Final Evaluation

Overall, I am pleased with the tailoring work I have done and think it is of a good standard. However, I am disappointed that I have not been able to learn more through this project and feel that I still lack tailoring skills that I will need in the future. I understand that this is a result of my work placement, which has reduced the time I have had to complete my tailoring work, but I have gained valuable experience by completing this.

Tailoring is an area that interests me greatly, and I have enjoyed researching further into it. Initially, I think I focused too much on general research into tailoring when I should have perhaps looked more at techniques I would be using, together with fabrics. Once I realised this, I did change the direction of my research and I think I have learnt much from doing this.   On reflection I could have perhaps gone into greater depth with my research, particularly concerning fabrics, although time constraints meant that construction of the jacket became my main focus. During construction, however, I think my research skills were of sufficient quality to enable me to find a solution to my pocket flap problem independently.

I enjoyed drafting the patterns for this project and have increased my knowledge of this process. I think I am developing an eye as to what looks right in relation to patterns and their alteration. However, I think that in general, too much time was spent on drafting the patterns, particularly when considering the time I then had left to construct the jacket. Nevertheless, I appreciated that this would have been difficult to change, as there was no time before the Easter break to get fabric, which was needed for the next stage.

I am happy with my fabric choice and think it fits the period well; in addition the herringbone stripe adds a challenging dimension. This did provide some problems, particularly in relation to the pockets, as these had to be matched with regard to the stripes and because of the additional challenge of a flap, they took much longer than I had anticipated. It perhaps may have been easier, given my time constraints, to have picked a plain fabric, but it was difficult to find a suitable fabric I liked and I did not see any plain fabric that I thought would work as well as the herringbone.

I am pleased nevertheless, with the pockets and the way they match. The flap was an extra challenge but now I know more about how to sew these and the general shape of them. The inside jetted pocket’s left side is slightly too slanted, probably as a result of sewing past the upright and so I will be more careful of this in the future.

I am glad I had time to learn how to do trouser side entry pockets and a fly, as these are extremely useful skills to know. I think my pockets are more successful than the fly but I found them easier and simpler to construct. I definitely need to practice doing button holes, as I am not happy with the ones that I have done. Similarly, I found the last step of the fly particularly difficult, as the button placket did not reach as far over as I had expected. I am also concerned about the raw edges of the fly, in particular, whether these will be on show once the trousers are finished.

With regards to my work placement, I have enjoyed my time there and although it has meant I have not been able to learn as much tailoring, as I would have liked to during the project, the placement has given me a beneficial insight into the professional environment. It has been exciting working on the Olympics’ costumes, as this is probably a once in a life time opportunity. Although I have gained few new technical skills on my placement, I have gained valuable practical experience.

This tproject has allowed me to gain construction skills and experience, which I have enjoyed learning, not least because of the challenges they have presented me with and the need for me to use my problem solving skills.  Tailoring is an area of work that I think I would like to continue with in my third year and so I am extremely keen to complete my jacket and trousers to enable me to progress further with my development of skills in this area.

Facings

The furthest I could reach with my jacket is the facings and inside pocket. I think this has gone well, and the shape of the facing is good. I think the left side of my jetted pocket is on too much of a slant, possibly because I sewed slightly past the upright. I shall have to be more careful of this in the future. Although I found I could complete the pocket without looking at my instructions, I did occasionally miss a stage and had to go back. I do need to keep practicing pockets but I think I completed this one relatively quickly, partly because the jets were plain fabric which made it much easier.

I am pleased with the inside of the pocket, as I usually zig zag this piece to the pocketing, but as lining frays a lot and is easily caught when using zig zag, I top stitched it instead, which has worked well.

Observations on the Tube

During my commutes to and from work experience, I have found that the tube is an excellent place to observe men's jackets! Becoming somewhat obsessed by looking at the jackets around me (particularly the pockets) I have observed some interesting aspects of suits. Perhaps the most interesting is that on mass produced jackets, the jets do not match the grain, like I have been taught to do, instead the grain sits horizontal. This means that with a striped jacket, the stripes do not match and instead go in a horizontal direction, and I have found that flaps although the grain matches the rest of the jacket the stripes do not. I have also found that the upright of the welt pocket does not always follow the straight of grain as it should, perhaps because less time is taken over this than with a bespoke suit. Many suits tend to have a row of small stitching (almost like stab stitching but more obvious) around the lapel and also the CF.

