Lining joins and taped seams
Whether lining seams are closed and whether each taped seam carries an unbroken strip bonded on both sides.
The reading sequence
3 steps, starting at surface and finish and running to check the underarm seam and the sleeve ends. Evidence on this point is read at E1, and 2 of the 3 steps carries a condition that ends the assessment outright.
Turn the jacket inside out and photograph the shoulders and armholes
Read the construction from the inside, which is the only place where a lining join can be seen at all.
Evidence: E1 — four photos with the jacket inside out: both shoulder seams and both armholes, with the lining pulled back by hand so the seam is clear
- Every visible seam is closed with an overlocked or folded edge.
- The lining is sewn into the same seam as the shell rather than hanging free inside.
- One armhole seam shows a raw edge under 4 mm.
- The lining is attached at the shoulders but loose along the hem.
- A seam is open with two raw edges showing on the inside.
- Lining is stitched through the shell, putting a stitch line on the outside of the jacket.
Trace the tape along every taped seam
Decide whether the tape is bonded along its whole length or only where it happens to have been pressed.
Evidence: E1 — a video of a finger running the full length of each taped seam with the jacket inside out, keeping the tape in frame throughout
- The tape runs the full seam without a break and is bonded at both edges.
- Seam crossings carry a second strip laid over the first.
- The tape narrows at a crossing but stays bonded on both sides.
- One strip ends 10 mm short of the seam end.
- Tape lifts 20 mm or more at any point along a seam.
- Tape stops short at a crossing, leaving the join between two strips bare.
Check the underarm seam and the sleeve ends
Read the two places that take the most movement, where a lining or a tape fails before anywhere else.
Evidence: E1 — two photos of each sleeve end and each underarm seam, taken with the jacket inside out and the seam laid flat
- Underarm seams are closed and taped in the same way as the shoulder seams.
- Sleeve ends finish with a closed cuff or a folded hem and no thread ends over 5 mm.
- The underarm seam is taped but with a narrower strip than the shoulders.
- One sleeve end carries a thread tail under 5 mm inside the cuff.
- An underarm seam is untaped on a jacket sold with sealed seams.
- A sleeve end is raw, or elastic is sewn straight through the shell leaving needle holes.
Why the thresholds sit where they do
Seam sealing is invisible from the outside, so a seller who wants to avoid the question simply photographs the jacket on a hanger and never turns it inside out. The three steps therefore read the inside in a fixed order: joins first, because an open seam cannot be taped over successfully, then tape, then the two high-movement areas. Bond condition is tested by hand rather than by eye, since a lifted strip of tape lies flat when it is not being touched. Tape that lifts past 20 mm is treated as decisive because the adhesive has already failed along a run, and a strip that has released in a warm room will not hold through a cold, wet walk.
Common misreads
3 pairs recorded for this point. Each runs in both directions: 2 findings that looks worse than it is, and 1 that looks better.
- looks like Return actually Pass
A faint raised line along a taped seam. Adhesive tape leaves an edge line in the cloth underneath it, which is not the same as a strip that has come away.
- looks like Pass actually Query
Neat inside-out photos of the shoulders only. Most untaped or lifted seams on this kind of jacket sit at the armhole and the underarm, which those shots do not cover.
- looks like Return actually Query
A short strip laid over a seam crossing. Crossings are often taped twice, and one short overlap is normal where two seams meet.
Check this point against what you were sent
Insufficient evidence
Nothing decided on lining and seam sealing yet: 0 of 3 steps have been read.
0 of 3 steps judged
| Step | Reading | Evidence | Stop met |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Turn the jacket inside out and photograph the shoulders and armholesneeds E1 | A lining seam is open with two raw edges along the shoulder. Lining cloth frays from an open seam, and the frayed edge works its way out through the sleeve over a season. | ||
| 2. Trace the tape along every taped seamneeds E1 | Tape lifts past 20 mm when it is pressed with a finger. Tape that has released in the hand releases in rain, and the seam underneath it has never been sealed. | ||
| 3. Check the underarm seam and the sleeve endsneeds E1 | — |
Sources and checks
- Public community thread — Threads where a jacket leaked at a seam on the first wet walkn=29
- Platform published rule — Claim requirements for goods described as sealed, as publishedno sample
- Editor analysis — 20 mm tape lift set as the point where a strip has failed along a runno sample
Last checked · next review due · status current.
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