Shoulders too big in your jacket: This is how the tailor ensures the perfect fit

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The most important points in a well-fitting jacket


The basis of your jacket comes down to 4 points that are most important for a well-fitting jacket:

1. Whether the collar of the jacket fits properly on the neck or not.

2. That the shoulder of the jacket fits properly on your shoulder.

3. That the jacket follows the curve of the back well.

4. The sleeve length of the jacket falls at the right point, this is classically at the wrist bone for men.

In addition to these 4 points, how tight or roomy you want the jacket to be in the side seams or the sleeve width is a matter of taste.

The width does not influence whether a jacket appears to fit well at first glance, if an oversized jacket ends well at the shoulder bone, the neck fits and the sleeve length is correct, the jacket still looks made for you instead of looking like you put on your grandfather’s oversized jacket.

In this article we will discuss point 2 in more detail.

How the shoulder of the jacket should fall on your body and how that determines the fit of your jacket


If the shoulder of the jacket is too wide, the jacket simply won't fit: See the image below.

What effect does a shoulder that is too wide have in the jacket?


The shoulder that is too wide ensures that no matter how well the jacket fits the rest of the body, the jacket will always appear too large.

How do you know if the shoulder of your jacket doesn't fit or is too big?


The body does not fill the jacket properly in the shoulders, you see that the shoulder of the jacket starts to sag at the end.

The jacket is neatly filled up to the shoulder bone and the jacket runs tightly with the shoulder, after which the extra space only creates excess fabric.

You can see this in the photos below together with the tailor's tips on how to solve this.

This is how a tailor adjusts a shoulder that is too wide

  1. To shape the shoulders of the jacket so that they end at the shoulder bone, we will separate the sleeves and sleeve lining from the jacket and remove the sleeve mustache and shoulder padding.

  2. Then we trim the shoulder at the point where we would actually want the shoulder of the jacket to stop and the sleeve to begin.

  3. This gives the armhole a different shape, which means that the sleeve head will have to be cut again so that it fits the new shape of the shoulder of the jacket.

    This is precision work for the tailor

  4. The sleeves and sleeve lining will then be stitched back to the jacket, and finally the shoulder padding and sleeve mustache will be placed correctly in the shoulder again by the tailor.

By taking in the shoulder of the jacket, the tailor automatically takes away a large part of the unnecessary fabric.

By adjusting the shoulder you immediately get a much better fit in your jacket.

The shoulder of the jacket ends neatly at the shoulder, so you no longer have, as the tailor calls it, a “falling” shoulder.

The extra space this caused across the back is now gone.

The armhole fits better to the body, so the jacket fits tighter over the back, but it retains its freedom of movement at the armpit, so you can still take a sip of your water.

As a result, the jacket as a whole fits better to the body.

Before alterations

After alterations

As you can see, the before and after is a big difference.

We can also help you improve your existing jackets and suits for a better fit.

The best option is always to have it made Bespoke, relating to your body and the points for the best fit based on your wishes are taken into account when measuring.

This always gives you a better fit in your jacket, suits and trousers.