During the summer of 1891, I reviewed such patterns which I had preserved for several years back, and I knew that they were good. I laid them out like Dia. II, IV, VIII, VIIIa and X, and they came as near together as could be expected, at least they came near enough so that a slight difference would make no difference in the fit, and I think I can give some valuable information if I give descriptions of some odd shaped garments, just as I found them.
I.—CUTAWAY FROCK COAT.
MODEL: DIA. II.
Breast, 40; Waist, 40; Hip, 41½; Seat, 40; Length of legs, 30. The seat measure and the length of legs are noted for the purpose of giving a better impression of the form. Form: Erect—square shoulders—short neck—height of back above line 9 is 14½—top of back, 3¾—side of neck, 4—bottom of armhole, ⅜ above 11¼. No gore under the arm, but a spring of ½ inch at line 18¼, on which line is also the waist length of the back. The waist seam drops 1¾ in front; is even in front and side, but laps ¾ over the gore in the forepart, which is ½ inch, running up to line 15. Front: Quaker Cutaway, with no lapel—standing collar—front of neck at 3¾—notch in center of 15 deg.—for the button hole side allow ⅝ in front of base, and for the button side ½ more. In front of line 9, allow ½ for both sides and meet base again in front of 11¼. At 15 go forward 3¼—at 20, 2½. Meet plumb base at 26½ and go back 3 at line 32½. Drop bottom of skirt ¾ at the base. Shoulder laps ⅜ at the neck and ½ toward the blade. Gore between the back and sidepiece: ⅜ at the armhole—meet at 10½—½ at 11¼—⅞ at 14½, on back—1⅜ at 15—1⅝ at 18¼,—1¼ at 20—⅝ at 25—⅞ at 30. Center of back is hollowed out ⅜ at 17½, and at line 30 the finished hook is 1¼ out.
II.—FROCK COAT.
Breast, 36; waist, 31; seat, 36. Form: Erect—square shoulders—full breast—very hollow back, which causes the shoulder blade to appear pretty prominent—waist diameter very small from side to side. This is a form which mostly has its coat back too long or too wide, and requires quite a close breast measure, or a small square and a full breast. An apparently long coat back behind the arm is caused when the seat has not enough spring. Model: Dia. II. Square of 17½. The height of back above line 9 over the front is 15 numbers—top of back 3½—side of neck 4. The shoulder seam is even at both neck and armhole, but toward the blade there is a lap of ½ inch, and which seam is for the square shoulder. Under-arm gore: ½ at line 15—⅞ at 17½—1 at line 18⅝, which is the length for the waist on the back—⅞ at 20. For the contracted waist length behind, the top of skirt, and the bottom of the back sidepiece seam is even, but lap ⅜ at the underarm gore—1 at the plumb line base—¾ in front. The bottom of the sidepiece is ⅜ higher behind, but when the coat is on, the run of the waist seam is even, on the erect form. At the waist the forepart has a gore of 1¼ starting at line 15. The front of breast is 1⅜ in front of 9—meets the front angle in front of line 15—and strikes the base at 32 for a cutaway. Spring center of back out from line 15: ½ at 20—1 at 25—1⅝ at 30, and then allow 1 in. for the hook. Gore between sidepiece and back: ¼ at the armhole—meets at 10½ on back—¾ at 11¼ over the front—1¼ at 15 on back—1½ at 15 over the front—1¼ at 17½—⅞ at 20—¾ at 25—¾ at 30.
III.—FROCK COAT.
Breast, 34, close measure; waist, 30; seat, 34½; length of legs, 29. Form: Erect—long neck—flat shoulder blades—all normal cut coats fall away from his neck—are too long and too wide in the back and too small in the breast. Model: Dia. II—the square was made 17¾—top of back 2⅝—side of neck 3—shoulders lap ⅞ at the neck and ½ toward the blade—height of back above line 9, 14½ numbers. Gore between back and sidepiece: ¾ at armhole—meets at line 11—½ at line 9 and 14½—¾ at 15—1 at 17½—⅝ at 20—meet again at 25 to 30—¼ at 35. Spring back from 15—allow ¾ at 25—1¼ at 30—and allow for the hook. The front is straight—single-breasted—the lapel is 3 in front of the base on top—3¾ in front of 11¼—meets the front angle at 15½—thence parallel with the plumb base. The waist seam is even at the underarm cut—skirt and front laps 1 at line 20, running so forward. Bottom of skirt sinks ½ in front. The vest had ¾ lap at the shoulder seam toward the neck and top of back was placed at 3⅛, and had a spring of 1¼ at the center of back at line 20. The vest was cut size 33, and ¼ inch allowed in front of the breast, which accounts for the small square and the full breast.
