Hello, my name is Mr. Linen.
The other day, I purchased this suede tailored-style jacket at a second-hand shop in Tokyo.
However, since it was a ready-to-wear jacket, the fit was not perfect, and alterations were necessary.
I took it to a well-known alteration specialist, and in this article I will share the repair process and overall experience.
Severe Shoulder Wrinkles
After trying it on, I felt that the shoulder width, sleeve length, and jacket length were within an acceptable range, which is why I decided to buy it. However, as you can see in the photos, there were severe horizontal wrinkles around the neck and shoulders.
Those with square or sloping-forward shoulders may relate, but ready-to-wear jackets often show this type of shoulder wrinkling.
In this case, the slope from the neck to the shoulder was quite steep. It would likely look good on someone with sloping shoulders, but it was not well suited to my shoulder shape.
Since this is a casual leather jacket rather than a formal suit, I did consider simply wearing it as is.
I also expected leather alterations to be expensive, and I hesitated to spend a significant amount on alterations for a jacket I bought at a bargain.
Still, if I was going to wear it, I wanted it to look as good as possible, so I decided to go ahead with the alterations.
Alteration Results
The process involved unpicking the connection between the jacket body and the upper collar, trimming a few centimeters from the wrinkled section of the body, and then reattaching it.
Here is the result.
Hmm… are the wrinkles still there?
Unfortunately, while the situation improved, the shoulder wrinkles were not completely eliminated.
They kept the trimmed leather for me, and upon checking, about one inch had been removed.
As an amateur, I wondered whether cutting more leather would completely eliminate the wrinkles. When I asked, the staff explained that the remaining wrinkles were not caused by excess material, but by tightness in the shoulder width and upper back.
In fact, when I consciously stood straighter and shortened the distance between my shoulder blades, the wrinkles were slightly reduced.
Shoulder wrinkles are generally caused by a combination of excess fabric below the neck and tightness across the shoulders and back.
The excess material issue was resolved by this alteration, but the tightness in the shoulders and back remained.
When the shoulders and back are tight, the leather is pulled horizontally, which creates these horizontal wrinkles.
Further alterations to add width in the shoulders and back could improve the issue, but that would require additional work, so I decided to stop here.
Since it is leather, I also hope that it will stretch and mold to my body over time.
How Much Did It Cost?
The alteration was not inexpensive, but it felt reasonable considering the complexity of working with leather.
If the jacket had been made of fabric, the cost would have been much lower, but leather requires more time and care.
That said, the finish was extremely clean, and you can hardly tell where the alterations were made. They even repositioned the brand label, leaving only faint needle marks at the original location.
Unlike woven fabrics, leather does not recover once needle holes are made. Reducing size is generally safe, but letting out leather can leave visible holes.
Conclusion
The fact that the shoulder wrinkles were not completely eliminated is certainly not the fault of the alteration shop.
It was simply the technical limit of what could be done with this particular alteration.
The cost was not cheap, but I do not feel it was expensive.
If anything, it felt quite reasonable.
I plan to continue using their services in the future.
Thank you for reading.
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