Here it is. And if you want my permission to reprint it for handouts in your store, you have that also. How to narrow a lapel (men’s or women’s)
1. Study the angle of the top collar’s front edge. This angle will be different, depending upon the style of the jacket, and it will determine how much narrower the lapel can be made. Angle A in the illustration will allow more room for narrowing than Angle B.
2. Count the number of stitches per inch in the topstitching before removing it from the lapel area. Now, when you replace this stitching, you can use the proper stitch length to make it look the same as before. Once the topstitching is removed, open the lining, if there is one, along the bottom. Then turn the jacket wrong side out through this opening.
3. Carefully release the slip stitches that anchor the interfacing/facing to the jacket front. Press the edge to be altered as flat as possible.
4. With the lapel laid out flat, sew the new front edge. Trim the seam and then trim the interfacing back to the new seamline. It is important to remove as much of the interfacing from the seam as possible.
5. Turn the jacket right sides out again. Tack interfacing/facing to jacket front and replace the lining hem.
6. Do the final press and replace topstitching.
How to alter pocket flaps
Sometimes the new lapel width will look better if the pocket flaps are altered also. There is no rule on the ratio of lapel width to pocket flap depth, but you do want to keep them in a pleasing proportion to each other.
There are two methods of constructing these pockets in the garment industry. Each requires a different alteration procedure.
Method I: In this method, the finished flap is placed above the pocket line, and the finished bottom welt is below. After they are both sewn on and the welt turned up into position, the flap is turned down (resting over the welt). To give the appearance of a top welt, a row of stitching is sewn across the top of the flap. Altering the depth of this flap requires that you remove this simulated top-welt stitching and then the flap itself.
Note: Some manufacturers simply construct a flap from a folded piece of fabric rather than from two separated pieces. If your flap has been made that way, cut off the bottom, leaving a seam allowance of 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch. Turn the edges and slipstitch closed.
Method II: In this method the top and bottom welts are made in the jacket first. Then the finished flap is simply slipped into place between the welts. It is secured by a row of stitching just above the top welt or in the seam of the top welt.
To alter the depth of a flap that has been sewn using this method, you can remove the stitching that anchors the flap and shorten it. Then slip it back into place and restitch to anchor. When removing this type of flap, be certain you are ripping the correct stitching line – otherwise you will release the welt itself.