IV. MODEL: DIA. II.
Breast, 35; waist, 33; seat, 35. Form: A combination of stooping and erect—neck bends forward—arms thrown backward—shoulders thrown up and square—very hollow at the back of the waist but erect there—shoulder blades prominent—seat shows very little at the back—front of waist and front of thigh thrown forward—top of back 3¼—side of neck 3⅝—shoulder laps ⅜ at the neck—⅝ toward the blade. Side of shoulder 9⅛ at 60 deg. Height of back above line 9 is 15⅜. Underarm gore, ⅛ on line 9—½ at line 15—1 at 17½—¾ at 20. Gore between the back and sidepiece: ½ at the armhole—meet at 11½ on the back—½ at 11¼—¾ at 15⅜—1 at 15 over the front—1⅜ at 17½—1¼ at 20—½ at 25—¼ at 30—¼ at 35. The forepart has a gore of ½ at the waist seam, and the same gore between the skirt and forepart in front. Center of back: From 15⅜ upward allow ⅛ outside of the base, and come even again on top—from 15⅜ downward go inward of the base ¼ at 17½—meet again at 22—go out ⅜ at 30—⅝ at 35 for the center and allow for the hook, etc. Front: In front of 9 allow 1—meet front edge and front angle at 14—go out 3¼ at 20—1½ at 30—meet at 35. Sink front of skirt ⅝, and no lap between skirt and forepart at the waist seam except to straighten the forepart over the gore.
V.—LARGE-WAISTED SACK COAT.
MODEL: DIA. VIIIA.
Breast, 43; waist, 46; hip, 46; seat, 44; length of pants, 32 inches. Form: Large all around—prominent shoulder blades—square shoulders—arms thrown back—neck rather short—head and front of waist bent forward—sides of waist full—all normal cut coats are too high in the neck for this form. Square of 18¾, which is small but good. Top of back at 3⅜—side of neck 3⅞. Shoulder seam laps ½ at the neck and ⅝ toward the blade—at 60 deg., 9. Height of back above line 9 over the forepart, 12½. Underarm cut, 1, and stretched up ½. Side seam: even at the armhole, and down to 11¼—¾ at 15—1¼ at 17½—1½ at 20—⅞ at 25—⅜ at 30. Center of back: From line 17½ spring out ⅜ at line 25. Front: In front of point 9 give 1¼—meet the front edge at the front angle at 20—go out 5 at 25 and 4 at 30—which will give a pretty straight front, but runs a trifle backward at the bottom. On top of lapel allow 1½ in front of the front angle and cut a gore of ½ under the lapel and in the center of the angle of 15 deg. At the bottom sink the front ¾ at the base. Notice that the proportions are all small over the breast line, but full in front, and also full at the side of waist, and will make a good coat for that size.
VI.—MODEL: DIA. VIIIa.
The breast size is the same as the preceding description, but the waist and hip are comparatively small. Breast, 43; waist, 41; hip, 43½. Form very erect and hollow in the back of waist—shoulders square—arms thrown back, requiring a small square for the back, and a full breast. Square of 18¼—under arm gore ⅜ at 11¼ and stretched up ⅜—height of back above line 9 is 12¼—top of back is at 3⅜ and side of neck 3⅞—shoulder seam laps ⅜ at the neck—side of shoulders, 9—gore between side and back: even at armhole—even at 11¼—1¼ at 15—1¾ at 17½—2 at 20—1¾ at 25 and 28. Center of back spring: ¾ at line 25, starting at 17½—cutaway front. Allow 1 in front of 9—meet front edge and front angle at 15—3¼ in front of 20—2½ at 25—meet at 28.
