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Faking fit? Pics added

kerry

Veteran

How do you all feel about faking fit? I'm having so much trouble finding blazers to fit in the sleeves - they are all too long. I buy petite to get the shorter length but it's still not short enough. I have one blazer with no embellishments at the cuff that I had hemmed but these types of blazers are hard to find. I have 2 blazers that I ordered from BR that I really like but they are each 1-1.5 inches too long. Can I just roll the sleeves to fake the fit or should I keep on looking? I already started a thread about shortening at the shoulder but that looks like it might be a huge problem to do.

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Shopping

18 replies

Latest reply was from shoppingisfun

Day Vies

Veteran

Roll & scrunch those sleeves! I have no problems with faking fit especially with jackets. I've done it myself I have short arms and a short torso but I am average height.

Anonymous

Roll and scrunch for sure!

shiny

Veteran

If you're near a BR store, they'll do alterations like this for free.

Can we see a pic? Sometimes the length is just right but we're used to shorter and it's our eye that needs to adjust.

Otherwise, you could focus on tops and toppers that have tapered sleeves. I find these are much more forgiving and even look better at a longer length. Sometimes, I find it's not that the sleeve is too long, it's too wide. Unfortunately I'll figure this out after I've had it shortened. Grr.

Can you find a good tailor near your house? For simpler alterations, lots of dry cleaners can do that. And it doesn't cost all that much either.

That said I do have a preference for jackets with an interesting lining, because that means I can roll or cuff the sleeve and it looks totally intentional.

Gigi

Veteran

Kelly at Alterations Needed (a petite blog) is always faking fits. She has several blog entries on items where she has done so, if I remember right. She likes to scrunch the sleeves when they're too long. If you really like the blazer, by all means, fake the fit!

kerry

Veteran

Thanks for the support! Shiny, I've emailed BR about alterations (waiting to hear). Thanks for that tip.

Gigi, I JUST read Kelly's blog before I posted this - thus the title "faking fit"!

I'll try to post pictures tomorrow ...

DonnaF

Veteran

I think BR's sleeves run long. I've found shorter sleeve lengths elsewhere. I tend to run cold, so I always want to option to push the sleeves down and button up, even if I scrunch and don't button 75% of the time. I believe I tend to be in the minority, but I probably run colder than most women.

If something were a TDF deal and otherwise perfect, I might buy with too long sleeves.

Sarah A

Veteran

Unless you need to wear the blazer in a very conservative environment i would scrunch or roll the sleeves and not give a second thought.

kerry

Veteran

I've added pictures. Excuse my head being lopped off! I'm looking for any fit suggestions/issues you see. Thanks!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

You are so pretty, Kerry. You look so lovely in the colours of those jackets. And your house looks gorgeous, too.

Some people might actually consider the navy sleeve to be just fine. It would feel a bit long to me. I think the other problem with both of these is that the sleeves look on the wide side, so that makes it tricky to scrunch -- although I had a jacket with wide sleeves that I just habitually wore above my elbow. It was a sort of rakish effect that I liked but it probably wouldn't work for an office.

Are these jackets in petite sizing? If not, try with the petites.

Are they real buttonholes with working buttons? I assume so, or the problem wouldn't be as extreme.

You might also try sizing down in the jackets by one size (if you can). There does look to be a bit of extra fabric in the upper chest/ arm area and even the shoulder on the pink one looks as if it might be a smidgen too big, although it's tough to say.

If these are already in petite sizes and you can't size down any further, then you might just be a poor fit with BR. In that case, time to start looking elsewhere. It's really frustrating, I know. I really, really want a Theory blazer but the sleeve length doesn't work for me. I have good luck at Zara with length (sizing up one from my regular size.)

shiny

Veteran

Awesome... gorgeous jackets!

I'll be curious what others & Angie say is the proper length, because BR & AT jackets tend to fit me just like this too. But I rarely bother with shortening because if there's anything worse than sleeves that are too long, it's sleeves that are too short. Too short = at the wrist. Which is what over-zealous tailors tend to do. Ideal, in my own humble opinion, is just a little longer, to base of the thumb.

I don't know why it's not on the site but this weekend I bought a black BR two-button blazer that has totally cute striped lining that shows when you cuff the sleeve, and also a lining under the collar so you can flip it and it shows. It may be the one listed as "coming soon" but the photos aren't showing these details.

April

Veteran

Exactly what Shiny said just above. An overly zealous tailor will make your sleeves the "correct" length (for men, whose cuffs are supposed to peek out at the wrist) and then you'll be in the position of having to roll or scrunch.

shiny

Veteran

Yeah, and it's weird because even though some of my blazers are as long as Kerry's, somehow the cuff still peeks just right. I.e., my AT interview suit jacket is just that long on me, but when I layer the AT Legacy silk blouse under it, the blouse cuff is just a tad longer and peeks out of the sleeve just right.

Because of this, I vastly prefer to wear a long sleeve blouse under that particular jacket, rather than a shell. And it also doesn't bother me -- the sleeve doesn't feel all loose and floppy, because the cuff of the blouse is hugging my wrist underneath.

Hope that makes sense. A lot of it is "feel" more than how it looks, and yeah I get what Kerry is saying. Kerry, I recommend you try some long sleeve tops underneath before you decide about alterations.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

We've had tons of discussion about proper sleeve length here so you'll find some in the archives, too.

I like them best on indoor jackets when they cover my wrist bone but don't fall too far onto my hand, which I guess is the base of the thumb. On outdoor wear they can be longer and come as low as the first joint of the thumb.

Here's what Angie says:

Sleeve Length: I prefer jackets with longer sleeves, so I’m going to suggest three quarters of an inch over the wrist as a great length. An inch is also good. Longer than that, and things start to look ill-fitting.

On me, it's really more like half an inch (or a bit less) over the wrist bone or it looks too long. This measurement depends a bit on a person's overall proportions, I believe, and is related also to leg length.

kerry

Veteran

Ok, so both of these blazers have functioning buttons at the cuff so the only possible alteration is at the shoulder. Scary! Now that I see them in pictures, I'm thinking of trying a size down (especially the pink). Both of these are already petite. Do you think they are too long in the body? Do you think they fit ok at the shoulder?

Truthfully, I like all blazer sleeves rolled or scrunched. I think the proportion looks better to my eye on my short, plump frame.

Thanks for your input ladies. It's really helping.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

It's tough to tell the shoulder fit, Kerry. On the pink one it does look as if it might be roomy, but the only way you'll know is to try it. They may be a touch long in the body but again, that is hard to say, both due the the photo angle and not knowing how long they are supposed to fit. Also, you are barefoot (and your feet are cut off) so that messes with the proportion. Definitely try a size down and see how that feels.

DonnaF

Veteran

To my eye, both blazers look a smidge too big at the shoulders. It may be that you're between sizes. Hope you can try a size down and do the sit-down test, stretch to drive test, and the hug oneself test.

mad4mod

Bottom line, if it doesn't feel comfortable you won't end up gravitating to it and it will just hang in the closet. Try the smaller size and if that is not comfortable and or doesn't solve the issue, consider the cost of alterations before committing.

shoppingisfun

(website)

Veteran

I roll my sleeves on most of my blazers (most of them fit fine), just because I like the look of 3/4 sleeves! Also, some jackets have really cute linings. Scrunching is fine too but to me it is impractical. I have no idea if or how anyone gets blazer sleeves to stay scrunched.