I also saw a picture of Will Smith in the Metro wearing a very nice suit, and one that had clearly been made to measure, particularly as it has a ticket pocket. I really like the styling of the suit with the purple shirt and tie, as although these are also patterned, it is oddly not too much. The trousers are also turn ups, which I like and is perhaps more unusual to find.

Trouser Fly

I found this fairly challenging and think I definitely need to practice constructing flies. I think the most difficult part was the final stage of top stitching the fly, particularly when having to manoeuvre the button placket to stitch this. The curve of this could also be improved. I am disappointed with my buttonholes and again, need to practice these. I am not entirely sure how the trousers get finished off with the lining as I am concerned that the raw edges of the fly pieces will be on show. The fly needs to be completed with buttons and a couple of hooks and bars, but the waistband needs to be done before this.

Brioni

Although not particularly related to the work I have been doing, I was shown this video by a friend and thought it was great!

                                                            http://vimeo.com/40925215

It also led me to research the tailors that helped to produce the video, Brioni. This is an Italian company that was established in 1945. I like their website (http://www.brioni.com/), particularly the design, and it is interesting to read that they are continually doing research into the fit of suits and their models as this is obviously a key aspect of bespoke tailoring and what differentiates it from mass produced suits; personalising each suit to the individual wearer.

The company began as a tailors shop in Rome, with a focus on high fashion. As their website describes 'Brioni innovated the fashion show concept...and showed men on the catwalk for the first time'. This is interesting as although tailoring always has been a fine craft, largely catering for the elite, the move to the catwalk arguably brought tailoring to the fore front of high fashion. The fact Brioni introduced a touch of colour to formal wear, dinner jackets in particular, also shows how they are innovators within the tailoring industry.

Looking through their collection, I thought this jacket was unusual, but compliments the bright colours of the collection. I think the use of these colours and fabrics reflects Brioni's sense of colour and high fashion influences, as well as clearly being a summer collection, perhaps intended to attract younger, fashion conscious customers. Colours seem to have played a key role in Brioni's history, and as a company they are one which has explored the relationship between innovation and tradition.

Brioni stated a tailoring school in 1985, which teaches the '220 phases needed to produce a Brioni garment'. It expanded in the 90s and not only makes suits but a whole range of men's garments.

The company appears to have boutiques across the world, though it is unclear whether these offer made to measure services. 

Trouser Pockets

I found these relatively straightforward, particularly compared to jetted and welt pockets. I am glad that I took the time to learn this process as although I wont be making trousers for this project, knowing how to do these pockets will be useful in the future. I think my sample is fairly neat, although I am not sure if the seam should cover more of the uprights, as the mouth is not completely at the side. I think this is as a result of sewing the mouth 1/2" away from the edge rather than 1/4". I would like to attempt the slanted trouser pockets next as I think these will be a different challenge.

Reflection on the project

As I am beginning my work placement on Tuesday, I am not able to progress much further with my jacket as I need to be shown the next steps. I am disappointed that I will not be able to finish my jacket, but think that I will gain valuable skills and experience through completing a work placement. Hopefully, at some point in the future, I will be able to complete my jacket as tailoring is a particular area of interest to me and something I think I might like to continue in my third year.

At this point, I am pleased with the work I have done on my jacket. I have worked hard to ensure my pockets are of a standard I am happy with as well as other aspects of my jacket, such as the pad stitching. I feel like I have learned some new skills, and was happy that I was able to learn how to do trouser side entry pockets and a fly, because although I am not making trousers for this project, it is useful to know for the future.

With regards more generally to tailoring, I have continued to be aware of the importance of precision and of getting things right the first time. I have tried to follow this throughout the project, but found it particularly challenging with regards to the pockets as to ensure the stripes were matching and precise, I had to unpick and re sew the jets a few times. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed the challenges of the project and finding ways to overcome them as well as working more independently.

