Garment cutting in the twentieth century

The manuscript for this work has been closed, but I feel that I must write a few things more, for I intend to record all that I know, at least all that which I remember and is worth knowing, and all that which I may have learned since the manuscript is closed. I have come to the conclusion that it would be better to give a frock coat diagram with no lap at the front waist seam, and for this reason I have made Dia. IIa, and in order to make the most of it, I have made it to fit the following forms:

and to the following measure: Breast 37, waist 37, hip 38, length of waist 18, length of coat 36, length of legs 30 inches.

Dia. IIa is a trifle wider at the shoulders than Dia. II, which is seen by the 9⅜ at 60 deg., and by the width of the back at the armhole, which is ¼ number more, and which requires the back sleeve seam ¼ shorter than Dia. II. The neck is for a form with ½ in. more length than the normal form, hence the top of back is placed at 2¾, and the spring between the shoulder seam is ¾, which requires the collar to be sewed on loose over the side of the neck. The armhole is in all respects the same, and the neck is changed from the top of arm upward.

Dia. IIa shows a full waist which is shown by the ¼ gore in the underarm gore at the waist, and in the larger width in the front of waist. The roll is shorter than on Dia. II. It buttons three buttons but may easily be made longer. The heighth of back above lines 9 and 13¹⁄₁₆ is only 14¾, being ¼ shorter over the blade, because most all such forms are more or less erect forms. In place of a lap of 1 in. in front the waist seam has a gore of 1 in. behind, and the run of that seam may be made to suit fancy or style. In cutting, the top of sidepiece should be run out into the armhole until it is long enough for the back from the nicks upward, as shown on Dia. IIB.

DIA. IIB.

I also add another diagram, IIB, which illustrates the erect and slender form—hollow back—full breast—square shoulders—forms which are mostly hard to fit. It is on the same square as Dia. II and IIa, but the difference is shown between the back and the side piece. The height of back is 14¾ and the front and back is even at the neck for the square shoulder.

Now, it will be seen how closely Dia. II, IIa and IIB are connected, and yet how far they are from fitting the same form. With the help of these three diagrams it seems to me any cutter should have easy sailing in fitting his customers. There is the tall, slim person to be fitted by Dia. II and IIB, and the short form and the full waist by Dia. IIa, and any of the other abnormal conditions here shown by the three diagrams, may be taken from one of them and placed on the other. Often, the abnormal conditions may be just contrary to the illustration.

DIA. VIII B.

This is produced here as a fine seamer sack. It can be used as a three seamer by taking a trifle more out between the back and side. For a short roll allow 1 inch in front of point 9 only, and reduce the gore under the lapel to about ¼ inch. The back is hollowed out ⅜ at the waist, and the center at the bottom is not thrown outside of the base.

In all other respects it is the offspring of Dia. VIII, and may be a trifle better. In practical cutting it will be found that Dia. VIII is more toward the erect form, because of its back being thrown outside of the base at the seat.

Dia. VIII B, serves another purpose and this is the position of the one back on the square of 20½, in which position the back may be made smaller or wider without injuring the balance of the lengths above 13½. At the neck the shoulder laps ⅜ for the normal form.

But it illustrates another point. On Dia. III there will be seen an opening in the under arm seam running up in the arm hole, and which opening is balanced for the three-seam sack by reducing that amount between the back and side seam. But the fifth seam on Dia. VIIIB, balances that part and the back and the side are cut on one line, from line 11¼ up. It gives a real good shape, and the whole diagram may be accepted as good, but the measure must be taken close. For the last year I have closely watched the effects of longer or shorter backs, and I must here repeat that 15 for a frock and 14 for a vest, and 13½ for a sack are good averages. Further: That a more erect form may easily have ¼ less, and a more forward, leaning form ¼ more, and a form like the third form in “Models” may have ½ to ¾ more length.

But the arm holes must remain the same, and whatever the back is made longer, must be reduced again in the length at the back armhole. On a frock coat this can easily be done by reducing said length between the back and side piece, because of the curved seam; but on a sack, with its straight side seam, such reduction would not take up length, but width, and such extra length may be taken out of the shoulder seam, providing the back notch for the sleeve is thrown that much further down.

Again, if the back is to be shortened the contrary alteration must be observed, but ¼ to ⅜ less back, may be the extreme amount for an erect form, while a stooping form may require ¾ for the extreme. Stretching the center of the back in length about 4 inches sidewise and at the point of the blade, will have the same effect, providing the coat maker will do it, or is instructed to do it.

A hot iron in the hands of a skillful tailor is a mighty factor toward making a garment what it ought to be.

