Is it possible to have a sports jacket / blazer shortened?

October 1, 2008 5:14 PM

Is it possible to have a sports jacket / blazer shortened?

I bought an off-the-rack sports jacket on sale from a fairly decent mid-end store (think Banana Republic or J Crew). The jacket's shoulders and waist fit perfectly but it's a little long (it falls about 6 inches from the knees). Is it possible to have the jacket shortened? Is it worth-it given the fact that the jacket retails for $300 and I got it about half-off?

posted by phyrewerx to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (5 answers total)

Best answer: It's possible. But guess what- it's going to cost you about $150 - $200 if you have it done right- at a proper tailor shop.
posted by Zambrano at 5:20 PM on October 1, 2008

That's going to be really expensive. But yes, it can certainly be done. Take it around to a bunch of gentleman's tailors and get quotes.
posted by turgid dahlia at 5:39 PM on October 1, 2008

Best answer: The whole arrangement of the jacket (collar, buttonholes, pockets, etc.) is connected to the length. If you shorten it, it will look like a shortened jacket.

Jacket lengths vary, even within major size categories (Short, Regular, Long), so you can find jackets that are a better fit. Ultimately, though, it's problems like this that define the difference between an off-the-rack jacket, and something made just for you.
posted by bingo at 5:56 PM on October 1, 2008

How much shorter? An inch or two is easy and your local dry cleaner can probably do it for far less than a tailor, but you know you get what you pay for.
posted by caddis at 6:20 PM on October 1, 2008

Response by poster: Follow-up I had a tailor shorten the jacket. It sleeves cost $25, while the jacket itself was $50. Thanks for everyone's help!
posted by phyrewerx at 6:34 PM on November 2, 2008