The London Lounge

Well, I've done it again...not more than a year after having a related problem with working sleeve buttons on a blazer. This time, I had my tailor do some fairly extensive alterations on a new sports jacket, including reduction of shoulder width, taking in the waist slightly, and other alterations which included cutting the sleeves to the right length. I gave him very precise instructions about the length (just slightly past the wrist bone) and asked for working buttons. Big mistake. I should have waited until he got the length exactly right before having him do the working buttons. I'll know that next time. You can guess what happened. He did it all at once and made the sleeves about 3/8" - 1/2" too long. The problem is that the last (working) button has its centre about 1" from the edge of the cuff, and I'm concerned that shortening the sleeves to where they should be will place that button too close to the edge. Of course, these buttons can't be moved now. So that's my dilemma. How close to the edge of the cuff can I go without it looking wrong? Any ideas are welcome. At this point, I'm not sure who to kill, my tailor or myself.

I'm wondering if it would be possible for the tailor shorten the sleeves, from the sleeve heads rather than the cuffs.

Outrigger wrote:I'm wondering if it would be possible for the tailor shorten the sleeves, from the sleeve heads rather than the cuffs.

Yes, I think that would be possible, but I was hoping to avoid this. I guess I'm wondering whether having the centre of the last button 3/4" from the edge is running it too close. If I did that, I'd be pretty close to ideal--maybe still 3/16" too long, but I could probably live with that. However, the consensus might be that having that button centre 3/4" from the edge is just too close. I guess that's what I need to know.

Yeah, that sounds a bit too close. But it probably won't be noticeable and I doubt people will take the time to stare intently at your cuffs.

Shortening sleeves at the shoulder is recommended for sleeves with working buttonholes.