Where do you like your sleeve to end? Wrist? An inch below? Your first thumb knuckles?

Shin · Oct 13, 2018

Okay so I get it that different jacket styles have their own ideal cuff lengths. Some look better with shorter sleeves, some better with longer sleeves.

But as far as winter garments, biker and military jackets go, what is the ideal sleeve length? Do you like it to tend right where your wrist meets your hand? Or do you prefer the middle between the 1st thumb knuckle and the wrist? Or an inch above the thumb knuckle? And inch below the wrist?

Is there even a fashion rule of thumb to this?

Guppy · Oct 13, 2018

Motorcycle jackets should have a longer sleeve, so they still cover the wrist with the arms extended in riding position. Most everything else should reach the wrist bone, with overcoats being allowed to go a bit longer. Anywhere between the thumb knuckle and wrist is close enough for me.

Peacoat · Oct 13, 2018

About an inch below the wrist, which is also about an inch above the first thumb joint (at the webbing) for me.

navetsea · Oct 13, 2018

to me the opening circumference is more important though, if it has tapered enough, it will rest on the hand and won't swallow it even when it is longer, or won't look too short even when it is on the shorter side, wide sleeve opening looks worse in my eyes.

nick123 · Oct 13, 2018

I've stopped worrying about it. As long as it's no shorter than the wrist I'm alright.

HoosierDaddy · Oct 13, 2018

THIS.....

Mich486 · Oct 13, 2018

For me it’s at the wrist. I really don’t like when the sleeves cover half your hands. It looks a bit sloppy to my eye. Hoosier daddy pictures above to me are really borderline acceptable.

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Jejupe · Oct 13, 2018

Inch below wrist.

Seb Lucas · Oct 13, 2018

I think HD nails it. But you know, different strokes..., etc. Interestingly if you look at period photos the sleeves seem generally seem to end higher up the wrist.

Jejupe · Oct 13, 2018

Seb Lucas said:
I think HD nails it. But you know, different strokes..., etc. Interestingly if you look at period photos the sleeves seem generally seem to end higher up the wrist.

Many of the originals, I believe, were worn as workwear. Sleeve length past wrist is not very good if you have to do manual labor. Just my 0,02 €.

Seb Lucas · Oct 13, 2018

Jejupe said:
Many of the originals, I believe, were worn as workwear. Sleeve length past wrist is not very good if you have to do manual labor. Just my 0,02 €.

Yes, but the same thing applies to period suits being worn in photos - they were not work wear.

Jejupe · Oct 13, 2018

Seb Lucas said:
Yes, but the same thing applies to period suits being worn in photos - they were not work wear.

I have no real knowledge on the subject of vintage clothing and how they should fit, so with jackets it could be either way - practical reasons, fashion reasons or possibly those days nobody was that anal about sleeve length as we are here. Maybe a pre-war dock worker considered his leather jacket's sleeves to be just the right length if his arms didn't get too cold and wet and the sleeves didn't obstruct his working.

However I believe that suit jackets still have shorter sleeves than jackets in general. I think the correct suit jacket should show certain amount of shirt cuffs, shouldn't it?

Seb Lucas · Oct 13, 2018

I have no knowledge of this except either what I see in pics, be it of a suit, a tweed jacket or a leather jacket being worn. Even sweaters appear to be worn shorter in many period photos I have seen, I can only assume it is fashion.

As for suits - I am fortunate not to have ever needed to wear one in my various roles so I can't say what's right there.

Carlos840 · Oct 13, 2018

I like my sleeves to finish at the wrist bone, maybe 1/2" lower. I hate having sleeves that are long enough that they reach the palm of my hands, to me this is inconvenient and it looks bad.
I also don't believe in the whole "if you ride a bike your sleeves have to be ape length", i ride a bike and have regular wrist bone sleeves and it has never been a problem. If the jacket is designed properly you shouldn't need extra long sleeves to make up for poor back mobility.

For some reason this seems continent driven, it seems most people in Europe go for the wrist bone, whereas most people in the USA aim for the first knuckle of the thumb.
Personally i find the former too long.

Perfect length for me, i like knowing where my hands are at all time!:

Bfd70 · Oct 13, 2018

I like just a hair, maybe 1/2” past the wrist. Shorter and i feel like i’m trying to force a small jacket to fit. The first thing that comes to mind when i see someone with sleeves to the thumb knuckle is a kid wearing dads coat. It seems an amazingly difficult thing to land just right.

marmalademan · Oct 13, 2018

Fully agree with Carlos on this one, and if i recall correctly Ken Calder is in our corner too, sort of. He actually likes them short I believe. I agree that shorter ones do look coolest (*if the rest of the jacket is not too long).

But surely if the lengths are custom then sleeves that end where your hands begin are optimal for a tailored look, and I would say also for practicality. Sleeves for arms and gloves for hands makes sense to me.

Having them half way down your thumb just looks to me like you're wearing some tall guy's jacket. I don't think that looks at all stylish - in fact the opposite - though given the trend for loungers to prefer the bodies of their jackets with an extra few inches of unecessary length too I suppose this phenomenon is unfortunately in keeping with the conventional 'wisdom' around here.

And before anyone jumos on me for having an opinion they dislike, or for not voicing it apologetically enough, let me just add that I am absolutely not knocking anyone else's god given right to wear their expensive jacket as badly as they like! Go right ahead guys, matters not one jot to me

ton312 · Oct 13, 2018

The subject is quite personal taste based. I prefer mine right around where HD's land, maybe just a smidge shorter. I will say I prefer the sleeves be a hair too short than too long. There's nothing worse than having a deadpool baby hand in a jacket. Regardless of how well it fits anywhere else, sleeves that are too long destroy the whole picture and ruin the overall aesthetic.

GHT · Oct 13, 2018

ton312 said:
I will say I prefer the sleeves be a hair too short than too long.

You might like this. But you will need to scroll down to see it.

HoosierDaddy · Oct 13, 2018

For me shorter jacket sleeves can look just as hickish as pant legs that are obviously too short almost verging on some sort of fashion cat walk model/rock n roll costume rather than a stylish purposely well fitted garment. Suit jacket sleeve length can be a whole different ball game that may include showing a certain amount of shirt sleeve cuff of course. All I know is what I have come to prefer with the offering of a few custom jacket makers who will adjust sleeve and body length to accommodate a customers wishes.
HD

handymike · Oct 13, 2018

Here:

Where do you like your sleeve to end? Wrist? An inch below? Your first thumb knuckles?

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