Q&A for How to Shorten Jacket Sleeves

When I'm shortening sleeves, I typically leave about 2 inches of seam allowance inside the sleeve and the lining. That way, the sleeves can be lengthened again later if they need to be, which is especially helpful if the alteration is for someone young.

If you shorten the sleeve past the point where the interfacing is, you'll need to add interfacing. If the edge of a sleeve isn't interfaced, it will look floppy, rather than crisp.

The lining of a sleeve should always be about an inch longer than it needs to be. Otherwise, when you move around, your sleeve will crumple up, because the lining will pull on the sleeve.

If you have it done professionally, it may cost you around $40, although some tailors will charge more or less. If you have access to a sewing machine and a few other basic supplies (such as thread, fabric scissors, and pins), you can do it yourself for almost nothing!

In general, the end of the sleeve should hit right about at your wrist bone, and about a half inch of your shirt sleeve should be visible underneath.

If your jacket has cuffs, you’ll need to use a seam ripper to unpick the seams of the cuffs. Remove any buttons from the cuffs and set them aside. Mark out where you want the new end of the sleeve to be above the original cuff line, then cut off the excess fabric. You’ll need to refinish the cuff before attaching it back to the sleeve.

Look at a jacket that has buttons placed on the side of the sleeve. Measure the distance and adapt to your jacket.