Garment cutting in the twentieth century

by Günther F. Hertzer

Armhole and Sleeve.

(SEE DIA. [VII].)

Both armhole and sleeves as well as the shoulder seam are very closely connected, and must harmonize. No matter in what position we choose to place the different parts of a frock or sack while cutting, they must all assume the same position at and around the armhole and shoulders when on the body. The question of locating the front of the armhole is solved in the application of the angle of 135 deg. The normal form has its arms at the center and side of the body, and Dia. [I] has its armhole in its center and side. If the old rule—front of armhole ⅔ half-breast from back—holds good, then the back of the armhole must also be equally good at ⅔ half-breast from the front base, as in Dia. [I]. There is no question but that the armhole may be made more or less without injury to the fit as long as the sleeve fits into the armhole. The front of the armhole is located two seams back of 45 deg., from the starting point, and on the front base, as shown in Dia. [VII]. This gives an easy-fitting armhole for a well-built form, but if the armhole is cut forward to meet the front sleeve base, it will not injure the coat.

It is generally claimed that a stooping form requires its armhole more forward, and an erect form more backward, but this is not always true. We find plenty of forms which bend the back, and throw the neck downward in front, but throw the arms and shoulders backward, and which forms do not require their armholes forward of the normal position. We also find forms which are very erect or straight in the back but throw their arms forward, and do require the armholes forward from the normal position. Now, no matter if the form is erect or stooping, the armholes do not require to be larger or smaller. Because a man throws his arms forward or backward does not show that his arm becomes larger or smaller. If the armhole is required to be cut ½ an inch more forward the back should be that much wider. If the armhole is cut ½ an inch backward the back becomes ½ an inch smaller—the location of the armhole changes, not the armhole.

A cutter must also take into account the occupation of a customer. A musician who blows a great horn requires his armholes backward, and a full breast, while a person who plays the violin requires his armholes pretty well forward, or, at least, he needs extra length in the back sleeve seam, no matter if it is a trifle loose when the sleeve drops downward. But if everything is well balanced it is wonderful how small, and again how large, an armhole a man can have in his coat and feel good in either of them. But as stated, the sleeve must fit into the armhole, and for this reason we must consider the sleeve in particular.

When one or both arms are thrown into a horizontal position they show themselves as a sidewise growth of the body, like the limb of a tree, and consequently have their base in the center of the back, or in the center of the front. For the purpose of permitting the arms to drop down to the side, a wedge, or gusset, or a lap, is made between the top of the armhole and sleeve, which is taken up when the arm drops down into its natural position at the side.

At 60 deg. from the center of the back the sleeve and the shoulder lap 2¼ numbers for a close-fitting sleeve, and it is so shown in Dia. [VII] and [X]. At 45 deg. from the back, or at the top square line from the front base, the sleeve and shoulder lap 2 numbers. While the lap of 2 at 45 deg., may be considered as a permanent thing for all sleeves, the lap at 60 deg. may be considered as changeable, according to the style of the sleeve head, or according to the kind of the coat, as over or under coats. The lap of shoulder and sleeve, at 60 deg., also depends upon a low or a square shoulder, as well as upon a broad or a narrow style of the shoulder. Two and a quarter may be taken as the smallest amount to be allowed at 60 deg., and 2½ may be considered not too much for any style, and 2¾ may be considered plenty for a very full sleeve head and a narrow style of shoulders.

At right angles with the center of the back and through the point of the angle of 135 deg., is the front sleeve base, to which the front sleeve seam is connected at point 11, and from which line the normal form requires the front of armhole backward 2 seams, as in the position of Dia. [VII], and which is intended for a close-fitting armhole. On the back the center of the sleeve is 8 from the point of the angle of 135 deg., and there the sleeve and the coat connect even, and there the sleeve length must be transferred.

In taking the sleeve length it makes no difference if the length is taken 1 inch higher or lower, but in transferring the measure to the sleeve, the cutter must know where to transfer, no matter where the seam may be located. After the front and back are formed the top sleeve may be made wider on either seam, and the under side that much smaller, and notches cut accordingly.

Sleeve and back are to be connected at 8 numbers from O, and at the back base, but this is for normal forms only, or for the normal position of the arm only. Persons whose occupation compels them to throw their arms forward should have some surplus cloth at that point even if the sleeve shows too much cloth when the arms hang down. Surplus length allowed there must not be accounted for in the sleeve length. Another good way, to provide such sleeves with extra length at the back seam, is to throw the front seam of the sleeve, say 1 in. forward of the base and at the hand, which will cause the sleeve to extend forward easily with the arm. Such sleeves may also have more width at the elbows. Persons who most always reach forward with their arms should also have a trifle allowance, say ¼ inch, at the shoulder blade, and between the back and sidepiece, at line 9 over the front.

