Industrial production and commodification are great forces. They make more items accessible to more people. There is a price to pay though in terms of quality and refinement. Take a look at ready-t…
What's going on inside a $1500 suit and how is it different than a $500 suit? We opened one up to find out and what we found was surprising.
Cool news: I have an exciting new job teaching fashion part time at Marist College. The class is for juniors, and it focuses on the development of a tailored collection. And you know how I love my tailoring! Over winter break, the students had a really interesting assignment: to find and deconstruct a vintage jacket, making a pattern and several new designs from it. I didn't want to be left out of the fun, so I decided to get in on the deconstruction action myself, which I shall document here. First, the jacket. I found the perfect candidate at great shop called Bygones in Richmond, VA, over my holiday break. It's dated from the 40s, has a great tailored silhouette, but wasn't in great shape to wear. The fabric was corroded in spots and the lining was in tatters around the armholes. (You know I couldn't stand to completely take apart a stellar vintage garment!) Bonus: it fits me perfectly so I can use the pattern I make from it. It has a lovely crisp notched collar, classic two-piece sleeves, princess seams, a strong shoulder line, and double flap pockets. There's a side panel under the arm for extra shaping. It has a felt undercollar (which is traditional in fine tailoring), and very crisp roll line on the lapel--you can see the dimples from the pad stitching on the back. The lining is a pretty rose-colored silk. Not in great condition in places. There's a nice little handsewn hook at the collar. There's no designer's tag, but later clues have led me to believe it was custom-made by a professional. Another cool detail: open vents at the side seams of the lining, where lots of wear and tear usually happens. I could hardly wait to start taking this thing apart. (It felt wrong, but oh so right.) As you can see, the lining was entirely sewn in by hand with a slipstitch. Once I got the lining out, I could see the jacket body's inner construction. The front revealed two different weights of hair canvas, and some thin batting for upper chest padding, all stitched together with diagonal basting. The shoulder pads were handmade with wadding. See labels below! The pocket bags are made from tightly-woven pocketing fabric. The back has padding to give a smooth line to the shoulder blades. There is no shoulder stay or reinforcement. The seam allowances are uneven all over, and especially large at the fitting seams, indicating that this was a custom-made piece. Next, I removed one of the facings for the Holy Grail of tailoring. There's twill tape on the edges and a wide strip of some sort of interfacing on the roll line. The whole thing is neatly pad stitched. I had to cut around the machine-made buttonholes to remove it. Now I could peek under the collar to see the pad stitching there. A few other notes, if you're still reading at this point: Lining: seams and darts on each individual piece machine sewn, then hand stitched into jacket separately with a fell stitch. The handstitching tacks the lining down to jacket interior in several places. Lining sleeves set in by hand. Hem is pressed up and held in place with large catch stitches. Delicate hand pick stitches all around jacket front, lapels, and collar for crisp look. Felt undercollar applied by hand with fell stitches--felt undercollar has no seam allowances; raw edge is aligned with turned-under seam allowances of the upper collar. My next step is to completely deconstruct the pieces to make a pattern from. More to come!
I have been living in Japan for the past 4 years, and am originally from Northern Italy, so I thought it would be interesting to compare menswear in Italy and in Japan. First, I would like to point…
Industrial production and commodification are great forces. They make more items accessible to more people. There is a price to pay though in terms of quality and refinement. Take a look at ready-t…
What's the deal with those cuff buttons on your suit jacket? What's a surgeon's cuff? What's a kissing button? We answer your cuff questions.
Whether it's on a man or a woman, I LOVE a well tailored suit. Just a few days ago, I came across this fascinating website, Tailor Made London. The company was born out of a desire to bring elite tailoring to a mass market. Their secret is 3D body scanning. In just 10 seconds, the laser body scanner takes 1000s of precise measurements which allows them to then create a garment that fits perfectly. Wow, what a dream! On their site, they have the most inspirational tailoring pictures. Take a look. D-shaped Bar tacks. The lovely stitching on a Dupont Pocket. Hand stitched detail on the facings. Side adjusters on a pair of slacks. A tacked buttonhole. The precisely hand stitched sleeve lining. You can check out more of these beautifully detailed pictures HERE. The company does have a blog. THIS is a very interesting article on jacket construction. Hope you've enjoyed this little bit of tailoring inspiration. I'm ready to pack up, move to London and work for this company! They probably wouldn't have me, but that's okay, one can dream :)
Product code: BKK11122 Style Notes Exude sharp sophistication in this tailored blazer. This piece has been updated with an open-back detail for a contemporary spin on a classic workwear staple. Whether paired with slim-fit pants, a wide-leg piece or mini skirt, this blazer promises to command the room. Plunge neckline Open-back design Notched lapels Breast pocket Details & Care Main: 89% Polyester, 11% Elastane. Lining: 100% Polyester. Dry Clean Only. Model wears UK 8/US 4. Model height: 5”9. Length measurement: 74cm.
