Jacket modification question.

[hutch--]

I am a fan of "retro" clothing for the normal reasons, they are usually well made, its out of current style so it never goes out of style, its a Harris Tweed pure wool jacket that is almost a good fit but its designed for someone with a bit bigger girth that I am. My question for someone who is versed in jacket design and modification  is related to the viability of modifying it by moving the front buttons about 2 inches to get the waistline about right. Looking at its construction there is no way I would want to try and modify the side seams as its fullly lined and the inner pockets are sewn through the lining.


This is the label inside the jacket to certify that it is made of Harris Tweed.


This is the front view of the jacket without the front buttoned up.


This photo shows where the 2 buttons are which is fortunately very close to waist height.

What I had in mind was removing the two front buttons, they are a leather finished button with a rear loop, and placing them about 2 inches to the left and narrowing the waist in the simplest manner I can think of. Generally the jacket fits OK, shoulder slope is a bit high for my square shoulders but it fits well enough, sleeve length is fine and its wide enough across the shoulders so that I don't tear out the sleeve seams. About the only complaint is the Scottish wool from the island is a bit scratchy so it will need to worn with a collar.

Any advice here would be appreciated.

[Henry Hall]

Well you'll get an unbalanced overlap because you can't reposition the buttonholes. So it effectively only pulls in one side and if the fronts are centred, the centre back seam will be two inches to one side, and the sidebody seams of one side too.

The jacket being fully lined is no obstacle to dealing with the seams. The inner pockets play no role in this alteration.

[Greger]

One method that works up to a certain point is to make the thread shanks longer. A little less than showing for max.

[Schneiderfrei]

Hi greger,  What are thread shanks please?

[Henry Hall]

One method that works up to a certain point is to make the thread shanks longer. A little less than showing for max.

That would make the coat even bigger!

[Henry Hall]

Hi greger,  What are thread shanks please?

The 'necks' of thread attaching the buttons.

[jruley]

OK, so you need to reduce the waist circumference by 2".  Here's a suggestion (no doubt the professionals will have better ones):

First, try pinning the excess out of the side seams at waist level.  Assuming this works, and doesn't cause other issues, you could do the following:

- Carefully open the side seams of the lining

- Rip open the side seams of the jacket from about 2" below the armscye to about 2" from the hem

- Re-sew, but take deeper seams, graduating from the original seam allowance at top to 1/2" more at waist level, then back out to the original amount at bottom

- Press seams thoroughly

- Re-sew the lining seams by hand.  You could graduate these as well or accept a little excess material on the inside of the garment.

This assumes the jacket has side seams under the arm running all the way from scye to hem.  If these end at the pocket, I'm sure a more complicated procedure is involved.

Hope this is helpful.

[posaune]

What Jime wrote is the way to do it. 5 cm is a bit much for replacing the buttons.
I would measure the hip to see how much there is which can be removed too.
lg posaune

[Henry Hall]

Except that it's probably far easier to sew the new seams before opening the existing ones. And perhaps taking a small excess from all four seams (side body to back and side body to front) rather than just the entire excess from one set of seams. Assuming it has a side body?

Taking it all out at the rear side seams makes for an overly narrow back, when in fact it is the fronts that usually have the excess. A narrowed back can cause the vents to pull open. In an unfinished jacket you can just trim the front parts after a fitting, whereas in a finished coat that can't be done.

Also stretch the newly suppressed seams before closing the lining.

[spookietoo]

Hutch - its such a nice jacket and such a good basic color, I would go thru the trouble of doing proper alterations. Try taking photos of yourself to see how best to take up the excess while maintaining the balance.

The VERY first thing you need to do is get it off of the silly wire hanger. Its making divots in the shoulders already.!

[jruley]

...shoulder slope is a bit high for my square shoulders but it fits well enough...

I wonder if there is a simple alteration for this too?  How much padding is in the shoulders?  If you removed some, would the jacket fit better?

[hutch--]

 

Hi Spookie,

> The VERY first thing you need to do is get it off of the silly wire hanger. Its making divots in the shoulders already.!

It was only hung on it for a few minutes to take the photos, its just that I don't have any more jacket coat hangers left.

To everyone, thanks for your advice, after reading it all I am going to take it down to the tailor who lives near me and ask his advice about the fit. A friend of mine had a look at it while I was wearing it last night and said it should not be taken in. I have only been wearing a T shirt under it where if you were wearing a shirt, vest and a jumper you would need the extra room.

[Henry Hall]

Maybe your friend has a point. All my colder weather coats are slightly larger than the ones I wear in better weather with just a shirt. Enough room for thicker jumper if needed.

[spookietoo]

Hutch, A skilled IRL opinion sounds great and if no alterations are required, its an even better find. Good luck and let us know what the tailor says.

[hutch--]

I took the coat down to Peter Argy today, he had a look at the fit, pinned it up from the back as he thought it was for someone who was somewhere more portly than I am and got it to fit really well so I put the bite on him to do it as it involved work of a type that I don't know enough about to do. He said you could get away with shifting the buttons if it was a cheapie but said you would not ruin a Harris Tweed coat by taking shortcuts.

He has an old fella, a tailor in his 80s who comes in on a regular basis who he will get to do the mod as he is a genuine old style tailor who is good at all the handwork, especially opening and modifying the lining so I will get a good result. I was right about the age from its style, early 1970s and it has no visible signs of wear and its basically a no frills classic design so I will get some decent life out of it. I know when he likes something because he fits the same size coat that I do, I am just taller than he is and he said he would buy it for himself if I wanted to part with it.