Like any beloved item of clothing, it’s nice to be able to make adjustments to your denim jacket. Whether it’s the sleeve length, width, or even the shoulders, it’s important that your denim jacket fits well and compliments your figure.
You may have asked yourself in the past whether or not it’s possible to tailor a denim jacket, and if so, how you’d go about it.
So how do you tailor a denim jacket? You can tailor a denim jacket yourself with just a few pieces of equipment, including a needle and thread, scissors, and pins. You can also take your denim jacket to a professional tailor and work with them to properly tailor the denim jacket to your body type.
As I’m sure you know, if you have a denim jacket that you love, you’ll want to keep it for as long as possible. You can extend its lifespan through the process of tailoring, and making the necessary adjustments, both minor and major.
There are various ways you can tailor a denim jacket, so read on to find out which option is best for you.
Tailoring Options For A Denim Jacket
As we’ve already established, it is possible to tailor a denim jacket yourself, however, if you lack the necessary skills, this could prove quite a daunting challenge.
For that reason, the first option is taking your denim jacket to a professional tailor.
Find A Professional Tailor
Since it’s their job, a professional tailor will have an arsenal of tools and a wealth of experience behind them when it comes to dealing with jacket alterations. This is what makes them such a reliable option if you need a denim jacket adjustment. If you are a budding tailor, then you might want to check out this sewing starter kit.
So what exactly can a tailor do with your denim jacket, what services can they offer that can help you out?
Create A Better Fit
The first, and arguably the most important thing that a tailor can do for you is to adjust the fit of your denim jacket.
Say you’ve picked up a nice vintage denim jacket from the market, and after taking it home you’ve discovered that the fit isn’t as snug as you’d hoped it would be. Well, this is exactly the kind of problem a professional tailor will be able to help you deal with.
Jackets can be hard to get right since they rely on shoulder width, sleeve length, and a few other factors. So if your body type falls slightly outside of the manufacturer’s model body, then you’ll be out of luck when it comes to the fit of the jacket.
The advantage of taking your denim jacket to a tailor to be modified is that you know you will be getting a polished final product that will fit you amazingly.
If you have the money and are struggling with the fit of your denim jacket, this is a fantastic option to take. Don’t hesitate in finding your nearest tailor and letting them resolve your denim jacket sizing issues.
Customize The Look
Another service most tailors will offer is customization for your denim jacket.
Maybe this is never something you have considered, but customizing your denim jacket is something worth thinking about. If you have a second-hand denim jacket or one which you’ve owned for the longest time, then maybe it’s time to freshen up the look and try something new.
The types of customization available for denim jackets include the following:
- Embroidering – adding everything from beads, to simple yarn designs to the jacket. These can add a personal flavor, and will really allow you to get creative with your favorite denim jacket.
- Printed designs – whether it’s a large lion or pretty flowers, going the printed route can yield some impressive results. You can definitely make your denim jacket the envy of all your friends if you opt to add a printed design.
These forms of customization are the kinds of things that would be difficult to pull off without the help of a professional.
For that reason, you may want to leave it to the tailor to add something special to your jacket, otherwise, you may take the risk of ending up with a result you’re not satisfied with.
Make Necessary Repairs
Last, but certainly not least, tailors are more than capable of repairing and patching up your denim jacket.
Wear and tear is always a concern whatever the clothing garment, and jackets especially can take a beating with the elements. As a result, chances are at one point or another you’ll need your denim jacket to be fixed up and restored to its former state.
From patching up holes to stitching up tears, this is a very useful service to go to your local tailor for. Unless you are highly proficient with a thread and needle or sewing machine, you will probably want to go with the tailor for any repairs needed.
That way, you can get as much use out of the jacket as humanly possible.
Tailoring A Denim Jacket: How To Do It Yourself
The second option for tailoring a denim jacket is, of course, to do it yourself.
So, what equipment and skills will you need to be able to tailor your own denim jacket?
- Pins
- A sturdy needle
- Thread matching the shade of your jacket
As for skills, you will need to be patient enough to see the stitching job through, and a steady hand to navigate the stitches. You will also, of course, need to be a proficient sewer, ideally with some prior experience working with clothes.
Making adjustments and various changes to your denim jacket yourself can be very rewarding, and can potentially save you a good amount of money. This option is for those who are ready to rise to the challenge.
I commend you if this is the route you take, and I hope the following guide can help you find your feet if this is your first time attempting to work with a denim jacket.
How To Tailor A Denim Jacket
Now that we’ve evaluated the various options for tailoring a denim jacket, we’re going to dive into the process itself.
First things first, gather together your sewing equipment along with the denim jacket you want to tailor.
- Lay your jacket on a flat surface, and begin to turn it inside out. Straighten it out when you have turned it inside out, making sure it is resting on a flat surface like a table or even the floor. Also, make sure there are no creases in the jacket, it should be completely flat.
- Take your jacket and fold it in half. This is the clever part. Take a sweater or another long-sleeved layer you have in your wardrobe that fits you well, and drape the sleeve over the sleeve of your denim jacket. What this will do is allow you to see what kind of adjustments you will need to make to create the perfect fit for your body.
- Use a pen to mark the lines you need to make adjustments. Holding the sweater sleeve over the denim sleeve, you will be able to draw an outline onto the denim and give yourself something to work with when it comes to adjusting.
- Using a pair of fabric scissors, start to cut along the line you just made on the sleeve of the denim jacket, making sure to cut all the way through the material. As you might have already guessed, now we’re going to flip the denim jacket over, and repeat the process on the other side.
- What you’ll end up with after you’ve completed this process is much more trim denim jacket sleeves, that if you’ve measured them correctly, should, in theory, fit you so much better than they did before.
- Thread your needle, and after knotting it several times, it’s time to stitch up your newly made sleeves. Layout the sleeve you’re working on flat on the surface you’re working on, and begin to work your way along the sleeve, patching it up and creating a new seam.
- Again, once you’ve finished with one sleeve, you’re going to want to flip the denim jacket and get to work on the other sleeve, stitching up the hole you’ve created when you cut it with scissors.
That’s it! You’ve successfully created new sleeves for your denim jacket, and in the process created a much more snug fit which will make it all feel worthwhile.
So while it may seem like a long process to do for yourself, it really isn’t too difficult once you have your sewing skills down, so I definitely would encourage you to at least give it a try and see for yourself!
If you want a visual, I love this video by Stylish Dad on Youtube: