Unusually Long or Short Arms: Adjusting a Tuxedo

A tuxedo sleeve should end at the wrist and let a short band of shirt cuff show. If your arms are unusually long, unusually short or different from each other, a ready-made jacket will almost always be wrong on at least one side. The remedy is to measure each arm separately, keep the right amount of cuff visible, and think about working cuff buttons before any cloth is cut.

Measure both arms, never assume

Many men have one arm slightly longer than the other, often by half a centimetre to a centimetre, sometimes more if they play a one-sided sport such as golf or tennis. A difference that small is enough to make one sleeve swallow the cuff while the other shows too much.

At the measuring, the tailor:

1. Measures from the shoulder point to the wrist bone with the arm hanging naturally, on both sides.
2. Has you bend the elbow slightly, since a sleeve rides up a little in that position.
3. Records each arm separately and cuts each sleeve to its own measurement rather than averaging.

If you are strongly one-sided, say so. That arm tends to move more and needs extra ease at the armhole.

The right amount of cuff

A sleeve that fits well ends near the wrist bone and shows about a centimetre to two of shirt cuff when you let your arm hang. This is both attractive and sensible: the cuff frames the hand, and it is where the cufflinks of a black tie outfit sit.

For long arms, the tailor must leave extra cloth in the sleeve hem. For short arms, the check is that the sleeve does not run past the wrist. A good test is to reach both hands forward as if holding a steering wheel and see whether the cuff is still visible. This is covered further in how long a tuxedo sleeve should be.

Working cuff buttons are hard to alter

Well-made tuxedos and suits often have working cuff buttonholes (a surgeon's cuff), so the buttons at the wrist actually open. It is a handsome detail, but it makes sleeve alteration harder:

• Shortening from the hem is limited because the buttonholes and buttons sit at a fixed distance from the edge. Take off too much and the buttons crowd the hem or the holes must be moved.
• Lengthening is only possible within the remaining hem allowance, usually a few centimetres. Once that is used up the sleeve cannot grow.
• Changing the length at the shoulder allows a larger adjustment, but it is major work and not possible on every jacket.

So for men with unusual arms, it is wise to settle the length when the garment is made rather than at the last fitting. Our piece on cuff buttons on a tuxedo explains the number and placement.

Shirt sleeve length

The shirt is the part people forget. If the jacket is right but the shirt sleeve is too long, the cuff slides under the jacket sleeve and bunches; if it is too short, the cuff disappears and never shows when you raise your arm.

• The shirt sleeve should end at the base of the thumb with the arm relaxed, leaving just enough for the cuff to show beyond the jacket sleeve.
• If your arms differ, the shirt sleeves are made to two measurements as well.
• A tuxedo shirt usually has a double cuff for cufflinks, so the thickness of the fold must be allowed for.

Measuring the shirt and the jacket in the same session keeps the two matched.

A few practical points

• At the fitting, stand, sit, raise your arms and fold them forward. The sleeve must work in every position.
• Bring the watch or cufflinks you intend to wear. A thick watch needs more room at the cuff.
• Do not hesitate to mention uneven arms. A master tailor has met it many times.

How Mon Amie can help

Men with unusual arms should not have to hunt for a jacket that is "close enough". In made-to-measure work each sleeve is cut separately and the shirt and jacket are matched from the start. See made-to-measure tuxedos and book a measuring session at a showroom. Making time depends on the model and the fitting schedule, and your consultant will confirm it when you are measured.