How to Shorten Coat and Overcoat Sleeves
By TaVare · updated 2026-08-14
Shortening the sleeves on a coat or wool overcoat differs from a shirt on one point: the garment is lined and made of thick wool, and it is the lining and the deep hem that make the job more involved. The length is usually taken from the bottom at the cuff – you open the lining, shorten the fabric itself, sew a deep invisible hem, and reattach the lining with a little movement ease. Here is the step-by-step method, and the signs that tell you when it is worth handing the job over.
Coat and overcoat: the lining is the key
A coat or overcoat is an outer garment – fully lined, often in thick melton or wool cloth, and with a deeper hem than thinner garments. That means three things compared with a shirt or a plain pair of trousers: the lining has to be opened, shortened and reattached; the thick fabric has to be hemmed deep and invisibly so it does not bulk up or show through on the right side; and any cuff details such as buttons, straps or turn-backs have to be moved. The sleeve is normally shortened from the bottom at the cuff, on the same principle as a suit jacket with decorative buttonholes.
The right sleeve length on outerwear
Because the coat is the outermost layer, the sleeve should be a little longer than a suit jacket – it should cover both the shirt cuff and the jacket cuff underneath. Aim for the sleeve to end around the wrist, at the base of the thumb, when the arm hangs relaxed. Always try the coat on over the clothes you actually wear under it, and measure each arm separately.
How to shorten a lined coat sleeve
This is a manageable job for an experienced home sewer, but the thick fabric and the lining make it fiddly. The method is the same on both sleeves:
- Measure and mark the length you want while wearing the coat over your usual layers.
- Release the lining where it is attached at the bottom of the sleeve (usually unpicked by hand).
- Mark and remove the excess length from the outer fabric, keeping a deep hem allowance.
- Press and sew an invisible hem by hand with a catch stitch, so the thick wool does not show through on the right side.
- Shorten the sleeve lining to match and reattach it with a small fold (a jump pleat) at the bottom, so the lining does not pull when you bend your arm.
- Move any cuff buttons or straps to their new position.
Cuff details and thick fabric: the pitfalls
This is where home jobs most often go wrong. Check these before you start:
- Thick wool cloth: a deep hem in melton can bulk up and show through on the right side. Hem by hand with a catch stitch, not dense machine stitching.
- The lining pulls: always attach the lining with a small jump pleat at the bottom, otherwise you cannot bend your arm freely.
- Cuff details: buttons, straps, buckles or turn-backs have to be moved or reworked – they no longer sit right after shortening.
- Unequal length: measure and shorten both sleeves equally, and always over the layers you wear the coat on top of.
When should a tailor take the coat?
A simple, lightly lined coat is within reach of an experienced home sewer. But a thick wool overcoat and melton, sleeves with buttons, straps or turn-backs, or a large adjustment that has to be made from the shoulder, is usually neatest at a tailor – both because the deep hem should sit invisibly and because the lining has to hang correctly over the layers underneath. If the coat also needs a new lining or other alterations, that can be done at the same time. You order online, and you see the price before you order.
You see the price before you order.
Frequently asked questions
Are coat sleeves shortened from the bottom or from the shoulder?+
Usually from the bottom at the cuff, the same way as a suit jacket with decorative buttonholes. If a great deal has to come off, or the sleeve has details that prevent it, it may be necessary to shorten from the shoulder instead.
Why must the lining be dealt with when I shorten the sleeve?+
Because the coat is fully lined. The lining has to be opened, shortened and reattached with a small jump pleat at the bottom – otherwise it pulls and stops you bending your arm freely.
How long should a coat sleeve be?+
A little longer than a suit jacket, since the coat is the outermost layer. The sleeve should cover the cuffs underneath and end around the wrist at the base of the thumb when the arm hangs relaxed. Always measure over the layers you wear underneath.
Can you shorten the sleeves on my coat or overcoat for me?+
Yes. We shorten lined coat and overcoat sleeves, handle the deep hem and the lining, and move cuff details where needed. You order online, and you see the price before you order.
Rather have us handle it?
You see the price before you order.