# How can I have a leather jacket's sleeves shortened



## Casablanca (Apr 16, 2007)

I own an imitation leather jacket and it's sleeves are a little long. I've been thinking of buying a real leather jacket, but several of the ones I've tried on in the store are also too long in the sleeves. My arms are on the short side and I usually have to buy the shortest shirt sleeve length or have my shirts/sweaters altered. Is there a place I could take a leather or imitation leather jacket to have the sleeves shortened? I'm not sure if a typical leather repair shop would work.


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## Lowndes (Feb 25, 2008)

I tried to get something done to my leather jacket once and the tailor told me they couldn't do anything to the leather such as what you are describing. Maybe I just had a bad tailor though.


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## Wizard (Feb 29, 2008)

My tailor told me that his equipment is unable to handle the heavy leather but that he could fit me there and then send it to a leather shop he works with for the actual stitching.


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## jamgood (Feb 8, 2006)

Don't bother with pleather.

It depends on how the sleeve ends are finished. If there is complicated sewing you might need a specialiste. Poke around to find a leather worker in the area. If there's a Tandy leather dealer near ask them. If the ends are simply finished by turning the leather under and the sleeve lining sewn into the leather it could be a relatively simple operation. The turn-under may be held in place by not much more than something similar to rubber cement. That could be separated by hand, shortened and re-glued. Then the lining basted back into the top layer of the skin.

A sewn on cuff would be much more complicated. Sleeve taper would complicate it moreso.

I ain't no tailor and I've personallly shortened the sleeve ends of a Willlis&Geiger goatskin flight jacket with rack knit cuffs. Not as good as the original make, but not bad.

The question is too non-specific, too general. Depends. How's that for a non-specific answer?


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

any leather shop should be able to do this. few tailors care to handle leather.


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## rssmsvc (Aug 5, 2004)

I purchased 2 coats last winter and the Brooks Brothers Tailor was able to shorten them but they had to send away for 2 weeks somewhere in NY. 

Also, there is a guy in Chicago who specializes in reweaving but also does leather work like this, I think he was mentioned on Will's blog.


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## chatsworth osborne jr. (Feb 2, 2008)

*want a pre-shortened black Schott car coat?*

I've had it done. It was a mom and pop shoe repair/alterations place, so I'm not sure which side of the store handled it, but it was $30-40 if I recall correctly. Stitching isn't the straightest.

SchottNYC will do custom modifications so that everything is still factory quality.


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## Bob Loblaw (Mar 9, 2006)

By an imitation tailor.


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## gnatty8 (Nov 7, 2006)

I bought a cognac colored Zegna leather coat last year, and had the sleeves shortened at least 3 inches.. Turned out fine. Some tailors won't want to mess with leather, so you may need to look, but it should not be too hard to find someone who can do it. Maybe take the pleather coat to them first as a test before you have them do anything with the genuine article..


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## 14395 (Mar 10, 2004)

Casablanca said:


> I own an imitation leather jacket and it's sleeves are a little long. I've been thinking of buying a real leather jacket, but several of the ones I've tried on in the store are also too long in the sleeves. My arms are on the short side and I usually have to buy the shortest shirt sleeve length or have my shirts/sweaters altered. Is there a place I could take a leather or imitation leather jacket to have the sleeves shortened? I'm not sure if a typical leather repair shop would work.


You are from Texas. Has to be lots of western wear stores.
Look in the yellow pages. Ask where they get their repairs/alterations
done. A store that sells or makes leather vests, jackets. coats and 
possibly skirts for ladies must do alterations and have the proper sewing
equipment.


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## JerseyJohn (Oct 26, 2007)

I bought one at my local Lord and Taylor, and the in-house alterations guy had no problem with it. I'd just ask around.


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