Fashion Fine Points: Craftmanship
A garment should feel old when new and look new when old. Quality construction enables
a more expensive garment to actually cost less in the long run due to its prolonged
life expectancy.
Coats
- Floating Canvas
A lightweight canvas interlining and expert tailoring, creates a coat front that
adds lasting shape and body without heaviness or stiffness. A soft wool canvass
sewn in between the lining and exterior garment fabric provides support without
obstructing the flow or movement of the fabric. This sewing technique is often referred
to as a ‘floating chest piece”. It provides shape and comfort to the wearer. Hair
cloth beneath the canvass helps the garment to “spring back to shape”. It helps
the lapels maintain there gentle, flowing roll because hair cloth will not crease.
The hallmark of quality is immediately noticed in the graceful way the coat lapel
rolls and in the way the coat front hugs the chest like a second skin.
Note: Coats of inferior construction do not sew in a canvass, but will fuse or glue
a stiffener fabric to the back of the coat fabric to provide support. This method
results in a very stiff uncomfortable construction. In the long run this gluing
process will break down unlike a sewn in canvass which will last a life time.
- Shoulder, Armholes and Sleeves
A well set coat armhole determines how comfortable the coat will feel. The coat
sleeve must be positioned in the armhole to match the natural angle of the arm to
the body. The coat sleeves need to be cut on a graceful curve that mimics the curved
line of the arm from the shoulder to wrist. This will ensure that the coat drapes
naturally and gracefully.
- Coat Collar
A properly design coat collar requires precise cutting and tailoring. Constructed
of two halves, which allow the cloth to conform more easily to the natural shape
of the neck, it will hug the neck and keep the coat from kicking up in front. A
one piece collar on the other hand creates tension on the outer edge of the piece
as is bent.
- Under-collars
The best under-collar interlining is made of fine Irish linen. It is “married” to
the under-collar cloth, a woven wool flannel (not a pressed “felt”). As a result,
the interlining has resilience and body characteristics that are transferred to
the coat collar.
- Coat Lining
Bemberg lining is the fabric of choice. Milled from short cotton fibers, it will
not fade or shrink. If a lining shrinks it will “fight” with the designed drape
of the garment. Bemberg lining combines the soft, smooth feeling of silk with the
easy care and absorbency of cotton.
- Silk Thread
Silk provides strength, elasticity, and “memory” (it returns to its original length
after being stretched) plus reliable color brilliance and fastness. Silk gives seams
a soft, thin, and flexible characteristic while holding up to the constant stresses
of daily wear, dry cleanings and pressings.
- Buttons
The most durable buttons are turned from the horns of the water buffalo and mother
of pearl shells. Horn buttons are more durable than corozo (shell) buttons. A button
from nature offers durability, richness of color, and texture that are unmatched
by man-made materials. Horns used are naturally shed, not harvested.
- Hand Sewn Buttonholes
Buttonholes sewn with long-wear silk thread over a fine twist-free linen gimp produces
a durable and soft, yet flexible feel that will not unravel like a machine sewn
buttonhole.
- Sleeve Cuffs
Cotton sleeve wigum should be sewn into the sleeve cuff to help it retain its shape,
not fusing (glued stiffener).
Shirts
A properly fitted shirt should not only fit at the neck and sleeve, but also properly
fit the persons bone structure (yolk) and body (shirt waist). Only when fine tuned
at the cuff (circumference), tail length, collar band height and chest along with
the proper collar selection (body type dictates) will the shirt be properly tailored.
Shoes
The human foot is oddly shaped and is constantly morphing into different shapes
as the stress of walking is applied. Only by taking the time to craft the uppers
will a shoe provide the ultimate in comfort. Shaping the upper requires lots of
skill and lots of time. Each upper should be left on its “last” or mold for at least
a week before it is removed and sewn to insole and sole of the shoe. This extra
time sculpts the shoe and helps it to retain this very precise shape wearing after
wearing.
Neckwear
Ties should be finished by hand to ensure the tie drape returns to its natural shape
wearing after wearing. A machine stitched tie, on the other hand, will eventually
warp the drape of the tie. Tie designs accomplished either by printing the design
on to silk fabric or actually woven – with different color silk threads interlocking
together to produce the silk fabric and ultimately the exceptional detail found
in a woven silk tie.
Trousers
A proper fit entails more than just the waist and length. A correctly tailored trouser
should also fit: between the crotch and the waist (pant rise), seat, thigh and width
at pant bottom. Custom fitted trousers can also correct for the rotation of the
pant crease caused by bow legs. This must be done at the pattern stage before the
pant is cut and sewn.