DIA. XXIV.

Is also submitted as an after thought. I doubt if any pants can be made which fit better than this did on the person it was made for. It is a broad fall with the waist band cut on. The diagram itself shows the measure of the man it was made for. The space between the top of the “fall” and the top of the “fall piece” should never be less than 1½ inches and may be made 2 inches. The “fall” should be cut wide for small waisted men, and narrow for large waists, and each cutter must be able to judge for himself how wide each should be, and again, where the pockets are to be made and where the button holes should be made, in order that pockets and buttons do not interfere with each other.

DIA. XXV.

Represents a boy’s knee pants of 29 seat measure, and it will prove to be good. I have made the back and front evenly wide at the bottom, but there is no law against making the fore part ½ smaller on each side, and the back that much wider. Add the waist band for suspenders. But if it is cut for a smaller size and worn on a waist, the 10 numbers are long enough for the waist.

TIGHT PANTS.

In a few years pants will again be worn smaller at the knee, and Dia. XIX must be reduced at the knee and at the thigh. It is hard to tell what the bottoms will be then, but for all that the center of foot and heel is here for a guide. Time will show if pants will then be made with large spring bottoms or whether they will be made again as they were a few years ago, hardly large enough for the leg to pass through. But I will say this. Dia. XIX will fit at the seat and upward for any style. At the fork it may be reduced one seam on the forepart only, and at the side of thigh it may be reduced one seam on each back and on each front, for a close fit.

At the side of the knee the angle of 10 deg. may be hollowed out ⅝ to ¾ on each back and on each front, or so much as the inward curve of side of the knee will warrant. At the inside of the knee allow ¼ to ⅜ on the double to the angle of 10 deg., all of which will produce a knee of about 18 inches made up, and that will be pretty close for a seat of 38. Again, if size 38 is reproduced for a size 35, the knee will be about 18½ inches made up, and if from this is taken away ½ inch on each forepart and on each back at the side of the knee to represent the hollow of the leg there, and which is not shown in the present style, the knee will make up 17½ inches which again is a fair width for a narrow leg for size 35.

Another good way to produce a close fitting knee is this: From the center line of the angle of 10 deg. measure both ways and give on the double inseam ¾ inches more than on the double outside, and this rule will hold good on all forms, because the center of the angle of 10 degrees is the center for the pants leg, but the inside of the leg is straight while the outside is hollowed out about ¾ inches, and that hollow must be imitated in order to make a close fit of the pants.

DIA. XXVI.

But in order to show the correct idea of a close fitting pants, I have added Dia. XXVI to the supplement. It is for a form which will go with Dia. II. Seat size 35, waist made up 33, knee and bottom 17 in., length of legs 32 in. It may be called old style now, but it will be in style at the close of the Nineteenth century, or certainly at the dawn of the Twentieth century.

For spring bottoms allow on each side of the back, starting about 5 in. above the bottom, and take away from the bottom of the forepart an equal amount on each side, or so much until the forepart is reduced to less than 7 in. Dia. XXVI is marked “7 in. above bottom” for the reason that the width of the pants, about 7 in. above the bottom, must be the same, no matter if the legs are 30 or 35 in. long. The seams are notched from a sweep having its pivot at point 80, which of course is cut off on this diagram. Sweeping each side separately from the bottom of the pants and on each line of the angle of 10 deg. will result in the same thing.

The diagrams in the whole book represent the following seat sizes: 29, 35, 38, 39, 40, 46; and it seems to me that any new beginner should be able to control the different parts in the intervening sizes.

As to coats, there will be no trouble to cut them with the scale and according to instructions. But for pants, the scale can only be relied on for the crotch or fork; all other points, such as waist, hip, knee and bottom, must be cut according to the measure. Hence the pants diagrams are given in different sizes. The fork as given by the scale is large enough with 4 on double cloth for the dress side, but may be made with 4¼.

I will again warn a cutter against giving more fork for extra looseness, nor to allow behind on top of back for extra waist proportion, but to allow all extra cloth at the side, unless it is for a large waist, when it is to be cut like Dia. XX or XXIV. The top line of the back slope of 15 deg. is large enough for all forms, and besides it is large enough to buckle up ½ on each side of the back seam, and which may be cut away there, or may be cut away in the gore in the middle of the back when an extra close waist is to be made. The back slope must remain permanent, and all changes made sidewise or forward.

I will here add two very important points in altering pants: Pants which must be cut down because they are too large in size can always be made better if they are opened in front and cut smaller there and down to the knee. It is true, it may take one hour longer to do it than to make the alteration behind, but if a pants is worth altering, it is worth altering right.