Fitting

I was able to watch the fitting of another girl in my group and found it really useful, particularly with regards to what to look for when fitting a suit. Below are some key points:

• We first looked at the fit of the trousers. With these, the fishtails should be about 3" apart. Similarly the first brace buttons should sit 3" from the CF and the second a further 3" from this.
• Usually the trouser pockets and fly would be completed by the tailor before the fitting as any alterations that need to be made are done to the back pieces.
• When looking at the length of the trousers, ensuring there is a break line is key. This is a crease in the trouser leg just above the shoe. The bottom of the trouser usually hits the bottom of the heel (above the sole of the shoe). The hem can be shaped to make it shorter at the front to fit better over the shoe.
• It is usually expected at a fitting to at least have calico sleeves in as this helps to visualise what the completed jacket will look like.
• When looking at the jacket, the first thing to do is to go to the back before closing the front. The across back should be smooth. The front should then be pinned, checking this does not distort the back. Check around the arm to ensure there is no 'air'.
• With regards to the lapel, this is normally cut after the fitting with the seam allowance being folded over and tacked so it is easy to adjust. This is important as it is a style area and one which the designer is likely to want to change.
• It is almost always the case that you need to scoop out more around the armhole at the front so it doesn't bunch. This is marked with pins. If able to, it is helpful to snip into the seam allowance (obviously once the sleeve has been removed). This is to give the actor more confidence that he will have more ease when wearing the finished jacket. Be careful when doing this by putting your hand in between the shirt and scissors.
• When sewing the side seams, it is most important to get the balance points at the armhole right and then the chest/waist points.
• It is key when pinning the jacket length to check with the designer and look in the mirror.
• It was interesting to see the canvas and the felt doing their job by creating a smooth front.

The fit of the suit was good and looked nice. I would have liked to have a fitting with my jacket but ran out of time. I hope that perhaps when I am able to continue with my jacket I will have a fitting. I am pleased, however, that I have been able to watch a couple of fittings as this had added to my knowledge and understanding of tailoring.

Pad Stitching - Lapel

Today I completed the pad stitching for the lapel, which is similar to that which I have done for the canvas. It was slightly more complicated, involving a few steps, but not as challenging as matching the pockets. Overall, I think the pad stitching is relatively neat, although on the first lapel the stitches should be closer together. Therefore, when stitching the second lapel I took this on board and think it has turned out better. 

Below are photos and a short explanation of the process, a more detailed version of which I will include in my workbook.

1.Tack a piece of cotton tape (1/2" or 1cm wide) centred on the middle of the break line, leaving extra either end. Use a running stitch. About 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the lapel pull the tape to slightly gather the lapel and hold with a back stitch. Do not continue up to the top of the lapel, instead reverting back to a running stitch (see picture).

2. Pad stitch the edges of the tape with matching thread (to the top cloth). The stitches should be about 1cm long. Also pad stitch the edges of the breast felt and shoulder canvas down.

3. Again using matching thread, pad stitch the canvas to the top cloth. Ensure to only do this in the lapel not seam allowance. The stitches should once again be about 1cm long and each stitch should start halfway down the stitch of the previous row. As you stitch, push the canvas a tiny bit towards the tape. this will help to roll the lapel. The corner of the lapel should have the stitches going in a different direction (see picture below).

First Lapel - stitches need to be further apart

Second Lapel - stitches closer together

Rolled Lapel

I found this process particularly interesting as by moving the lapel when stitching the tape, and pushing the canvas a tiny bit on each row of stitching, it means the lapel rolls and prevents it from bowing. I enjoy learning about these techniques and processes as it is what differentiates a bespoke tailored jacket from mass produced jackets to an extent, and you begin to understand the amount of work and skill that goes into the work.

Pad Stitching

After completing the pockets and basting them down so they do not move, the next stage is to cut hair canvas, shoulder canvas and breast felt and pad stitch these together before basting them to the fronts of the jacket. The purpose of this is to stiffen the fronts of the jackets, as well as to build up the front shoulder area to compensate for the dip of the shoulder blade. 

