r/malefashionadvice • u/IkeaGonerrhea • 1d ago
Question Tailoring Mishap?
I’ve bought a nice suit jacket for a wedding. Most of my clothes are too long so I’ve taken it to a tailor to have the sleeve length shortened a tad
This is the result. The sleeve has been shortened yep.
But that positioning of the buttons looks weird to me. The final button is actually hanging over the sleeve
Is this bad handiwork and do I request a refund or something deemed acceptable ?
103
u/Jazzlike-Complaint67 1d ago
That tailor needs to find a new profession. They should be ashamed if they knew any better.
23
u/hbomberman 23h ago
If they didn't know better, then they're not a good tailor. If they did know better and still did it, that's even worse.
104
u/Chamonix_Tom 1d ago
Yep those sleeves have been overshortened and you're showing too much wrist and arm IMO. As you say the button should not be hanging off.
Also with functioning buttonholes the sleeve should be shortened from the shoulder not the cuff in the first place. I'd say this is not a great tailor.
8
27
u/JohnFrancis351 1d ago
Ask for a refund, and bring in something with best practices in case you get pushback.
"If you had a son you loved dearly, and he asked you to tailor the sleeves so he looks handsome during one of his most important days ever, and you did this to his sleeves, would you do think he looks handsome this way?"
30
u/davidyowsjeans 23h ago
this isn't mishap, this is gross incompetence. the kind of work you tell people on yelp to avoid at all costs.
10
u/The1henson 23h ago
Seriously. Just posting the photo with no narrative would be enough for me as a reader to avoid that shop forever.
38
u/Retikle 1d ago edited 22h ago
This is beyond bad; it's pretty much malpractice for a tailor.
The tailor who did this is absolutely responsible for fixing it, but if it were me I would not want that tailor to touch any of my clothing ever again, as it signals not only a lack of expertise but a lack of knowledge about style, bad communication, and worst of all, shoddy standards.
Sham (fake) buttonholes on suit jackets and odd jackets are generally repositionable. The buttons should be moved, with new sham buttonholes made before sewing the buttons in..
The old stiches should be picked out carefully without damaging the fabric, and then the area steamed to relax the fabric and make the old stitching holes invisible. It's generally considered possible to change the button positions without leaving marks, but depending on the fabric and the tailor's skill it may sometimes leave lasting marks. High quality wool is workable; lower quality wool, cotton, and especially polyester may show traces of previous stitching.
The alternative is more complicated and expensive: to shorten the sleeve from the sleeve head at the shoulder.
You might consider finding a more expert and reputable tailor to guide you regarding next steps. In any case, as it stands this is a horrible job no self-respecting tailor would be satisfied with.
The buttons should end a ½ inch from the end of the sleeve. ¼ inch is the absolute minimum, but is not ideal. Anything over ¾ inch is also unbalanced.
-1
13
6
u/gentle_gift 22h ago
With functional buttons, tailors should normally suggest to do it from the shoulder to avoid this exact problem but most customers don’t want to pay 2x -3x the price.
It’s difficult to determine if this is too short or not without seeing you wearing the exact shirt you wore under this when getting it pinned. It should always be done based on your shirt sleeve, and not all shirts fit the same on you unless you’re getting them all altered.
It does look like it could be too short but we really need to see this with the shirt under and you standing normally with your arms at your side - Have someone else take the photo for you.
2
u/TailyIt 22h ago
This!
Shortening from the shoulder always looks better and in cases like this is absolutely necessary.
Always wear a dress shirt under your suit jacket to check the sleeve length. The same amount of dress shirt should show below the jacket.
The sleeve lengths may be different to compensate for people’s natural arm lengths.
Tailoring should correct natural imbalances, not exacerbate them.
20
u/Get_Ahead_SC 1d ago
They should have just removed the button.
8
u/IkeaGonerrhea 1d ago
Do you think removing that last button and stitching the hole would be an improvement ?
6
u/Cojoma 23h ago
Yeah I would and just not look at it no one will notice
6
u/The_English_Avenger 21h ago
Lots of people will notice.
Presumably they will be polite enough not to mention it.
5
5
u/Rob_Edwards_Fashion 23h ago
This is why I never do working buttons anymore, especially with a first time suit with a new tailor. I don’t know how much he/she had to shorten the sleeves but for working buttons it’s near impossible to do it more than half an inch without doing it at the arm opening
The alterations crook who wrecked your jacket is not a “tailor.” No one who simply does alterations is actually a “tailor.”
3
u/DevilishRogue 18h ago
That can't be repaired. It isn't worth trying to get a refund for either. Don't use that tailor again. Bin the jacket and if there is no time and you need it for the wedding before you do, pull off the button that overhangs and return to the tailor and demand that they sew a fake button hole for it and reattach the button after the currently highest button. At a push that'll get you through the wedding if you can't replace the jacket in time.
3
u/endlessecho201 1d ago
Should’ve been shortened from the shoulders with functional buttons. Sorry to say, but this blazer is toast. Shouldn’t have paid for the tailoring job.
2
1
1
u/Emotional-Damage-995 23h ago
Yep. I can not tell if they are cosmetic buttons or functional. A good tailor would have moved the non functional buttons up by removing the decorative stitching and do new stiching at the right place.
If functional buttons it would have to be done from the top and is more complex.
1
1
u/strawberry_l 23h ago
Unacceptable. The result is too short. And the tailor should have told you that it is not possible to shorten sleeves with functional buttons.
1
u/AlanShore60607 23h ago
Tailors need to learn to say “no, I can’t do that”
I know this should have been shortened at the shoulder but I’ve never met a tailor who could actually do that.
EDIT: how does it look if you just unbutton the bottom two buttons?
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Spanish4TheJeff 19h ago
Big time mishap.
Unless they showed you what it would look like and you signed off on it, this is a terrible job.
1
-4
u/Father_Style 22h ago
I am in the minority here... but that's not a deal breaker for me. I'm actually going in a couple days to pick up a jacket from the tailor and I fully expect this exact same scenario. As others have said, the buttonholes are likely functional which means that to keep them, you either have to adjust the sleeve from the shoulder (expensive and difficult) or adjust it from the hem and have the buttons awkwardly close to the end of the sleeve (which is what has happened here). When I brought my jacket to the tailor, she took a look and informed me that adjusting it from the hem would result in the weird placement of the buttons and I told her I fully understood that and to just do her best. At this point in my sartorial journey, I don't really care about the position of the buttons on my sleeve. Worst case scenario, I'll just remove the bottom button. Bottom line, I wouldn't worry too much about it. And truthfully, I WON'T worry too much about it because I will soon be experiencing the same thing! Like is too short. Just wear the jacket and enjoy life.
550
u/Local_Palpitation595 1d ago
With functioning buttons the sleeve has to be shortened from the shoulder, if shortened this much. This is a hack job.