Why would I want a label on the sleeve of my jacket? Am I supposed to cut it off?

If the label is near the cuff of the sleeve, it’s meant to be removed. It’s puzzling, though, that you say it’s sewn on tightly.

You can leave it on if it as a designer name that you would like to have known.
Some people leave it on as a fashion statement.
However in most cases it us cut off. It is a matter of choice.

When and if you bring it to a tailor to have the sleeves shortened, they can remove the label, too.

Absolutely meant to be removed.

I have actually seen people running around with the label attached.

Bless their hearts.

It’s not just tacked lightly at the corners. The ends are stitched down pretty snugly. I would have to use a seam ripper (not in everyone’s toolkit) and work it very carefully to avoid damaging the fabric. I can do it, but the implications puzzle me.

The label is on the outside of the left sleeve (meaning the top of the arm), parallel to the cuff and about two inches up. Clearly it’s meant to show.

I don’t know why anybody would want it to.

I don’t like to display labels on anything, from purses and luggage to hoodies and sneakers. If I’d seen the label before I bought the jacket (it was an online purchase), I might not have ordered it.

A man’s suit usually has such a label as you describe, and it is most definitely meant to be removed. Get out your seam ripper and gently work it off the fabric.

My best guess, it is tightly sewn in so that most people need to have someone remove it, thus giving the tailor or seamstress extra work. Remove it by all means.

@Jeruba “Despite my star-quality avatars, I’m not a cool, sophisticated person”

I’m just going to ignore this, and continue to believe that you are actually Cate Blanchett.

I have never seen a label sewn to the outside of a garment. I can think of no useful purpose for this, and if you bought it from a reputable store, I would recommend that you bring it back to them to have it removed. After a number of disastrous attempts over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that home surgery is a bad idea where it comes to labels.

^ The purpose it to attract a buyer while the coat is still packed in the rack.

It’s funny how many people assume that “Italian” automatically means “quality.”

From how you describe the placement of it, it is meant to be removed.

It is there so you have to go through the day as a free, walking advertisement for the manufacturer.

As a practical matter, if the label offends thee, pluck it off. I mean, if it’s something that might stop you from wearing a coat that you like and paid good money for, who cares what other people do or think. If you run into someone else wearing a like coat, it will only make them look gauche.

:-)

Thanks for all helpful responses.

I’m going to cut it off.

If I leave it on, it’s going to look really stupid to me, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

If I take it off, no one’s going to say, “Hey, nice jacket, but it would look a lot better if there were a label sewn to the sleeve.”

Ok, I managed to remove it.

The label is 2½” wide and 1” deep. It was sewn across the 1” edges with small, tight stitches and conscientiously backstitched by at least three stitches at both ends of each little seam. It took a lot of careful snipping and picking and tugging for about 15 minutes under a bright magnifying lamp to get the thing free without damaging the fabric. It really did not want to come off.

With any luck, this jacket’s going to last me a while, and I won’t have to do this again.

@Jeruba I am glad to hear you managed the task. Tags near the cuff of a jacket are for identification during purchasing. Those near the shoulder are for decoration.