We have so many discussions here about patterns, how they suit a wearer, even how easy or hard they are to make.
I usually don't like clothing content on YouTube since it pales in comparison to the knowledge on forums, but I found a great video series with the tailor shop Kent, Haste, & Lachter in London that runs from the ordering, to drafting patterns and fabric cutting through fittings. There's a wealth of information in each one and the tailors are extremely skilled at explaining exactly what they're doing and why. The account made a playlist of the series but I'll lay out some direct links for things that are relevant to our discussions.
In the first, he orders an item from each person, a suit from John Kent, a sports jacket from Terry Haste, and a pair of flannel trousers from their apprentice Suyamba Kumaresan (now a full cutter in her own right!) On the surface it might seem less informational than the others, but there's quite a lot here about measuring (and how all three measure a bit differently ).
In this one, you see Terry Haste drafting the coat pattern, which he does freehand (the traditional English term is 'rock of eye') rather than use a stock pattern like even some of the biggest firms do nowadays.
Here you see Suyamba draft a trouser pattern, explaining how each part of the lower body is accounted for, and how the different parts of the leg pattern come together. Like her teachers, she does this freehand! (This was the most exciting video for me because we so often hear about these crafts dying out, so to see someone my age actually carrying it on is inspiring.)
In the last video I wanted to highlight (though I think there's learning material in the fittings as well), John Kent lays out the pattern that he made and cuts the cloth, taking into account the grain of the cloth to make sure everything wears the same way. While obviously fabric is more consistent than leather, I hadn't quite realised the importance of this part of the process. You also see how the completed parts are put together for construction.
We talk about aspects of this material so often here that I expect many of you will enjoy, when you get the time to watch.
I usually don't like clothing content on YouTube since it pales in comparison to the knowledge on forums, but I found a great video series with the tailor shop Kent, Haste, & Lachter in London that runs from the ordering, to drafting patterns and fabric cutting through fittings. There's a wealth of information in each one and the tailors are extremely skilled at explaining exactly what they're doing and why. The account made a playlist of the series but I'll lay out some direct links for things that are relevant to our discussions.
In the first, he orders an item from each person, a suit from John Kent, a sports jacket from Terry Haste, and a pair of flannel trousers from their apprentice Suyamba Kumaresan (now a full cutter in her own right!) On the surface it might seem less informational than the others, but there's quite a lot here about measuring (and how all three measure a bit differently ).
In this one, you see Terry Haste drafting the coat pattern, which he does freehand (the traditional English term is 'rock of eye') rather than use a stock pattern like even some of the biggest firms do nowadays.
Here you see Suyamba draft a trouser pattern, explaining how each part of the lower body is accounted for, and how the different parts of the leg pattern come together. Like her teachers, she does this freehand! (This was the most exciting video for me because we so often hear about these crafts dying out, so to see someone my age actually carrying it on is inspiring.)
In the last video I wanted to highlight (though I think there's learning material in the fittings as well), John Kent lays out the pattern that he made and cuts the cloth, taking into account the grain of the cloth to make sure everything wears the same way. While obviously fabric is more consistent than leather, I hadn't quite realised the importance of this part of the process. You also see how the completed parts are put together for construction.
We talk about aspects of this material so often here that I expect many of you will enjoy, when you get the time to watch.
