The Vintage Tailoring Thread

[Dostioffsky]

^Fantastic!

I thought this would interest some of you: https://archive.org/stream/newsupremesystem00croo#page/4/mode/2up.
A very complete tailoring book from 1917. My favourite part being the 'Individuality, character and novelties' chapter with some really nice late 10s /early 20s style jackets as well as instructions on details like a flared skirt. There even is a chapter dedicated to how to distribute separate parts on your fabric efficiently.

It really makes me want to start a project myself.

 

[herringbonekid]

thanks Dostioffsky,

and with sleeve:

 

[Nick D]

Oh, that's nice! Can't wait to see the finished jacket.

 

[DamianM]

^Fantastic!

I thought this would interest some of you: https://archive.org/stream/newsupremesystem00croo#page/4/mode/2up.
A very complete tailoring book from 1917. My favourite part being the 'Individuality, character and novelties' chapter with some really nice late 10s /early 20s style jackets as well as instructions on details like a flared skirt. There even is a chapter dedicated to how to distribute separate parts on your fabric efficiently.

It really makes me want to start a project myself.

Thank you! A great addition to my library

 

[Papperskatt]

I thought this would interest some of you: https://archive.org/stream/newsupremesystem00croo#page/4/mode/2up.
A very complete tailoring book from 1917. My favourite part being the 'Individuality, character and novelties' chapter with some really nice late 10s /early 20s style jackets as well as instructions on details like a flared skirt. There even is a chapter dedicated to how to distribute separate parts on your fabric efficiently.

Thank you for sharing that.

BTW, HBK, the jacket looks great! Can't wait to see the finished result.

 

[Papperskatt]

Do any of you guys know if it's somehow possible to make the rise on a pair of trousers higher? I recently got a nice 20s suit, with two pair of trousers, that fits quite well. Except for the fact that it was clearly made for someone with a shorter torso than me; there's about a .5-1" gap between the trouser waistline and the waistcoat.

 

[Fastuni]

Yes. You have to stitch a new center seam on the crotch at a lower height. The legs will shorten and the waist will be higher. You might then have to lengthen the legs to compensate.

 

[herringbonekid]

Papperskatt,

if the trousers have a separate waistband it might be possible to unpick the waistband and re-sew it back on higher, but only if the tailor left a decent amount of inlay inside the waistband, which, to be honest, is highly unlikely. usually the excess trouser top is cut down to about 1cm when the trousers are being finished.

 

[Papperskatt]

Yes. You have to stitch a new center seam on the crotch at a lower height. The legs will shorten and the waist will be higher. You might then have to lengthen the legs to compensate.

Perfect! I was thinking along those lines but wasn't sure that it was possible. The legs are too long anyway so I'd have to shorten them either way.

HBK, I'll see if there's any excess.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Perfect! I was thinking along those lines but wasn't sure that it was possible. The legs are too long anyway so I'd have to shorten them either way.

HBK, I'll see if there's any excess.

If you need to alter the inseam length as well, wait until after you've altered the rise. If you're doing this yourself, it's not such a big deal. However, if you're having a tailor do the work, make sure that they take the measurement for the inseam altering the rise alteration.

 

[Papperskatt]

If you need to alter the inseam length as well, wait until after you've altered the rise.

Yes, of course.

 

[herringbonekid]

i've mentioned this a couple of times before but i think it's either been misunderstood or fallen on deaf ears, so here's an explanation with pictures.

i decided to do a notch lapel on my recent jacket, but adjust the collar edge to look more early 20s.

the standard SB notch configuration is to have a near 90 degree angle between collar edge and lapel edge where they meet at the gorge point, as seen here on this
1940s jacket:

on many early 20s jackets the collar edge angle was dropped to near horizontal, while the lapel edge angle stayed the same.
it gives a subtly different appearance to the gorge 'mouth'.
this is the jacket i'm currently making (i've placed the 90 degree angle over it so you can see how much different it is):

and here's a couple of 20s examples:

it should be said that not all early 20s SB notch lapel jackets had this style, but it seems to have fizzled out around the mid 20s and is completely gone by the 30s.

 

[herringbonekid]

just finished:

light is fading, but i'll get better pictures soon.

 

[Fastuni]

Again outstanding work. How long did it take (aprox. in hours)?

 

[herringbonekid]

Again outstanding work. How long did it take (aprox. in hours)?

thanks !

i don't keep a record of hours, but about 5 days for that type of topstitch-heavy jacket (the buttonholes are done on the Reece machine which saves time).

for a more tailored jacket with welt pockets / stripe-matching and hand-done buttonholes it would be more like 8-9 days.

 

[Rabbit]

Absolutely amazing, HBK. One day I'll just have to start with home-made tailoring myself. This kind of tailorwork is the best motivation I could possibly have come across for that.

 

[Nick D]

Another great piece! Fabric, fit, style all working together! You keep giving me the motivation to keep working on my stuff. I can't make a jacket as fast yet, but I've got a linen DB sitting on my table, and a 1950s silk suit I'm working on for my wife that I really need to finish!

 

[Guttersnipe]

just finished:

light is fading, but i'll get better pictures soon.

Please do! I'd be especially interested to see some pictures of the back too. The "in progress" pictures you posted of the shoulders looked really cool.

 

[herringbonekid]

thanks gents !

 

[DamianM]

Truly an inspiration To us all