Pattern Cutting for Women's Tailored Jackets: Classic and Contemporary

Description

The term 'tailored' has changed as methods of manufacture and the retailing of clothes have evolved. This book demonstrates the wide range of cutting methods used to produce garments which are described as 'tailored' jackets. Although the main focus is on modern methods of producing clothing, a rich and complex cutting tradition is acknowledged and used. It is hoped that the modern garment designer will be inspired to rediscover methods that retain their validity today. The different approaches to 'tailored' cutting are described under three headings: bespoke cutting, engineered cutting and style cutting. The rich heritage of the latter came from the tremendous creativity that was unleashed by women's emancipation at the beginning of the twentieth century and the merging of tailored styles with fashionable clothing. The section on style cutting has therefore derived some of the cutting techniques from that period, thus demonstrating how they can be applied to current methods of production. Review: It is very thorough and gives good overview of the necessary measurements needed for ensuring that ... - This book gives sizes in UK standards and also uses centimeters for measurements. It is very thorough and gives good overview of the necessary measurements needed for ensuring that a lady's jacket fits as required. I found it very useful as well as helpful and I have only just begun to dabble in tailoring garments. My opinion is that you cannot have too much information on tailoring and I buy every book I can on this subject. After having bought it and looked through it I would recommend it as a valuable addition to your library. Review: if you want reliable tailoring blocks this is the book - Winifred Aldrich is a master at producing books with clear istructions for well fitting blocks and this book is no exception. It also includes one of the few chapters detailing the history of tailoring that i have seen. This is important as to come to term with tailoring in all its guises knowing the history helps. Her blocks as usual are straightforward to draft and fit really well, but ... she still retains the 'blow by blow' instructional format which as a teacher i find difficult to work with. She provides line drawings of many variations of collars, vents, sleeves, necklines, etc... and then provides detailed instructions on how to draft these exactly leaving no room to develop a knowledge of why you perform each action. Winifred also provides blocks for use with bespoke or hand tailored construction and for engineered or more contemporary construction - and discusses this difference clearly, one of the few books to cover both. For novice pattern makers, those new to tailored patterns or those seeking well fitting basic blocks you can't go past this valuable book. However those of you wanting to develope more sophisticated tailoring skills will be better off with one of the classics such as Helen Joseph Armstrong or Martin Shoben but would appreciate Aldrich as she has much better and more modern fitting blocks.