I enjoyed doing the pad stitching and found it relatively straight forward, and I think it has turned out fairly neat and even. In order to remember how to do it in the future, I made a short video, almost as a tutorial/instruction guideline as it is a new technique. I thought making a video would be a more interesting and visual way of producing instructions, particularly as I can upload it here onto my blog. I will do paper instructions to go in my workbook as a hard copy, and include diagrams as I'm not sure how clear the video is, particularly with my basic video editing skills! 

Once I had completed the pad stitching, I basted the canvas to the jacket fronts in a similar manner as I had done with my waistcoat with three lines of tacking (one down the centre, one across the shoulder around the armhole, and one down the front) and was surprised how easily I could remember the technique of gently stretching the cloth and doing fairly large stitches (though I did check my waistcoat instructions!).

At this stage, I feel as if my jacket is going well and I am pleased with the standard of my work, even if it is taking longer. I do understand, nevertheless, that I will need to become quicker at the techniques but as I am still learning new techniques I think it is important to do them correctly and then increase my speed through practice.

Finished Pockets!!

I have finally finished all three of the outside jacket pockets! Overall, I am pleased with how they have turned out as they match fairly well. Although this took a while, I think not rushing and spending longer to get the stripes to match was a good idea, particularly as I would not have been happy with myself or the work had I not done so. My only concern is that the pockets are slightly bulky, but hopefully once the jacket is finished this will not be a problem. The welt pocket took less time than those on my waistcoat (and seemed less complicated!) because I have done it before, so hopefully with practice I will be able to do both types of pockets with relative ease and speed.

More Pockets...

I have found sewing the pockets on my jacket much more challenging than the sample, particularly because both pockets need to be identical. It has also been extremely time consuming enuring the jets match up - this has been most difficult once again with the top jet because of the flap and I have had to unpick and re-sew this several times. This is extremely frustrating as I have not yet been able to get the stripes to match satisfactorily and am concerned the more times I try to sew it, the messier it will be. After spending several hours on this today, I have given up and will attempt it again tomorrow, though this has made me behind schedule, as I idealy wanted to get all of my pockets done by tomorrow and I still need to do my breast pocket.

Pockets

My jacket has two pockets with flaps which need to be constructed once the darts are sewn. Because I had not sewn a pocket with a flap before, I decided to do a sample. I found the flap fairly challenging and time consuming, partly because my first attempt did not lay flat and was too small for the mouth of the pocket. This was due to the fact that only seam allowance had been added which did not allow for the lip on the reverse side of the pocket, and the lining being pulled too much. I decided to see if I could find a solution to this problem by looking in tailoring books and found a slightly different way of constructing the flap. This produced a much better result, and allowed me to continue with the rest of my sample.

First flap: 

Second flap:

Flap Instructions from 'Classic Tailoring Techniques' by R. Cabrera & P.F. Meyers:

I used the pattern that accompanied the instructions as a guideline for the shape of the flap

The rest of the pocket was fairly straight forward, and I enjoy constructing jetted pockets in particular. Nevertheless, when I came to sew the flap into the top jet I found this difficult as the flap got in the way of being able to easily match the top jet - I had to unpick my first attempt and do it again. Despite this, I think my sample has turned out fairly successfully with a few imperfections. I hope to complete the pockets on my jacket as successfully, although will have the added challenge of ensuring both sides are the same.

Finished poket sample:

Next Stages

After having a meeting with my tutor and group, the next stage was to add inlays to the pattern and then cut out my jacket. This was fairly simple, although I had to be careful to match up the herringbone stripes, and realised that the herringbone wouldn't allow the pattern to be mirrored along the CB. I found cutting out and mark tacking much easier and quicker than with the waistcoat.

During the afternoon, I had the chance to observe a 3rd year fitting of a 1920s tailcoat and a kilt and jacket, which was very interesting. I was able to understand the key things to look for at a fitting, such as how the across back of the jacket should be smooth, the sleeve placement, as well as the length of the sleeves and trousers. Seeing the skilled work that had been put into the suits has given me something to aim towards in this project and the future if I continue with tailoring in my 3rd year.

