specific about this shoulder.

 

[willyto]

Talk to your tailor. Possible to shorten 2.5 cm at the front and only 2 cm under the buttons, a bit more angle to the sleeve but enough cloth between the bottom button and the hem to look good

would have never thought of that. Smart!

 

[Despos]

Nice,

I own a Barbour but just bought a Brooks Brothers waxed jacket the other day. I probably need the sleeves shortened and I was wondering if there were a reasonable cost and low-risk way to do so for waxed cotton.

Post a picture showing the sleeve style/construction. Can’t answer without seeing what needs to be done. The sleeve style is the issue not that it’s waxed cotton.

 

[CorozoButton]

That’s a more serious issue. The shoulder is twisting. Picture doesn’t show enough to diagnose but is commonly related too wrong shoulder slope causing pressure on the shoulder point. Have to square the shoulder to correct that part.
Second, need to shift the shoulder by opening the seam and move the front away from the neck and the back part towards the neck. This is straightening the shoulder. It also will effect the breakline and lapel width when you do this. Can only do this if there are adequate outlets under the undercollar.
Need more fullness on the back part when remaking the shoulder seam.
The high gorge makes this adjustment very difficult to do.
Canvass shoulder construction can be a contributor too.
Complicated and not easy or always able to correct this 100%
This is most common fix but can’t be certain because the pictures don’t give enough info to be specific about this shoulder.

Very interesting. So at the cutting stage, opposed to alteration, you would want to square the shoulder to relieve the pressure? My understanding is the second part you speak about is the Forward Shoulder alteration (moving the front away from the neck/back towards the shoulder):

Would you also want to do that at the cutting stage, or would that just be how to handle it in alterations?

 

[Despos]

Correct at the cutting stage and hope you never have to do this as an alteration. When cutting you adjust shoulder slope as necessary.
Alteration is difficult and not always effective.
How the canvass is made and sewing the shoulder has to be adjusted too

 

[CorozoButton]

I naively assumed that cutting for forward shoulder basically entailed lengthening the back part over the shoulder and shortening the front over the shoulder, but looking back realise how reductive that is.

 

[Despos]

I naively assumed that cutting for forward shoulder basically entailed lengthening the back part over the shoulder and shortening the front over the shoulder, but looking back realise how reductive that is.

Don’t know how lengthening back/shortening front relates to this.

 

[CorozoButton]

Don’t know how lengthening back/shortening front relates to this.

Obviously I'm completely wrong, but I think my assumption was that if the end of the shoulder is further forward, you would lengthen the back/shorten the front at the shoulders to keep the shoulder seam in the correct place relative to the shoulder figuration of the wearer (although let's definitely not bring the shoulder seam conversation from the DWW thread here too!)

 

[CorozoButton]

Correct at the cutting stage and hope you never have to do this as an alteration. When cutting you adjust shoulder slope as necessary.
Alteration is difficult and not always effective.
How the canvass is made and sewing the shoulder has to be adjusted too

Oh I might still be getting this completely wrong, but is the shifting of the shoulder done in the alteration because the only way to square a shoulder on a finished garment is to lower at the neck, where as at the cutting stage, you could raise at the end of the shoulder, thus not needing to take away cloth from by the neck?