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Phrases › Trying on Clothes › Mi stringe sotto le ascelle.
B1

Mi stringe sotto le ascelle.

It's tight under the arms.

Pronunciation

'Ascelle' — 'a-SHEL-le'. Three syllables, stress on second. 'Sc' before 'e' = 'sh'.

When to use it

Describing tightness in the armhole area — one of the most common fit problems with jackets and blouses. Specific and helpful feedback.

What it means

'Stringere' = to tighten. 'Mi stringe' = it's tight on me. 'Sotto le ascelle' = under the armpits. 'Ascella' (armpit) is an important body part word in Italian tailoring.

Variations

Non riesco ad alzare le braccia.

I can't raise my arms.

Describing the functional limitation caused by tight armholes

L'ampiezza sotto braccio è troppo stretta.

The width under the arm is too narrow.

Technical tailoring description

Tira quando mi muovo.

It pulls when I move.

Describing the dynamic fit problem

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: La giacca mi stringe sotto le ascelle. Non riesco ad alzare le braccia comodamente. Commessa: Il problema è la forchetta della manica. Non è facilmente modificabile in questo modello. Cliente: Peccato. Il resto è perfetto. Commessa: Posso mostrarle un modello con spalla raglan — ha molta più libertà di movimento.
Customer: The jacket is tight under the arms. I can't raise my arms comfortably. Assistant: The problem is the sleeve pitch. It's not easy to alter in this style. Customer: What a shame. Everything else is perfect. Assistant: I can show you a raglan shoulder style — it gives much more freedom of movement.

Cultural Note

The 'forchetta della manica' (sleeve pitch) is a key tailoring term in Italian. It refers to the angle at which the sleeve is set into the armhole. Getting it right is what separates master tailors from average ones.

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