Sleeve length?

[Piobair]

So for the first time in many years, I decided to have a tweed jacket and waistcoat tailored by a firm that, while not known for jackets, has a reputable bespoke tailoring service and is very well-known for highlandwear accessories. I was happy with the communication and customer support, and the finished garments looks great. That said, upon looking at a photo of the jacket after it made its first outing, I noticed that the sleeves were a little on the short side, shorter even than the bottom of the jacket by maybe a quarter inch. I'm not sure if it makes sense to go through the bother of having the sleeves lengthened or the jacket shortened (I feel like kilt jackets tend to be short as it is), but I have never owned a kilt jacket that was longer than the sleeves. Any thoughts?

[Holcombe Thomas]

Are the sleeves the proper length for your arms and the shirt sleeves you will wear with the jacket? If so, no worries.

Were it me, I wouldn't worry about the sleeve length vs. jacket length.

Holcombe

[The Wizard of BC]

Jacket sleeve length is one of those personal preference things. If you are an older guy like me, or you spent time in the military you probably wear your jacket sleeves so that no shirt cuff shows when your arm is down. This should not be so long that there is a visible pucker to the sleeve. This length will have the cufflink just peek out from the jacket sleeve when you raise your arm to shoulder height.

Many younger guys prefer the jacket sleeve length to be shorter. So between 1 and two inches of shirt cuff show when the arm is down and the entire shirt cuff exposed when the arm is raised to shoulder height.

The body of the jacket should be about the hip line or about the same place as the bottom of the Fell area.

So, depending on where you like your jacket sleeve and the length of your arms the jacket sleeve could be anywhere from about four inches below the bottom of the jacket to about an inch higher than the bottom of the jacket.

This is just one of those style things.



Sort of like the length of a vest. I was taught that the bottom of the vest should cover the entire waistband of trousers. But as trousers have become worn lower and lower it is now quite common to see shirt in the 'v' of the vest.
The same length would apply to kilts. I wear my kilts higher than many younger guys so i do not see any shirt at the bottom of the vest. And yet my vests are shorter than most vests you see today.

And a little know trivia point. If your vest is straight across the bottom - the bottom should be the same length as one with points. I was taught that the points are to represent the undone bottom button. So if your vest was straight across you left the bottom button undone and if your vest has the open 'points' it was already 'unbuttoned' so you did all the buttons.
I even have one vest with a button on the open points and it cannot be buttoned.

[

[KiltedSergeant]

And a little know trivia point. If your vest is straight across the bottom - the bottom should be the same length as one with points. I was taught that the points are to represent the undone bottom button. So if your vest was straight across you left the bottom button undone and if your vest has the open 'points' it was already 'unbuttoned' so you did all the buttons.
I even have one vest with a button on the open points and it cannot be buttoned.

[

I would say this depends on how low the pointed vest comes down in the front. Just today I took a pointed vest to a tailor to get it modified to straight across the bottom, to go with my Sheriffmuir. In its original state, it came so low as to interfere with my sporran. If that one had been already straight across the bottom, it would have been seriously too long.

[The Wizard of BC]

As I said in my post the vest length is variable. I wear mine shorter than some. But most that I see today are too long as they are trying to cover the shirt with trousers worn low.

Jackets and Vests are usually sold by chest size with a very basic Short-Medium-Long body length. This is based on some 'standard' set by the company making it and is quite different among manufacturers.
This 'standard' is also based on trousers. Even kilt jackets use measurements based on a model wearing trousers as that is how most tailors are taught.

So to get a well fitting jacket and vest you would need to know more than just the chest circumference.

In general, to get a well fitting jacket and vest you will need -

Chest circumference (Taken up, under the arm pits with the arms at the sides)
Waist circumference (Taken at the largest part not the natural waist and again at the natural waist if different)
Half Back (From the spine to the shoulder seam about 8 inches down from the collar)
Crown/Cuff (Taken from the top of the sleeve seam to where the customer wishes to wear his cuff)
Back Full Length (Taken from just below the collar to the bottom of the Fell)
Back Half Length (Taken from just below the collar to the natural waist)

And Vest Back Length (take from just below the collar to the top of the waistband)

I find that most vest made to go with kilt jackets to be cut far too long. I happen to fit exactly into a 44 Regular length jacket but when I order my own vests I order them shorter than the 'standard'. i.e. if I order a Regular length jacket I order a short length vest.