[Paul]

Hi guys. I'm not planning to DIY this but since a lot of you are craftsmen and craftswomen in this section I need a little advice from people who know their stuff. Any help would be appreciated.

I'm looking at clearance kilt jackets that are pure wool... I'm saving £180 buying the clearance to buying one in the regular section.
I'm a 40L generally... they have a 36L, 42S and 44L.

I'm looking to buy one and have it altered. The 42S would need to come down around an inch in the sleeve, but I'm guessing it would be the easiest to alter to my size, right?
The 44L sleeve length is great, but I'd have to get 4 inches taken from the chest and a bit off the shoulders.
The 36L couldnt poissibly give another 4 inches in the chest, could it?

...
Basically I'm wondering what size would be best to have altered to my size convincingly. Any ideas?
Also - how much do you think this alteration would cost me to have it done professionally?

Thanks,
Paul

[fluter]

If the sleeve needs to be let out, be very sure there is enough material in the hem! Otherwise, you may have to use the remnant fabric to make some gauntlet cuffs.

Aside from that, the 42 should be the closest. You may get by without having to take in the side seams.

Overall, I think the most important visual detail is the location of the pockets---that is, whether they'll look OK if you shorten the hem. My store-bought jackets have the hem shorter than the sleeve. i have one jacket that I'm considering shortening to about the same length as the sleeves, to make the pocket placement look symmetrical.

Here's the "before" Obviously the sleeves need to be hemmed up, too; but it was 20 bucks on clearance!! The idea is for the flaps not to be too close to the hem. The hem should still fall near the bottom of the fell.

[Paul]

From what I remember the jacket could give 3/4" or so in the sleeve and have enough room to be re-stitched. I'll phone round a couple of tailors for costs tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be possible and I will not regret it due to the saving, but it might end up harder than it seems overall.
2" isn't a lot off the chest though, right? and I'm pretty sure my waist size out-does my chest measurement technically so it may not have to be seamed anywhere other than under the arms.

[piperdbh]

Lengthening the sleeves is no big job. Taking in the seams in the body of the jacket is a major operation. I'd advise you to go with the 42, as long as there's enough fabric in the cuffs. You can feel where the fabric is folded back in the cuff hem. If it feels like you have more than an inch in there, then you should be safe.

[vorpallemur]

Originally Posted by Paul.

Hi guys. I'm not planning to DIY this but since a lot of you are craftsmen and craftswomen in this section I need a little advice from people who know their stuff. Any help would be appreciated.

I'm looking at clearance kilt jackets that are pure wool... I'm saving £180 buying the clearance to buying one in the regular section.
I'm a 40L generally... they have a 36L, 42S and 44L.

I'm looking to buy one and have it altered. The 42S would need to come down around an inch in the sleeve, but I'm guessing it would be the easiest to alter to my size, right?
The 44L sleeve length is great, but I'd have to get 4 inches taken from the chest and a bit off the shoulders.
The 36L couldnt poissibly give another 4 inches in the chest, could it?

...
Basically I'm wondering what size would be best to have altered to my size convincingly. Any ideas?
Also - how much do you think this alteration would cost me to have it done professionally?

Thanks,
Paul

If the 42 has the length in the sleeves (and that depends entirely on whether it has the length in the sleeves: you'll have to look, or get someone who knows what to look for to look), it can probably be made to work. I'd suspect that the others are hopeless. But without seeing one, i don't know. But four inches is a lot to take a jacket in, and enough that you have to worry about shoulder widths, and other complications.

[Paul]

I phoned a reputable tailor in Glasgow today. She said 2 inches isn't a problem at all... it may not need more than a couple of seams also. The price she gave is £15 for the chest seam and £5 per additional seam. I may need the shoulders and waist taken in a bit, but even then the jacket is still a bargain!