People, I'm becoming a unrepentant tailoring fiend. Pad stitching, hair canvas, glorious roll lines—I could talk about it all day! But I've realized that what knowledge I've picked up on the topic is really just the tip of the iceberg. The more I learn about it, the more I want to learn! It's such a vicious cycle of sewing geekery. Our Lady Grey sew-along has only whetted my appetite for more tailoring. In fact, it's sent me on a frenzy of tailoring book and accoutrement purchasing. And the acquisition I'm most excited about is the jacket pattern above from Claire Shaeffer's Custom Couture Collection for Vogue Patterns. I'd read that these patterns are worth the price for the instructions alone, and goodness, that's no lie. The pattern has two versions: A, which is the couture tailoring method and B, which uses quicker techniques like fusibles and a bagged lining. Version A incorporates hair canvas and silk organza underlining, taped roll lines and lapel edges, and handworked buttonholes. (Be still my heart!) The instructions look clear and painstaking, with "couture tips" sprinkled throughout, like how to "spank the corner briskly with the clapper" (I couldn't make that up if I tried, readers). I feel like I've hit the jackpot for home tailoring enthusiasts! I think what makes tailoring so daunting and difficult for home sewists is that one has to take textbook techniques and figure out how to apply them to commercial patterns. For me, that's involved a lot of guesswork—as well as a lot of much-appreciated help from more experienced seamstresses. What makes these Custom Couture patterns so appealing is that they seem to give you the explicit knowledge needed to apply tailoring to a specific pattern. If only they would do a coat pattern one of these days! (Vogue? Claire? Pretty please?) Anyway, this pattern is a little conservative for my tastes, but I love the nipped waist and cool pocket details (pictured above). I think with a little more flare at the hips, it could almost be New Look-esque. I have a lovely cherry-colored herringbone wool that would be perfect, especially with some of the fabulous covered buttons Casey just did a tutorial on. Have any of you tried these patterns? What do you think? Have I created any fellow tailoring monsters? I hope so!
Kenneth D. King walks you through his technique for adding a decorative welt pocket on a wool felt coat.
If you've been following this blog, you'll remember that I have been deconstructing suits at various price points to show how they are made. So far I’ve examined a $500 Jos. A. Bank suit and a $1,500 Z Zegna suit. This week we are taking a big jump in price to a $4,000 Tom Ford suit: As the former creative director for
Product code: BKK14950 Style Notes Elevate your capsule collection with this sleeveless blazer, a modern and versatile piece that exudes instant sophistication. Crafted from a tailored compact stretch fabric, this blazer provides exceptional comfort and a flattering fit. Notched lapels Sleeveless design Tie tab detail Details & Care Main: 59% Polyester 31% Viscose/Rayonn 5% Elastane/Spandex 5% Polyester. Lining: 100% Polyester. Dry clean only. Model wears UK Size 8/ US Size 4. Model height approx: 5"9. Length approx: 55cm
Tailor & Cutter, Savile Row
My chosen discipline based technique is tailoring to develop practice of this I chose to look at the great gatsby. I started my research by looking at tailoring in general, techniques and technical…
Sewing is slow at the moment, there’s just too much other things going on. I only managed to work on my jacket tonight. I finished the collar using the technique described in an old Threads magazine (no 68). I’ve used this method since Nancy K once mentioned it to me and it works so well. Having drafted the jacket and the collar myself I’m quite pleased to see how well everything comes together. It’s nice to become more confident in drafting and changing patterns. The upper collar is larger because turn of cloth. Only the trim pulls it together slightly, though the effect in the picture is more significant than in real life. Perhaps it can be steamed out in final pressing. In this last picture the collar is flat on my table. You can see the extra space in the upper collar.
Relaxed, tailored trousers with a modern silhouette and side button detail. - Straight leg- Ankle length- Front pleated- Tab, zip closer- Side slit pockets- Back buttoned flap pocket- Small Waist 26.5", Length 40.5", Rise 11", Inseam 29.5", Hips 40"- Medium Waist 28.75", Length 41", Rise 12"", Inseam 30", Hips 40"- Polyester 69%, Rayon 29%, Polyurethane 25%- Dry clean- Imported
Our resident expert in bespoke tailoring and author of the influential The Gentleman book, Bernhard Roetzel, will share the basics of why bespoke is worth the money and how to get started.
Have you ever wondered why your suit has lining? Suit lining affects the overall comfort of the suit jacket. Lining also allows the jacket to breathe and allow moisture to pass through. Most importantly, it allows the jacket to move with the body. At 9tailors, we offer numerous lining options to make the appearance of your jacket even more unique and custom. Stay fashion forward in 2013 with some of our new lining options below. Like what you see? So do we! The combinations are endless! Dreaming about a new suit, sports coat or blazer with a funky inside? Email a Style Consultant at [email protected] and see what linings and pipings will suit your style best!
To start off the new week, I thought I would share a few pieces that I've found which I think are quite inspirational. Of course, I dream o...
