Should I lengthen my sleeves?

Flash Gordon · Post by **Flash Gordon** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 10:15 pm

Of course, it's easier than shortening my arms. But, while the sleeves on my Wested Raiders are exactly the length that I ordered, I've thought for a long time that they're a little too short. I should have ordered them a little longer.

I took the jacket to a dry cleaners/tailors which advertises they do alterations on leather. They said there was enough material in the hem to lengthen them an inch, which is just about what I want. Now, what do you guys think? Should I do it? Has anyone else had their sleeves lengthened? Does it leave a mark where the old hem was?

The sleeves are okay when my arms are at my sides, but when I drive, or reach for something, they ride up halfway to my elbow. ( It's an especially attractive look with a short-sleeved shirt.)

What should I do, short of sending the jacket back to Peter for such a niggling point?

Post by **Ken** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 12:00 am

If you are going to get anything major done to the jacket my advice would be to send it to Peter. The only work I ever had done to a Wested was to have a tear stitched and having the surplus length of the side straps removed. I was anxious enough about both of those beleive me. Anything major, Peter is your man.

Ken

Mr. Das · Post by **Mr. Das** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 12:15 am

If it's halfway to your elbow, then it's too short. My sleeve only goes a couple inches from the wrist, but I may consider lengthening it as well.

IndianaJames · Post by **IndianaJames** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 12:56 am

I would lengthen them, and do it locally. For me, it would be too much cost, and too much trouble to send it all the way back to Peter just for the sleeves.....but thats just me!

Indy J

ob1al · Post by **ob1al** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 4:41 am

I think I would be tempted to do it locally. Looking at the construction, it shouldn't be too hard and no one ever sees inside there anyway

rick5150 · Post by **rick5150** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 5:50 am

The sleeves are okay when my arms are at my sides, but when I drive, or reach for something, they ride up halfway to my elbow. ( It's an especially attractive look with a short-sleeved shirt.)

I have to assume you are exaggerating about the "halfway" to your elbow. I have read these posts for years and it is a common complaint/question.

My opinion is that if the sleeves are okay in normal situations, then the sleeves are okay. You generally notice this ride-up due to the open barrel cuffs. It is not as noticable on jackets with elastic cuffs, snap cuffs or fabric cuffs (like an A-2, etc.) because they are either held tight at the wrists and the extra material that bunches at the elbows is stretched out or the fabric cuffs will bunch and unbunch.

Keep in mind if you like the length under normal conditions, and adjust the sleeves only for driving, they will be too long in non-driving conditions. It would drive me crazy to have my sleeves an inch too long.

Some quick fixes are to wear a nice long sleeve shirt like the Noel Howard Raider's shirt while driving or sit closer to the steering wheel.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 9:28 am

Another thing to keep in mind... don't know how new your jacket is, but there will most likely be a mark where the "old" sleeve length was. There will be no visible mark where the hem was as you worried, but there may be a mark where the leather was turned under at the end of the sleeve. Keep in mind also that Peter uses a "glue" of some sort to keep the leathers together at the end and whomever you use to do your lenghtening will have to as well. I had some shortend years ago by my now wife, and there was alwasy an uneven sleeve end as they weren't "glued" back together.

I'm using glue here in quotation marks because I'm not sure what the adhesive material is... be it glue or a tape of some sort.

Mike

Dakota Ellison · Post by **Dakota Ellison** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:57 am

It's like rubber cement. At least that's what I used after reading _'s little tutorial about shortening the sleeves way back on the Indyfan forum. If there's been no distressing, I would guess one could rub the glue off and somehow press the crease out of the original fold with out it showing afterwards. Perhaps get it wet and use a cold iron to weight it til dry.

Michigan Smith · Post by **Michigan Smith** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:02 am

I restitched the inside seams on both the cuffs of my Wested as they were getting loose. No problem, easy to do at home or for a local tailor. I also lengthened the sleeves 1" on my US Wings myself. You will have a crease where the leather was originally folded under the cuff, no way around it. Use a wallpaper seam roller and dampen the leather to press it out best you can, but it will still be there. The leather has been stretched by being folded, and I have yet to find a way to shrink leather controllably. On my USW Vintage Cow it is not too objectionable though, barely noticeable. Both jackets had the cuff fold back glued with rubbery type glue, easy to get off and easy to replace/reglue.