Functional button fail, and mitigating it

[DrBenji]

The JCP grey wool blazer is legit, and it looks great off the rack, fantastic material. But like any jacket, it's going to need sleeve alterations. Which brings us to the functional button problem. Why, first of all? Second of all, is the only solution to lengthening the sleeve to add a button? Anyone done it before, and know approximately what it costs?

[kbrown]

Adding a button is cheap. If the sleeves can be lengthened enough, it'll probably be fine.


If you need to shorten it, on the other hand, you're generally screwed.

[tomservo]

You can shorten from the shoulder. There may even be some fabric to let out there. But on a JCP item, I'd doubt it. Just make sure you get a good tailor looking at it.

[Fred G. Unn]

Shortening from the shoulder is quite difficult to have done correctly. A good experienced tailor can do it, but you'd be looking at a tailoring bill that would be about the price of the JCP jacket. As kbrown said, lengthening is easy enough provided there is material inside the sleeve. You can feel this yourself with your fingers and see how much extra is under the lining. Buttons themselves are cheap. If you want to add a new buttonhole and keep them functioning, be sure to specify that to your tailor. A really good tailor can do this by hand. The woman I've been using for all my jackets with basted sleeves charges about $10 a button create handmade buttonholes. Expensive but pretty cool. Buttonholes on a machine are obviously much cheaper.


Before you cut the tags off, I'd take it to your tailor. If it's too expensive to fix you can just return it.

[jordan]

You guys must have outrageous tailors. I think mine did a fine job, despite not really speaking great english. He took one of my blazers up at the shoulders and it cost 40$ (for both arms) compared to 20$ if he takes it up at the wrist. More expensive, but not enough to mean a nice jacket becomes a throw-away because of it.