Garment cutting in the twentieth century

by Günther F. Hertzer

Vests.

(SEE DIA. [IV].)

The square consists of 20 numbers. Height of back, 14; height of front, 9; shoulders at an angle of 135 deg.; top of back, 3¾; gore under the arm, ⅜ at line 15, ¾ at line 17½, 1 at line 20. Sink the front bottom of the forepart 15 deg. for a pretty square bottom. On the garment from the neck to the ankle the vest is on a square of 17½. On this square the height of the back remains 14, but on the front plumb line it is 11¼; the gore under the arm is 3¼, and the bottom is square, while the front has an angle of 15 deg. attached. The square of 17½, with the angle of 15 deg. in front, is virtually nothing but an angle of 15 deg., having, at the starting point of the garment, a width of 17½ numbers, according to scale. (See Dia. [XII] and [XIII].)

Top of back is as wide as the angle of 45 deg. at the neck, but may be made 3¼. The back must be that wide, in order to bring the spring of the collar to the side of the neck, and again, in order to enable the vest maker to sew the vest back all around, and turn the whole vest through the neckhole. If that hole is too small, the back is apt to tear, while the vest is turned. The bottom of the collar band is on a straight line from 11¼, on the plumb base line, through 5 on the top square line. This collar band, as it is here cut, requires that the top and side of the back must be stretched, say ¼ inch, on each side, and close to the shoulder seam, and it is for this reason that the top of the back should be 3¼ wide, in order to bring the stretch as far forward and to the side of the neck as possible.

If this is worked right it will make a neat collar, and a neat shoulder, but if the vest maker can not be depended upon, it is better to allow ¼ inch spring, and starting said spring at the middle of the shoulder seam, which is about 2½ in. from point 5, and sew the back even on the neckband, but in no case must the back be held full. If anything is to be the fullest, it must be the neckband, which must in all cases be cut plenty long, and the vest maker must be instructed to fit the two together, as above directed. The junction of the neckband, or the so-called standing collar, is further explained in the article on “[Collars].”

It will be seen that Dia. [IV] has the shoulder on the plain angle of 135 deg., and that there is neither lap nor gore. A trifle spring that is required for a vest must be worked in by stretching the top of the back close to the shoulder seam. Dia. [IV] is so represented for the following reason:

I intended that Dia. [V] and [VI] should both be represented with a perfect shoulder slope of 22½ deg., and that Dia. [IX] should have the perfect shoulder slope of 30 deg., all of which were made over the same pattern as was Dia. [IV]. But Dia. [V] and [VI] are cut ¾ of a number further sidewise at the side of the neck, because in the position of the shoulder seam of Dia. [V], the neckband can not be cut on, for the reason that the spring for the side of the neck would locate too far in front. Both Dia. [V] and [VI] are for illustration only. If I had placed a spring of ¼ inch at the top of the shoulder seam, the shoulder slopes as shown in each of Dia. [V] and [VI] and [IX] would have to be changed, and make the angle of 135 deg. a mess of confused lines.

If the collar opens very low, and a very hollow curve is required, the upper part of the neckband must be cut higher, say one inch, at the upper end, but the same at the shoulder seam as shown in Dia. [IV]. This will give a chance to cut a nice curve or open front, especially for a double-breasted vest, intended for very open fronts. But cutting the neckband higher on the upper end destroys spring at the neck, and for this reason an extra spring must be given in the shoulder seam. If the neckband is raised behind, say 1 in., an extra spring of ¼ inch must be allowed at top of the shoulder seam, no matter if it is cut like Dia. [IV], or if ¼ is allowed already. Forty years of tailoring has convinced me that Dia. [IV] is the best for all kinds of vests, because the front collar may be curved at pleasure, and the collar is simply a piece added for the turn-down part, and always fitting to the neck-hole of the vest. In order to make the top collar conform with the curve of the neck-hole, the inside part of it must be pretty well stretched at the most prominent part of the curve. Dia. [IV] is plain, and is cut with the neck-band on.

Dia. [V] is cut in a square of 10, or ¼ breast and 1¼ in.; the neck-hole is cut out at the center of the neck, or at 67½ deg., hence the back and front of the neck-hole are equal; the shoulder slope is taken out at the center of the neck, and when connected will form the same as Dia. [IV], except the neck-band. Dia. [VI] is Dia. [V] simply doubled. The solid lines represent one-half of the angle of 135 deg., or an angle of 67½ deg. The dotted lines passing through the neckholes of Dia. [IV] and [VI] may be called the grand center lines, and would fit a human form decapitated; and it will be seen that the actual neck-hole, from that line, is just half the diameter of the neck.

The waist of the vest is calculated upon one-ninth less than the breast, whole measure. The under-arm cut of “one” makes a close waist, and may be reduced to three-fourths, or even to nothing, for a large waist. (See [Odd Forms].) The square of 20, as for a vest, is reduced in front from the pit of the stomach down, or where the body turns backward, and whatever is taken off in front is again added behind; hence the spring over the seat, which really does not at all change the dimensions, but gives it a different direction by reducing the front and by enlarging the back, and when all this is done the waist is reduced, say 1 in., under the arm, as in Dia. [IV]. The turn of the front is higher up than in the back, and the front is to be even between 9 and 15 on the front base, from which points it turns backward both up and down.