SHIPS WORLDWIDE - TAXES & DUTY ALREADY PREPAID AND INCLUDED A SOPHISTICATED YET SEXY TAKE ON TROUSERS. THE TAILORED FLAP CAN BE WORN OPENED OR CLOSED WITH A SMALL BUTTON HOOK CLOSURE, DEPENDING ON YOUR OCCASION. A CHEEKY WAY TO STYLE UNDERGARMENTS THROUGH A SEE-THROUGH MESH SIDE PANEL. EXPOSED BIAS-TAPE TAILORING DETAIL. BELT LOOPS. HIGH WAISTED, STRAIGHT LEG PANTS. THONG IS A SEPARATE PIECE. STYLE WITH: SIGNATURE VERTEBRAE BRALETTE SQUARE CUT OUT BLAZER VERTEBRAE TANK TOP 100% WOOL GABARDINE BLACK INVISIBLE STRETCH TULLE SILK POCKET LINING SHIPS IMMEDIATELY
The Rake gets deep into the fold of pleated trousers and showcases the many ways in which they can be worn.
Suit alterations are really quite simple.
The New York-based designer has won women over with his sharp but languid tailoring. Can he do the same for men?
Make summertime layering a new staple with our Chimera jacket. In a versatile charcoal tone, this piece embraces an oversized silhouette married with a selection of traditional tailoring techniques. Its pin point collar, fitted shoulders and short sleeves are all contrasted by contemporary design details such as an exposed hem and longline thin belt fastening across the chest. Pair with the accompanying trousers.
This strikingly detailed tailored blazer features a minimal collarless design. Throughout the jacket, rows of beading appear and disappear along the edges, hems, and sleeve vents. Each jacket is individually hand-beaded with glass seed beads in a technique called edge beading, a decorative art form mastered by American Indians. This blue wool jacket is one-of-a-kind, made from a vintage worsted wool collected in Taiwan. Each jacket is made to order and colors may be customized, click through to see examples. Place order at [email protected]. 100% wool / 100% polyester lining / glass seed beads Made in New York City
The clothes from this year's fashion and photography show high in the French Alps
Happy new start to the week!!! I'm a little late this morning, but hopefully better late than never :) While I was out walking the dogs this morning, the cardinals were singing so beautifully. For me there's nothing better than seeing a cardinal fly right in front of me and then land and sit for a bit. I am always so taken by their beauty. My week is officially off to a great start! I came across this picture of a Victoria Beckum sweater in the April issue of Vogue magazine. I love anything with a lacing detail and I thought this sweater was especially pretty. Has a rather pretty price too, just a mere $1390.00!!! But with just a little tweaking, it's something we could do in a remake, so it's not totally out of the question. I really like the skirt too. So with that little bit of lacing inspiration, I decided to take a look and see what I could find. There wasn't a lot, but I thought I would go ahead and share what I found. I think I may have to recreate the top below as I thought this was so beautiful. A vintage riding skirt. A great way to cinch in a waistline. I rather like the seaming detail on the skirt as well. We've seen this before, but it is a fun way to add a little volume to the back of a garment and then tame the fullness. If you aren't particularly interested in using the pockets, this makes for an interesting detail and would work well with the center back lacing of the above sweatshirt. The lacing detail gives a white shirt a little more shape and interest. The pants are a little over the top, but I must confess that I really do like them. There would be no kneeling in these pants!!! I think that what I might do is run the lacing to the hem, but tie them so that the tie ends are tied at the thigh rather than the ankle. A little lacing detail on the cuff of a jacket. And finally, add a little rugged detail to a top with the laced leather yoke. As I said, not a lot of inspiration today, but think about it this way, if you have a seam, you can lace it together. Might be fun!!! Hope your week is off to a great start. May a cardinal fly across your path :) Rhonda
The Hong Kong finish or Hong Kong seam is an amazing way to finish the inside of a garment or jacket. Step by step tutorial with photos.
Color: KhakiMidweight woven suiting fabricRelaxed silhouetteNotch lapelLightly padded shouldersButton cuffsSingle breast pocketIllusion single flap front pocketDouble welted pocketsVented back Contrast layered hemSingle breasted button closureLined77% Polyester 18% Rayon 5% SpandexDry CleanImported
The complete Lanvin Spring 2018 Menswear fashion show now on Vogue Runway.
This strikingly detailed tailored blazer features a minimal collarless design. Throughout the jacket, rows of beading appear and disappear along the edges, hems, and sleeve vents. Each jacket is individually hand-beaded with glass seed beads in a technique called edge beading, a decorative art form mastered by American Indians. This blue wool jacket is one-of-a-kind, made from a vintage worsted wool collected in Taiwan. Each jacket is made to order and colors may be customized, click through to see examples. Place order at [email protected]. 100% wool / 100% polyester lining / glass seed beads Made in New York City
Learn more about the characteristics of Neapolitan suits & the typical way of living in Napoli with sprezzatura & lots of cigarettes.