The bottom of the armhole is marked ¾ above lines 9 and 11¼ and the front of the armhole is ⅜, or two seams back of the angle of 45 deg., all of which must be considered a close-fitting armhole, but there is no law to prevent the armhole to be cut ⅛ to ¼ deeper and that much more forward.

In Dia. [VII] and [X] the upper armhole nick is placed at 67½ deg. and the upper sleeve nick is placed at 60 deg., and both come very close together as long as the lap of sleeve and shoulder is not over 2¼ at 60 deg. Since Dia. [VII] and [X] were made, I have found that a right angle from the center of the back through 60 deg. at the armhole gives a rather better connection, and Dia. [II], which was made later on, was made to show that way. At the same time Dia. [II] was made with the front of armhole close to 45 deg. and with a lap of 2½ at 60 deg. The back nick at 8 and the front nick at 11 must be considered correct, but that much must be said: If for any reason the sleeve and armhole nicks must be changed, the sleeve will be the better if it is turned down in front and up behind, than if it turned the other way.

Now, the position of the sleeve and back enables the cutter to keep them in true balance. If the shoulder becomes a ¼ of an inch broader the sleeve loses that much, and if the shoulder becomes narrower, the sleeve must gain that much. If the armhole is cut more forward the back becomes broader and the sleeve that much shorter behind. If the armhole is cut more backward the back becomes narrower and the back sleeve seam that much shorter.

The stooping form requires the front of the neck-hole further down, and the top of back correspondingly higher, and for illustration, I refer to Dia. [V], and the dotted line at the neck. If the neck changes, the sleeve center remains at 8. If the neck is thrown further down, the top of the back must be longer, and the front becomes that much shorter, but the sides remain. Besides, a stooping form can always stand a trifle extra length at the back of the sleeve, and ¼ to ½ in. extra length there will always be found useful.

The top of the under sleeve I have represented in two different ways. The upper curve is especially intended for overcoats, because the overcoat armhole is cut deeper than the under coat armhole. The upward curve forms a gusset, or a wedge, which allows the arm to be raised on the same principle that the lap of the shoulder and sleeve on top allows the arm to be moved downward. When the arm is down, and in its natural position, the gusset on top is taken up and the one below the arm is hidden, and will not show at all. But if the arm is to be moved upward, it is there for supply, and the body of the coat is not required to go along.

The width of the sleeve, both at the elbow and at the cuff, most always depends on style or notion. A long sleeve must be smaller at the cuff than a short one, but a cutter should always inquire as to what a customer wants and write the measure down. In the absence of a positive measure, the elbow may be made 8¾ numbers, a little more for quite small sizes and a little less for quite large sizes. For the cuff, 6 numbers may be used for the medium sizes, so that size 35 may be made up 11 in. full. The smallest cuff, say size 23 to 24, should not be made up less than 9 in., and the largest cuff, say 48 to 50, is large enough with 13½ in., but may be made 14 to 15 in.—all changes to be made at the elbow seam. There is a variation of perhaps 6 in. in about 25 sizes, or about ¼ in. for every size. If we take 11 in. for the width of a 35 size cuff, we will be very near correct if we add ¼ in. for every size below that size, and deduct ¼ in. for every size above that number.

Dia. [VII] represents the armhole, sleeve and collar, and also represents the respective length of the cloak or cape. The cloak part of Dia. [VII] shows the full ¾ of that garment without any seam at the shoulders, but that would be too full for the present style; and the reduction must be made sidewise by folding the pattern at the center of the side, or at 67½ deg., but point toward the shoulder seam and top of the sleeve, where the shoulder will open toward the neck as the shoulder seam. This shoulder seam may be called artificial because the real reduction is made at the side below. By making the fold, the circle must be re-shaped at its bottom, but the respective lengths remain as in Dia. [VII]. (See Dia. [VIIa], which was made later.)

The armhole must be considered a center, or a permanent thing, and must not be changed for either the stooping, or erect, or long or short neck. If the neck be long, allow more shoulder strap, and if short, give less, as in Dia. [IX]. But if for any reason an extra loose armhole is desired, and it is thrown forward, then the front sleeve base must be advanced accordingly—that is, two seams must lap between the front of the armhole and sleeve, at 11, as in Dia. [VII].