I now need to continue to work hard to get my pockets completed in time for the next session. This will be challenging as I have to ensure the pattern matches and I have to include flaps which is something I have not done before.

Development of Tailoring and Menswear

Below is some of my research gathered from Norah Waugh's 'The Cut of Men's Clothes' and Penelope Byrde's 'The Twentieth Century: a visual history of costume'. 

'The Cut of Men's Clothes' (p.130-132):

The start of the C19th was a turning point for male tailoring. There was a revolution in the art of cutting, brought on by realisation that the systems in place were not suitable for the increased concentration on the cut and fit of men's garments. One innovation in particular, the tape measure, greatly contributed to the change in practice. With this new instrument, tailors were able to see and measure the proportions of the male figure, and from this worked out the first simple drafting system with a much more mathematical and scientific approach.

However, some soon realised that the simple breast measurement system was only suitable for well-proportioned figures. Tailors still cut from patterns but these were now drafted from a basic block and adapted to the measurements and anatomy of the individual customer. For wholesale mass production, patterns for the main figure types were used.

Although the cutting of a garment is important, it is by no means the whole art of tailoring - the subtle techniques of interlinings, padding, pressing and sewing etc. are also key. The scientific approach developed in the C19th century has made tailoring a highly skilled profession.

Lounge Jacket (p.115)

This derived from the simple two-seamed paletot by taking a long dart from the under-arm slightly forward and extending it down to the waist - giving it a better fit. The lounge jacket had become very popular for informal wear by the 1870s, and in the 1880s the 'dress lounge' appeared for informal evening wear.

'The Twentieth Century: a visual history of costume' (p.13-14):

At the beginning of the century, men's dress was generally formal and dictated by their occupation and the time of day. The frock coat and morning suit were correct for day wear, but the three piece lounge suit was worn for less formal occasions. The cut of the suit was fairly narrow.

The second decade of the century was dominated by the First World War which drew attention away from civilian men's dress. During the 20s however, the frock coat was out of fashion and the mourning suit was reserved for more formal occasions. Professional or business men wore single or double breasted three piece lounge suits, the shape of which had changed quite considerably. Trousers became wider, together with the shoulders of the jacket and loosened at the waist to become much squarer in shape. This became even more exaggerated during the 30s, accentuated by shoulder padding, wide lapels and the double breasted fastening. Trouser legs were cut wide with turn ups.

Once again, the outbreak of war put an stop to any progress in fashion - 'new suits were allowed only a certain number of pockets and buttons, had single-breasted jackets and trousers no wider than 19 inches with no turn ups.'

By the 1950s, men's suits began to narrow, with slimmer trousers and more fitted jackets which had a natural shoulder line, smaller lapels and the single-breasted fastening. This was in part due to the influence of Italian designers and the so called 'Italian suit', cut in light cloths which resulted from new developments in the production of man-made fibres which produced lighter weight and crease resistant suitings.

Fabric!

After three trips to London I finally have my fabric! I went back to Fabric House where the similar fabric the owner had found was perfect, and I think I almost prefer it as the herringbone is subtler. It is about the same thickness, and although I am not sure its exact weight (it could be lighter than 14oz) I think it should be good to work with.

I also bought some silk lining fabric - I went for black as although the turquoise appealed to me, I thought black suited the fabric and time period better.

Finally getting my fabric is a big relief, particularly as it is something I am happy to work with and therefore will make the project more enjoyable. I also think the herringbone will provide a bit of a challenge, as I will have to ensure the pockets match and it goes in the same direction throughout the suit.

Fabric Shopping Take Two

I went back to Goldhawk Road today after asking the advice of my tutor who suggested to go for the heavier tweedy fabrics as the thinner, smoother fabrics tend to be for more modern suits. With a better idea of what to look for, I first headed to the shops which I remembered finding some nice fabrics in. In Fabric House I found a dark grey/black wool with a subtle herringbone fabric of quite a good weight.

