Australian Stitches — September 2017

The Long and the Short

of it – sleeve proportion

B

e it long or short, the upper

limbs are encased in high

fashion this coming season.

Look for styles that fl atter your

proportion, choosing sleek lines for

the short, fuller arm and dramatic

fullness for the long, slim arm. Adjust

the pattern proportionately to

maximise your fashion statement and

enjoy the frivolous nature of today’s

sleeve trends!

Getting just the right fashion look is

a matter of more than simple garment

silhouettes. We need to look at all

aspects of a style to determine its

total suitability to our fi gure. Sleeve

style is one such feature, often

overlooked by the keen sewer. The

length and width of a person’s arm

greatly infl uences what sleeve types,

armhole shapes, and shoulder lines

an individual can wear to successfully

complete a fashion statement. With

the advent of a wide variety of new

and interesting features at sleeve

hemlines, what better time than

now to look at sleeve proportion. As

we approach the winter season, a

continued emphasis on sleeve fi nishes

is apparent so it will be helpful to

work it out sooner rather than later!

How long is my arm?

To determine suitable styles for

your particular arm length, you will

fi rst need to measure your arm

accurately. It is best to measure your

arm in undergarments so that exact

measurements can be taken at key

body points. The most important

location on the body for measuring

the arm length is the ‘pivotal point’

where the arm bone joins the shoulder

bone. This point can be located by

lifting your arm away from your

body to a horizontal position. As you

do this, a dimple will form on the

shoulder ... this dimple is the pivotal

point. Mark this dimple with a pen or

other washable marker so that as you

are measuring your arm length the

pivotal point is clearly indicated. See

diagram 1.

Once you have located the pivotal

point, bend your arm, resting your

hand on your hipline. By bending

the arm, we can locate the elbow

plus build in movement ease for

the sleeve length. Measure the arm

length from the pivotal point to the

bottom of the wrist bone. Measure

both arms to see if you are built

symmetrically, recording a right and

left measurement if necessary. If

one arm is longer than the other (very

common), use the longest length for

determining pattern alterations and

body proportion.

Once you have determined

your overall arm length, check the

measurement from the pivotal point

to the elbow, then from the elbow

to the wrist bone. You may fi nd that

one section of your arm is much

longer than the other section. This

information is important for pattern

adjustments and can be helpful in

determining the correct length for a

sleeve that has an unusual length. See

diagram 2.

You may need to measure the

circumference of the upper and lower

Compiled by Lynn Cook

Dimple =

pivotal point

of shoulder

Diagram 1

Diagram 3 –

Arm proportion

Diagram 2

A – Arm length

B – Elbow

C – Wrist

D – Depth of upper arm

E – Circumference

A – Shoulder to elbow

B – Elbow to wrist

A

D

E

C

B

B

A

Tips and Techniques