Custom leather jacket sleeve length - help me choose it!

I think I finally found my next leather jacket. It's cropped, heavy but not stiff, and a classic biker style. I'm getting an honorarium for a talk I'm giving soon, so that justifies the cost.

I almost bought it at a local boutique. But when I looked at the designer's site I discovered that they're all hand made to order and they'll do a custom sleeve length for free!!!

I'm so used to sleeves being too long. I don't know what length is correct. I do want the sleeves to be past my wrist for sure.

So here are photos of the standard sleeve length. How much shorter should I go?

Ps these jeans are so much less flattering than I thought (they're a size too big but I thought it was fine).

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9 Comments

  • Joy replied 6 years ago

    Somewhere I read that the sleeve should come to the first knuckle of your thumb. On me that is half way between my wrist and the first knuckles of my other fingers.

  • UmmLila (Lisa) replied 6 years ago

    The jeans look really large on you. I am thinking the jacket should be no longer than the base of your thumb.

  • Diana replied 6 years ago

    I like my jacket sleeves to hit at the base of my thumb, where it meets my palm. My personal test for sleeve length is that I hold my arms out in front of me (parallel to the floor) and it shouldn't expose my wrist. Any shorter and I'm always tugging at them. I think the sleeves on the one you're trying actually look ok. Take my advice with a grain of salt though - I think bracelet sleeves are the worst thing ever!

  • Greyscale replied 6 years ago

    Hm, Diana, maybe you're right that this isn't bad. And I'm so used to too-long sleeves that something shorter would feel odd. But I can't zip the cuffs...

    My current leather jacket sleeves go all the way past my thumb and I've never minded, though it's much lighter leather.

  • Isabel replied 6 years ago

    I have also always heard that it should rest where your arm meets your palm. But I think it really comes down to preference. I sometimes like mine a bit longer if I layer long sleeve shirts.  The sleeves look as if they could be a tad shorter...what that is , I don't know. Maybe 1/4 - 1/2 of an inch.

  • approprio replied 6 years ago

    Menswear blogs are your friend.

    (If that doesn't answer the question, I'm pretty sure I can source a second opinion from one of my tailoring manuals, but I'll have to look it up...)

  • Janet replied 6 years ago

    I'm with Diana -- too-short sleeves drive me nuts, so I'd much rather wear slightly too-long. In a leather moto like this, I'd definitely err on the side of a little more length, and the length these are doesn't bother me, because the rest of the jacket clearly fits you well. If you order them shorter, I wouldn't go shorter by much!

  • JuniperGreen replied 6 years ago

    you're getting lots of great advice already - just chiming in to say how COOL to do a custom jacket!!!  love it.

  • old chic replied 6 years ago

    Jacket looks so great on you the way it is.

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