The Vintage Tailoring Thread

[Metatron]

There is also a ritualistic pleasure in putting on a solidly built jacket.
Btw I am not waging a war on lighter fabrics, I just think it's misleading to write that vintage is heavy, only for winter etc.

 

[lordwinters]

There is also a ritualistic pleasure in putting on a solidly built jacket.
Btw I am not waging a war on lighter fabrics, I just think it's misleading to write that vintage is heavy, only for winter etc.

Quite, I mean I find a 1940's three piece to be warm in the summer, but I must say it is really not unbearable in any way. It can even work as an isolation from the heat, up to a certain point.

 

[Nick D]

There is also a ritualistic pleasure in putting on a solidly built jacket.
Btw I am not waging a war on lighter fabrics, I just think it's misleading to write that vintage is heavy, only for winter etc.

That's the thing, though. A vintage winter suit is made of much thicker fabric than you'll generally find today. Even lightweight fabrics then seem to drape better than lightweights today. I think the yarns from which fabrics today are often made from, the much vaunted Super-100s, etc, are thinner than the yarns of the 30s and 40s. Matt Deckard posted about Superfine wools some time ago, I should try to find that post.

 

[esteban68]

I had a 1950's British made 3 piece thorn-proof on last July in the UK and at around 27c it was too hot if I am honest, though several fine English ales did make it bearable!

 

[Patrick Hall]

Friends,

talk to me about the possibility of having patch pockets added to a (bespoke) jacket that was constructed with standard flapped pockets? Assuming my tailor could source the fabric he used for the suit, this could theoretically happen right? The jacket in question (featured somewhere in this section) has a lovely patched breast pocket with an inverse pleat, but I neglected to specify that I'd like all three pockets to match. Every time I wear the suit it drives me more nuts.

 

[Nick D]

Yes, should be doable. As long as the tops of the patches were a little higher than the slit of the pocket mouth, say a half inch at least.

 

[Claudio]

sounds liek a nightmare if you ask me. Where the slitted pockets once were, what are you going to do? After all the fabric would need to be cut to make standard pockets. DO you mind adding the said suit here? It can't be that bad ...

 

[Nick D]

There's always going to be evidence of the old pockets, but the slit could be closed up. Some (modern) patch pockets I've seen have a bit of stay tape on the outside below the edge of the patch, so if that were adopted it would cover the slit. There are some other options, too. In any case, it depends on the tailor having more of the correct fabric. I'm actually kind of surprised he didn't bring it up in the first place.

 

[Patrick Hall]

Here's the link to pics of the suit: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?65804-Vintage-Suitings-Discussions-of-and-sourcing-modern-equivalents-etc&p=1791962&viewfull=1#post1791962

I intend for the patch pockets to be flapped and buttoned, like the breast pocket. Wouldn't that conceal the slits?


One of my big beefs with this tailor is that he is oblivious to detail. Big problem, it would seem to me, when you are making bespoke garments, but I guess he's used to people expressing their uniqueness with the liner fabric and not much else.

 

[Nick D]

I intend for the patch pockets to be flapped and buttoned, like the breast pocket. Wouldn't that conceal the slits?

Yes, it would be the best option, I think.

 

[volvomeister13]

I'm hoping to get a 1920's or 30's bespoke suit (still undecided which and what exactly) when and if I can find the right place, and I've turned to this thread for much of my research. A while back fellow lounger Qirrel posted these two fabric links:

Fox Brothers: http://www.foxflannel.com/ (specifically the London Lounge line)
http://www.dugdalebros.com/cloth-ranges/english-and-town-classics-bunch-134/

As far as proximity to the great fabrics of vintage suits, these two are my favorites from what I've seen on the thread. Dugdale's look fantastic and really quite affordable, but would there be a significant advantage to shelling out nearly four times as much money for Fox Flannel's London Lounge fabrics?

 

[herringbonekid]

As far as proximity to the great fabrics of vintage suits, these two are my favorites from what I've seen on the thread. Dugdale's look fantastic and really quite affordable, but would there be a significant advantage to shelling out nearly four times as much money for Fox Flannel's London Lounge fabrics?

depends what weight you require i.e. what temperature you'll be wearing the suit in. the Dugdale range you linked to is 13-14oz, whereas the Fox is 18oz.
personally i'd go for the 18oz every time, but i live in chilly old England and don't wear wool suits in the summer. i also think the pattern designs and weaves are far nicer (and more 1930s looking) on the Fox LL range than the Dugdale.

 

[Qirrel]

The fox fabrics are expensive, I agree, but the weights and designs are incomparable to what is available elsewhere. If you want something in the lighter range with nicer designs there is also this range from Huddersfield Cloth: http://www.huddersfieldcloth.com/Products/34

 

[volvomeister13]

The fox fabrics are expensive, I agree, but the weights and designs are incomparable to what is available elsewhere. If you want something in the lighter range with nicer designs there is also this range from Huddersfield Cloth: http://www.huddersfieldcloth.com/Products/34

Wow, love those Huddersfield designs, but the light weight and "high twist" sound a bit modern for me. Fox is probably the way to go as you say.

 

[Broccoli]

I am about to get started with sewing myself, thanks to all the inspiration you all have provided.
Could anyone help me out on where to find patterns? I'll only make trousers until I feel I am ready to make a suit. For those who have made patterns themselves, I am interested in what techniques that are used for this? I have found tailor books, but are there any good ways to learn about cutting?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Broccoli]

Bump, does anyone know which drafting systems to use and where to find them?

 

[herringbonekid]

i've never used a drafting system.

i believe Nick D has used Eva Dress patterns before, and Barmey has used drafts from vintage tailoring books / magazines. both are relatively easy to find online.

i would recommend buying a book such as Carbrera's 'classic tailoring techniques'. i use it more as a reference book to check the 'correct' way to do something before going and doing it my own way.

 

[Broccoli]

Thanks! So you draw your own patterns then? Or do you make patterns based on existing garments?

 

[Dostioffsky]

I have now made a few pairs of trousers myself and am about to start a sporty tweed suit. I used this draft from the 'New supreme system' (as found here: https://archive.org/stream/newsupremesystem00croo#page/118/mode/2up) which I found quite easy to follow. During the process of making up the trousers I changed a few things and then before starting the next pair I altered my draft/pattern to reflect those changes. And so the pattern kind of evolved. In the back of the New supreme system book there are also layouts showing how to efficiently distribute your pattern on the fabric.

As for the cutting and construction, I found this very useful: http://www.cutterandtailor.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=406. It pretty much takes you through the process step by step.

Also don't abandon your own logic, I found it sometimes easy to get lost in all the theory and make things more difficult than they need to be.

Good luck!

 

[herringbonekid]

Thanks! So you draw your own patterns then? Or do you make patterns based on existing garments?

i took apart some vintage garments to see the internal construction, and to draw around for patterns.
the patterns nearly always get tweaked and modified though.