Unfortunately, as I could have predicted, there was not enough fabric on the roll. I decided to have a look in the other shops to see if I could find anything similar, but nothing was quite the same, particularly with regards to the thickness. On return to Fabric House the shop owner was extremely helpful and said he would check his stock and let me know later that day if he could find any more.

I therefore went home once again without fabric, but I feel it is important to get the fabric choice right and to get something I am happy with and want to work with. Fortunately, the shop owner has found something he says is very similar and so I am going back tomorrow to see and hopefully buy it!

Although to some extent spending this much time fabric shopping has perhaps reduced the time that could be spent researching, as I have said above I think getting the right fabric is key.

Fabric Shopping...

Today I went fabric shopping in London, however had an unsuccessful day. I began in Goldhawk Road as this is where the cheaper fabrics tend to be. I had been advised by my tutor to get a 14oz wool and had looked at some samples at Uni to get an idea of the weight I would need. Below are photos of a few of those samples that I particularly liked.

 It was soon apparent that trying to find an appropriate fabric would be harder than I had anticipated. This was chiefly because no one knew the weights of the wools and many suggested that the thinner wools would be more suitable for a suit, as thicker wools tend to be used for coats. With little experience or knowledge of wools and suit fabrics, I found it extremely difficult to judge the weights by touch, with only the memory of the samples at Uni to go on. I was able to take a few pictures of wools in one of the shops as I was unable to get samples.

(I liked the purple checked fabric here even though I am looking for a plainer fabric)

The fabrics in Goldhalk Road generally ranged from £10-20.

Unsure of what to do, I headed to Berwick Street, more to see if I could get a better idea of the weight of fabric rather than to buy any, as fabrics are generally more expensive here. I did see some nice fabrics, however I hit the same problem as before and therefore continued to have trouble distinguishing the weights. I spoke to an very helpful shop assistant who advised me to choose something I wanted to work with or that would look right if I was unsure of what to get, and that you could always increase the thickness of the fabric by combining it with horse hair. I did get some samples and particularly like those from the Berwick Street Cloth Shop though these are too expensive (£45/m). I think I'd like to find something similar to the black herringbone as its fairly plain but has some detail.

 

I was disappointed that I did not get my fabric today, but I resolved on going home and doing some research on fabrics because I did not want to spend a large amount on fabric that might not be suitable. I think I should have done more research before going as I felt unprepared, but I did not know it would be so difficult. I have since come to the realisation that a 14oz wool might not have to be as thick as I think it should, as I think if the weave is tighter, it will produce a smoother and thinner feel and look.

Suit Images

 I have been meaning to put up more of my research over the past week than I have - this is mainly due to trying to get my costume for Battle for the winds completely finished, as well as focusing on pattern drafting and it being the end of term. I have decided on the image (or in fact a few images) that I want to use for reference and have checked them with my tutor.

Through my research I have found many jackets of the late Victorian age have small lapels. However, I did find a new style of lounge jacket with a bigger lapel, which I prefer and which I have decided to make. I found it difficult to find an image of a full suit of this style, and initially I only had the image below.

After looking in various Victorian photo books and at paintings I still had little luck but did find this image of Matthew Arnold, a poet and critic. Although the jacket is of the slightly different style, I like the trousers he is wearing and think it would be interesting to try and find a similar fabric. Despite the jacket not being quite the style I want to make, it is interesting to look at, particularly the edging around the cuffs and lapel.

I then came across this image on the internet that is the style I prefer and of a slightly later date (1913), which could explain why I was struggling to find images of it. When I showed these images to my tutor he agreed that I could make the trousers that Matthew Arnold is wearing and the newer style of jacket. However, I do like the turn up style of trousers seen in the image below.

Since then, I have found a few more images of similar suits, which I will also use for reference. I am going fabric shopping on Wednesday and so depending on what I find, will to some extent dictate the image I will most closely follow. I think it may be easier and look nicer to buy matching jacket and trouser fabric, particularly as I am under pressure as to what I will be able to make. As I only have 3 weeks after Easter, I don't want to make it more difficult for myself by choosing a decorative/patterned fabric.