Refining Sleeve Caps for Better Fit

  Low cap                               High cap                                Standard Cap

In my previous post on sleeve caps I mentioned that they can be adjusted to improve fit. Above you see three sleeve and sleeve cap variations. All 3 are from my drafting program and they all fit into a Misses size 10. You will notice that the low cap requires a wider sleeve so that the cap will measure long enough to fit the armhole. In the case of the high cap the sleeve can be narrowed. All these are subtle changes that can improve the fit of your sweaters. My personal preference is the high cap and narrower sleeve. It creates a slimmer proportion and is more flattering to my short arm length. The information I'm sharing with you is to help you to customize for your best personal fit. That may mean that you would be happier with one of the other 2 types. Most patterns currently use the low cap version. So give it some thought and take a look at garments you already own to analyze what cap type is most flattering on your body. The second factor to analyze is how much ease you like on your sleeves. Patterns generally use one of two standards. Sleeve ease is either 50% of the ease number used on the body or it is 1 inch on the lower arm and 2 inches on the upper arm.