Made by Hand, Machine, or 3D?
About ten years ago, one of my interlining suppliers showed me a new product they were developing. At the time there were concerns (principally in Europe, where this company was located) about the health effects of cellphone radiation. There are still such concerns, as reports continue to surface about exposure to wireless devices. This new product was meant to protect from such radiation. I, however, had another idea about it. My mother may have taughtRead More
Gaping pockets are a common affliction on plain-front trousers, and are almost always caused by tightness in the hips- the tightness causes the pocket to pull open and form what some say look like dog’s ears on the side of your hips. Never an attractive feature. When selecting a coat size, we advise to fit the shoulders first, then worry about the rest; when fitting trousers, it is best to find a size that fitsRead More
This one’s for the tailors. Tiny little details that I obsess over….. I have always operated under the assumption that there were two basic methods of setting the breast welt pocket (with many variations on the methods, but two global methods). The first being the hand-made method, in which the welt is constructed (usually by hand), sewn to the front, then the ends felled or slip-stitched in place by hand. This is how I haveRead More
Since my last post, a reader emailed me to tell me that the initials of the cutter would be found on the label, those initials being “TH”. I assume this must mean Terry Haste, former MD of Huntsman, but was he there in 2000? I’ll have to go back and read the book again. Or do some more homework. But in any case, we’re not evaluating the cutting here, only the sewing. It’s just funRead More
Like so many parts of the garment, pockets seem like simple, insignificant little things but in reality are quite complex and pose certain challenges to cutter and tailor alike. One of the first considerations is whether there are stripes or checks to be matched. If you look at most RTW (ready-to-wear), and even some bespoke garments, the lines of a pocket flap will match the jacket nicely below the flap, but seldom above the flap.Read More
Also known as the taschino (little pocket), the barchetta (little boat), a hand-made breast pocket is easy to spot. The first giveaway is the presence of a micro zig-zag stitch or straight stitch along the edge of the welt- this has been done by machine. A hand-felled pocket will have no visible stitching along the edge, and may have a row of pick-stitching about 1/4″ from the side. The second, more subtle clue is thatRead More