Dia. [IV] represents a vest to close all the way up to the neck. It gives the whole front edge, and may be cut lower to satisfy notion or style. The whole front of Dia. [IV] is such that it can lose one seam to turn in the edge, but if the vest is otherwise well-balanced it will not injure it if the seam is allowed to remain, and the edge bound as it is. A difference will be noticed between the straight front of a coat and the straight front of a vest. On a coat usually worn by the clergy the buttons and front of button-holes may be placed one seam back of the front line of the angle of 135 deg. down, as far as line 17½, which results in the same thing as when we cut the front off on that line, and sew it up with a seam. The vest is to fit a trifle more snugly at that point, and after one seam is turned in, or cut off, there still remains one-half for lap of buttons and button-holes.

To regulate the top buttons of the vest and coat, the top coat button may be placed ½ inch lower than the top vest button, and the coat will cover the vest when buttoned, providing the coat lapel is 1 in. in front of point 9. It is of very great importance for a cutter to be able to regulate the above points, and this is one reason why I have placed all coats and vests on the same base; which is on the angle of 135 deg. The vest arm-hole touches lines 9 and 14 at the bottom, and the angle of 45 deg. in front, but may be ½ inch deeper and ½ more forward for a person who desires plenty of room.

At the breast line, a vest is plenty large enough if it is ½ breast and 2½ in. At the hip line, ½ hip and 2 in. is large enough, because vests are left open below the hollow of waist. If a vest is to be sewed up clear down over the hips, the bottom must have a width, which corresponds with the hip measure, when sitting down, after it is finished and buttoned up, or ½ hip and 2½ in., the same as the breast. At the waist, a vest must be treated on the same principle as a pants, that is, it must be made wide and comfortable enough for the waist when a person sits down. At the waist, a vest is shut up all around, and can not give, and provisions must be made for expansion when sitting. Such allowance depends upon the condition of the body at the waist, and like on pants, this measure may be taken in a sitting position. But a variation may be made between persons who are mostly standing, and those who are mostly sitting. The sitting person requires a larger waist partly allowed at the side, but mostly in front. The normal form requires the vest as large at the waist as it is over the hips, and the square of 20 gives that width, by reducing about 1 in. at the under-arm cut at the waist.

In Dia. [XIII] will be observed a dotted gore in the back, extending through both pants and vest, which gore is cut out on a pants, but on a vest it is usually buckled up. A vest made without buckle-straps should have that gore cut out.

At the front of the collar, the underside should be cut so that when it is sewed on it will pull the vest part over so much as to hide the under side when the top collar is finished. The inside part of the top collar must be pretty well stretched back of the curve, and if the material is not bias, and can not stretch, a “V” must be sewed in, after which the whole top collar must be shaped as it is required by the curve. This may cause some extra work for the maker, but that is the only way to produce a low opening with a hollow collar, especially on double-breasted vests. The edge of a collar should be finished about 1 in. above the shoulder seam, and the under collar cut away entirely. Over and across the back there is no need of anything but the double top collar, which is simply sewed together with a seam, which is pressed out, the top collar doubled up in shape, and the back stitched on top of the collar. On heavy goods, the top collar seam of a vest should be drawn together to make it thin.

The front and the bottom of a double-breasted vest requires especial attention, in order that the parts which lap under, or over, do not show the front corners on each side, or that the top side runs too high up. Rounding off the corners pretty well will remedy the evil to some extent, but it does not look well, or a customer may order an even bottom of front, as in fact, all such vests should be.

The following will make a good front: Sweep from the point of the angle of 135 deg. through the bottom of the front angle of 15 deg., and add say ⅛ to ¼ inch more roundness to the bottom at the center between the front edge and the buttons. That sweep may be used for the whole bottom of the front. From the front line go back 2½ in. for the button line, and allow in front of line 9 1⅞ in., and on the bottom allow 1 in. in front of the front line, and draw a straight line for that front edge. If the lap is to be more or less, set the buttons that much backward or forward as the case may be. A double-breasted vest which is to button clear up to the neck must have at least a gore of 2 in. under the lapel, and the top button must be set back as far as the width of the lapel. A double-breasted vest should have a small gore under the collar, even if the collar is low down, and the depth of the collar must be made according to the measure, and the collar itself may be made straight or with a large curve the same as shown on Dia. [IV].

The sweep from the point of the angle of 135 deg. will give the whole bottom of the forepart as shown on Dia. [XI] and [XII], and the double-breasted front may be shaped just like it, but may have a trifle more in the center of the angle of 15 deg., and that trifle may be obtained complete by a sweep from 3¾ on the plumb base line through the front angle of 15 deg. only. It should be observed that each particular double-breasted vest requires particular care, in order that the bottom of the front, as well as the front itself, and the collar is correct, and that the buttons are on their places. If it is desired to sink the front down further than the sweeps, add equal distance, say ½ inch at the button line and at the front edge, and both will remain in balance. It will also be found that a double-breasted vest can be improved, by making the back 14½ long above line 9, because the front will have a better chance to settle in its proper place.

Nor should it be forgotten that a double-breasted vest, which has to lap over the oval center of front, can not set without a break somewhere, unless there is a gore cut at the waist, or under the collar; or, the front is drawn in pretty well under the collar, which is the same thing as cutting a gore. (See [Supplement].)