VII. A VEST FOR A LARGE WAIST.
Breast, 45; waist, 48; hip, 48; seat, 40. Dia. IV as the model. Breast measure taken over the shirt. The under arm cut is ½ inch at the hollow of waist, but both back and front meet below and above. This ½ inch is simply to give form to the seams. Top of back is 4¼—side of neck 4 for top of collar band—bottom of neck band 5¼. Side of shoulders at 60 deg., 9¼—shoulder seam even, but ¼ inch spring at the neck may be good. Center of back is on the line and spring of ½ at the bottom—height of back, 14¼. From the point of the angle of 135 deg. go down 7 numbers for the front edge of the vest and go forward a ¼ at line 9—1⅛, at line 15—1⅜ at 17. Cut a small gore in the forepart, below the pocket, in order to make the front to conform to the oval form of the body. The description of this vest and Dia. XX will fit the same person. This vest, made up and placed on a person of 36 breast and 32 waist measure, will fit at the shoulders, and if it is left to hang alone, will simply be too large all around the breast and around the waist, but hangs good. There is one peculiar feature in this or all large vests cut according to this work, which should be considered. You can draw all surplus cloth together behind, or in front, or at the side, or you may pin it up even all around, and the fit of the shoulders will remain. For this reason, vests one size too large will fit the same, and are better than if one size too small. Cut all vests ½ waist and 2½ inches at the waist line, and pay little attention to the hip line, as long as the sides have an opening over the hips. If no opening is left there the hip line must also receive ½ hip and 2½ inches. Allow all extra waist proportion, by allowing one half of it in front and one half at the side of the back. Any other surplus width, which may be desired may be allowed at the center of the back, where it may be buckled up smooth.
VIII.—Frock Coat for a Very Stooping Form, and with Very Round Shoulder Blades.
MODEL: DIA. II.
Very hollow breast—front of waist and back of waist very erect—square of 18—front of armhole ⅝ in front of 45 deg., where armhole and sleeve meet at 10¼—back sleeve seam laps ¾ at line 8—top of back at 3—side of neck at 3½—height of back above line 9, 15¾—width of back at 9½, 7⅜. Centre of back is hollowed out ⅜ at the hollow of the waist, meets base at 22 and at line 35 the edge for the finished hook is 1¼ outside. Gore between the side and back: ¾ at the armhole—⅞ at 15¾—1¼ at 15—1½ at 17½—1⅜ at 20—1 at 25—1 at 30. Underarm cut: ¼ at 15—¾ at 17½—¾ at 19½. The shoulder seam laps ⅜ at the neck and ¾ at the blade. Front edge: 1¾ in front of 3—1⅛ in front of 9—meet at 14—3¼ at 20—2½ at 30—1 at 35. No gore in breast, but ¾ gore in the front waist seam. Drop front skirt ¾ at the base.
IX.—FAT MEN’S OVERCOAT.
Breast, 52; waist, 60. Form, very erect; front of waist band forward and abdomen very large and round. The shoulders are normal, and the shoulder seam have the same spring as Dia. X. The model is Dia. X. The square is 19¼ numbers, and 1¼ numbers are cut out as a gore under the arm, and the sidepiece stretched upward ¼. The large square and the large gore under the arm, throw extra waist proportion into the center of the forepart. Neck from 135 deg.—top of back 3⅜—side of back 3¾—at 60 deg. 3¼—base 3¼—armhole from 135 deg.: front sleeve nick at 10¾—at 60 deg. 8⅞—at 45 deg. or top square 9⅞—width of back at 8 is 6⅞—bottom of armhole is ¾ above line 11¼, and the front sleeve base is forward two seams. The front of armhole is on 45 deg. Center of back: height of back above line 9 is 12½ numbers—from line 15 spring out 1¼ at 25. Center of front from the plumb line base: top ¾—½ gore, ¾ to edge—at 11¼, 4¾—at 20, 6—at 30, 6—drop front of bottom 1, and set the buttons back from the edge about 2½ inches.
Now, while I am describing “Odd Forms,” which in reality are not odd at all, only a trifle different from the so-called normal form, it may be well, to point out another fact: For coats and vests all large-waisted forms require either a proportionately smaller scale with extra allowance in front of the breast, or if the measure and the scale are used the same as on a small-waisted form, the square must be made smaller, and the front must be that much larger.
It is the same on the full-breasted and on the erect forms, and the description of Forms V and VI, as well as Dia. VIIIa, with their different squares ought to be sufficient to give a general idea of what is to be taken off behind in the square, and what is to be allowed in front. Large-waisted persons have mostly erect forms even if they should have prominent shoulder blades, or throw their necks down in front. At the hollow of waist they may be considered erect and mostly throw their arms backward, and all such forms require a smaller square and a larger breast. The best way to measure is this: Take all measures even and close, and reduce the square, and enlarge the breast according to the above description, and according to your judgment, and remember, that ½ inch more, or ½ inch less in the breast, or in the square, may be considered the outside limit, and that ¼ inch goes a good ways.
In regard to the amount, you better learn to depend upon your judgment, for if that should be ever so poor, it will be better than a so-called proof or balance measure, from the center of back forward. That measure, even if taken with the utmost care, will mostly depend upon the coat which the person wears, and not upon the body, which is to be fitted.