About six months ago I thought I would try a few pants with the fork points cut ½ in. higher, leaving all other points the same, but they turned out to be first-class failures. They were too short at the bottom, and fitted only when the legs were spread apart several feet, and in which position they were long enough, but when the person sat down they crawled up to the top of his shoes. From this I drew the following conclusion: Stretching the inseams will throw the legs sidewise, and will have the same effect as cutting the crotch higher, and whenever pants work that way, the fork points should be cut down about ½ inch, but without disturbing the point in front of line 8 any more than can be helped, but the fork width must be re-established. This may make the bottom short, and requires the legs to be let out below, but it will establish a better fit. I will here again point out the fact, that the inseam stretches more easily than the outside, and cutters must provide for such defects, from whatever cause they may originate.

I cannot specify amounts, but can only point out the way of alteration, either after the pants are made or before they are cut, and will only add: Cutting the fork ½ inch down will cause the leg to be thrown 1½ inch more toward the center of the leg, and ½ inch of alteration may be considered the extreme alteration for any pants cut according to this work. If a pattern is cut for pants with plenty notches at the seams, a cutter can soon find out whether the seams have been stretched, and how much.

It pays to cut all garments over patterns.

DIA. IV A.

I also add a double-breasted vest. Knowing what trouble I have had myself in getting the front of such a vest to fit, I came to the conclusion that this work is not complete without such a diagram, and Dia. IV A is presented. It has the neck and the shoulders on the same principle points as Dia. IV, and it only remains for me to say a few words about several points. At the bottom of the armhole the back is placed at point 11, and is ¼ of a number longer than in Dia. IV, but that ¼ extra length of back should be given to a double-breasted vest because the long and open front can settle better to its place. On account of the large curve in front, the neck band is about ½ inch higher behind, thus giving less spring, and for this reason the side of the neck should be pretty well stretched. The diagram itself furnishes no spring outside of the angle of 135 deg., but ¼ may be given and the back sewed on smooth.

The gore under the collar should be cut for all such vests, but that gore should hardly be more than the two seams. If the seam is drawn together a cut of ⅜ is plenty, providing the neck is not stretched again by sewing the collar on. The bottom of front is represented with a good sized “lap over,” and if less is desired take ¼ inch off at the front edge and set the buttons ¼ inch forward. The buttons are 2½ numbers backward of the straight front line. A double-breasted vest, to button up to the neck, must have a large gore under the collar as shown in Dia. IV A, for two straight pieces will never fit the chest of a man when they are to be lapped over each other from three to four inches. For the whole bottom of the forepart sweeps from 4* and the lap over will fit. This sweep must extend through the whole front angle of 15 deg. and may be swept clear back to the side seam, as shown in Dia. IV A, but may be sunk down ½ inch at the side seam, starting at the plumb base line.

Notch the shoulder from a sweep from the side of the back or at a point 4½ numbers from O on the top square line. Dia. IV A is shown with a large open front and well curved out, but may be cut straighter or higher, or even lower to suit fancy or style. A customer may put up with a coat that shows the corners on each side of the bottom of the front, but he will not wear a double-breasted vest with one side longer than the other, and it is astonishing how many such vests are found, especially amongst the ready made clothing. That defect is not caused by cheap ready made work, but it is caused by the designer of the patterns over which such vests are cut, and for which clothing manufacturers usually pay a liberal price.

Writing about ready made clothing brings me to another point. Coats cut over Dia. II, VIII B and X, will give a better average fit and a nicer shoulder and an easier armhole, than the great majority of ready made clothing can boast of, and the same is true of the pants and vests.

DIA. VII A.

I also give Dia. VII A, of which Dia. VII is the parent pattern. This Dia. VII A requires no particular description, except that the back of Dia. VII is swung from point 10½ at the armhole shoulder seam, and the ordinary spring in the shoulder seam is added. In the position of Dia. VII A the cutter may easily throw the shoulder seam more forward at the armhole if he so desires it. The neck band must be a straight piece, as wide as button holes can be worked in, and the neck band must be put on loose at the side of the neck. The width in front, and the depth of the neck in front must be regulated according to the coat. The depth of the front of neck is placed at 3, and is as high as any cape may stand, but it is easy to cut it ½ lower. A cape may be cut without neck band by allowing say ⅝ inches on top of top and side of back, and by allowing a ⅝ short spring in the shoulder seam, and giving a good stretch besides.

The last illustration I present is the “Collar as it Must be Pressed,” the full description of which is found in the article on “Collars.”