To sew the sleeve in the armhole: Clean the front of armhole of all hair cloth, if any is used. Between the front and the top nicks, cut all canvas and padding in, in three or four places, and cut the lining in, in one place, about 1 in. above the front sleeve nick, and about 2 in. deep, and cover it with a V. If the padding is thick, it should be so cut that no two cuts meet each other, so that when the cuts are stretched apart, that they still form a solid edge and not show the offsets on the outside. The front of the armhole should then be stretched under the iron, from point 11 to 60 deg., and care should be taken that the front of armhole is not torn, especially at the nicks. After such stretching the sleeve and the armhole will be nearly even, and the sleeve will require no fulling, or very little. Below the front sleeve nick the armhole is not to be stretched, unless it is done to make the coat larger. On and along the back sleeve seam, up to 45 deg. and down to the under arm cut, the back of the armhole should be secured from stretching by some kind of a stay, and after the scye is solid there, the sleeve should be held a trifle full, which makes a better hanging sleeve than if the sleeve be stretched. No sleeve hangs well in front if it be stretched above the front sleeve nick: and the same thing is true to the back part. A sleeve can be made to hang well in the back, as well as in front, if the coat maker knows how to work it, or the cutter knows how to cut it, and be able to give positive instructions.

Whatever the top sleeve is made broader than 8 numbers is taken off on the under side and the nicks for the sleeve seams follow the width of the top sleeve on both front and back. The center of the top sleeve is 8, which will produce a medium top sleeve, but the under sleeve will be rather full and must be reduced, say ½ to ¾, on the front seam, or a fold must be laid under the arm.

By the normal position of the armhole, I mean that the front of the armhole is located within ⅜ in. or two seams of the angle of 45 deg., and the sleeve on that angle as a base, so that the sleeve and armhole always lap two seams, one for the sleeve and the other for the coat, as in Dia. [X] and [VII]. For the bottom of the sleeve, sweep from 8 on the back, which is the center of the sleeve.

On the same principle that the back lining of a coat is put in large, the sleeve lining ought to be put in large around the armhole, particularly the top sleeve lining, which should be at least ½ in. wider at each seam than the outside, running out to nothing at and below the elbow. Speaking of sleeve lining, it may be said here that fine tailoring may require the top of the sleeve lining to be felled all around, but it is often noticed that even on fine work the top part is sewed with a seam and the under side felled. Now, if we sew the top sleeve lining with a seam we may as well sew the under sleeve, for it makes clean work all around. It is done as follows: Sew the top sleeve with a seam as far as you can, then turn the sleeve lining right side out, gather up the whole sleeve lining from the bottom, and reach up through the front and sew around the balance. It is rather an awkward job for one not accustomed to it, but it works quite easily after a short trial. This would not have been mentioned here but for the fact that I have seen only one coat which had the sleeve lining sewed in that way, which was not made by me, and that coat was made in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Sewing in sleeves is a particular job in order to make them both alike, and it will pay a cutter to be particular in cutting the notches and requiring the jour. to place them together; or, if from any cause, notches on one sleeve are changed that the other sleeve is changed in the same manner.

Another fact must be observed: By sewing in the undersleeve a coat may be made a good deal larger or smaller. If the undersleeve is sewed in full and the lining gives, a coat may be made from one to two sizes larger than if the undersleeve is sewed in close, or the fullness laid in a fold. I have made many a three-seamed sack coat larger by enlarging the undersleeve and by well stretching the coat under the arm, and then piecing the lining down to the hips. A coat which is too small in the armholes and which is cut forward is usually ruined, because cutting the armholes forward will be at the expense of the width of the breast, but if a wedge is put in under the arm, either by stretching the bottom of the armhole or by the help of outlets, then the coat will be large enough in the arms and remain wide enough at the chest.

In general practice it is found that a great many coats fit better at the shoulders, without the sleeves in, and in all such cases it may be presumed that the top sleeve is too short, which causes the shoulder to break somewhere. Again a short top sleeve at the angles of 45 and 60 deg. causes the back sleeve seam and the whole back undersleeve to appear too long, while at the hand the sleeve is that much too short. The top sleeve is better if it laps ½ inch too much than ¼ inch too little at 45 and 60 deg.

Between the square and the low shoulder there should be a difference made in the sleeve head, independent of style. The low shoulder requires a flat sleeve on top of the shoulder, and such armholes should not be stretched much, while the more square shoulder may have a sleeve cut with a fuller head, and the armhole may be stretched more. The width of the shoulders varies in style also, and it must be observed that whenever the style of the shoulders is broad the sleeve head cannot be as full as it may be made on a coat with the shoulders cut narrow. On the present style of female sleeves we can notice that they are all cut narrow in the shoulders, and with an extremely full sleeve head. Such shoulders would look horrid, if they were cut very broad, and with such big sleeve heads running up, and above the shoulders, several inches.

In making up, the jour. and the cutter must work in harmony, and in all cases, the jour. ought to know if the coat is for a low or for a square shoulder, and he ought to be able to work the shoulders accordingly. There is no sleeve system in existence which is as good as this, and I claim that there is no probability that anything better will be brought forth. Others may be able to give it a finer polish, but the principle will remain.