# Armholes too low- is tailoring practical?



## Dolman (Feb 27, 2003)

I just bought a sport coat for a very nice price, and it's off being slightly tailored right now (sleeve length).

My only issue with the coat was that when I raised my arms even somewhat, the whole side would lift up, and the shoulder (pad?) would bunch up.

I find this very unattractive and even a little cumbersome to move in, but my tailor brushed it off.

"Jackets weren't made for a lot of movement, and all of them are like that"

The effect is like this:

https://regent.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341ca4b653ef010536e49798970b-800wi

Am I alone in thinking this is a problem?

And more importantly, can the jacket be altered to fit better?

(the sport coat is wool and black in color)


----------



## Scoundrel (Oct 30, 2007)

Is a suit that has full fitting sleeves in need of alteration? I should think not! In the readymade industry, "high arm holes" simply means the sleeves are tailored so they have a tapered look/feel. Thus, the tapering of a suit is based on personal preference. IIRC, a fuller fitting suit's sleeves cannot be tapered all the way. I recommend you leave the suit as is.


----------



## Scoundrel (Oct 30, 2007)

In the picture provided, he looks like he's wearing a suit that is too big for him (e.g., the shoulders are too wide). The issue is with the wrong suit size.


----------



## SeptemberSun (Aug 19, 2009)

This might help - for years I wore suit coats and blazers that were too big for me and I never noticed this problem. After going to several tailors and finding suit jackets that 'fit appropriately' I've found this same issue you are referring to. In the end I've decided to just deal with it...


----------



## amplifiedheat (Jun 9, 2008)

Scoundrel said:


> In the picture provided, he looks like he's wearing a suit that is too big for him (e.g., the shoulders are too wide). The issue is with the wrong suit size.


I believe that's a topcoat.


----------



## Ethologist (Sep 30, 2008)

Scoundrel said:


> In the picture provided, he looks like he's wearing a suit that is too big for him (e.g., the shoulders are too wide). The issue is with the wrong suit size.


Could it be that presidents must wear some type of bullet proof vest? But I guess, the suit could be tailored to remedy this problem.


----------



## flatline (Dec 22, 2008)

Scoundrel said:


> In the picture provided, he looks like he's wearing a suit that is too big for him (e.g., the shoulders are too wide). The issue is with the wrong suit size.


To be fair, that picture of president Obama is an overcoat, _not_ a suit.


----------



## Rowley (Jan 18, 2010)

Dolman said:


> I just bought a sport coat for a very nice price, and it's off being slightly tailored right now (sleeve length).
> 
> My only issue with the coat was that when I raised my arms even somewhat, the whole side would lift up, and the shoulder (pad?) would bunch up.
> 
> ...


If you are referring to the area under the armpit that bothers you it is due to a large armhole. You cannot alter that. As pointed out above the shoulder width of that jacket may be too large for you and that could be altered but would be major surgery.


----------



## Dolman (Feb 27, 2003)

***
Yes, it's an overcoat. It is there strictly to help describe the problem I'm having.
***



Scoundrel: I'm not understanding what your saying, and I think possibly visa versa.

The sport coat has a nice shoulder fit on me. The armholes are simply so big, (or low, maybe both), that I am having problems moving around.

The picture of Pres. Obama: Do you see how the armhole seam is like 5 inches away from his actual arm pit?!


----------



## oroy38 (Nov 11, 2009)

Low Armholes are prevalent mainly in lower-end menswear. You'll notice that lines like RL Black Label, Purple Label, even Blue Label, as well as Kiton, Brioni, and Oxxford (and so on and so forth) will have much higher armholes. I'm not sure why more lower-end menswear companies don't have higher armholes, but for the most part, they do.

To my knowledge, this cannot really be altered.


----------



## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Can't be changed, but higher armholes were the standard even down to lower-end coats half a century ago.


----------



## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

here is more info.
go to search ask for "the high armhole". scroll down to that title. its dated 10/24/06.


----------



## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

If, while wearing the jacket, you can reach under the arms and pinch the side seams and get an inch or so of excess fabric without wrinkling or pulling the front or rear of the coat, then you can get higher armholes. Here's how it's done:

The tailor cuts the bottom half of the sleevehead loose from the jacket. He then takes in the sides, above the waist, 1-2" equally on both sides. This reduces the circumference of the arm hole, effectively 'raising' it. The sleeve head is correspondingly tightened at the under seam and reattached at the bottom. A tailor may balk at doing this or it may be very expensive. With a needle, thread and a razor blade this would take me about 3-4 hours, a great deal of that time spent in getting the measurements precise. I am not a tailor, so I am slow, but I am pretty good. ​


----------



## Dolman (Feb 27, 2003)

Ok, looks like I'll have to live with it.

Thanks guys!


----------



## Scoundrel (Oct 30, 2007)

Sorry!


----------



## Dandy (Aug 7, 2008)

oroy38 said:


> Low Armholes are prevalent mainly in lower-end menswear. You'll notice that lines like RL Black Label, Purple Label, even Blue Label, as well as Kiton, Brioni, and Oxxford (and so on and so forth) will have much higher armholes. I'm not sure why more lower-end menswear companies don't have higher armholes, but for the most part, they do.
> 
> To my knowledge, this cannot really be altered.


not necessarily: if you a lower end European brand, such as H&M or Zara, most of their armholes are too high!


----------

