Garment cutting in the twentieth century

by Günther F. Hertzer

This figure shows the front and the back views of the normal form, as adopted in this work. It illustrates the slopes of the shoulders, and the measurement of said slopes on the angle of 135 deg., and each separate shoulder slope on an angle of 22½ deg. from the side of the neck. It also illustrates the pants bases, on the angle of 7½ deg., and shows the reason why the top of the front of a pants waist is thrown forward of the front base line. It shows the front pants base ⅝ sidewise of the center of the body, and runs down parallel to the inside of each leg. This figure is calculated to be in such a standing position that the ankles are 1¼ inches apart, so that ½ of that distance is ⅝ of an inch to the center, hence the ⅝ to be thrown forward of the base, on top of waist, as the smallest amount for any form.

In front of the center of the figure will be seen another dotted line, which is marked 1¼ from the base, which is intended to show the front of a pants for a fuller waist, or for a more forward leaning waist. This addition may be the most that can be allowed for a forward-leaning waist, and may also be considered to be the most that can be allowed for a medium large waist, as to such forms which require a made up waist of 40 inches, but whose seat measure is only 40 inches. Forms which measure 42 seat and require a waist of 44 made up, may have 1½ allowed in front of the base, and a 46 seat which requires a waist 50 inches made up, may be given 2 numbers, as shown in Dia. [XX], but 2 numbers may be considered the most which any pants will require.

The position of the front pants base, on the front line of the angle of 7½ deg., must be considered, as it will be, when the pants are on the body, that is, running parallel to the front of the leg, which is forward on top of the waist, and which slope may again be called 7½ deg. From this line, most of the normal forms carry the top and front of waists a trifle backward, but it is very little, and we will call such waists even on that line, in order to make a standard.

Now, it must not be supposed, that when a waist grows larger in proportion, that it grows, or spreads very much forward of that line. Whenever the waist grows larger, the body becomes more erect, in order to keep in balance, and the relation between the front of such a waist, and the line running parallel to the front of the leg, change very little, and Dia. [XX] may be considered to be large enough at that point for almost any form. On the other hand, we find large-waisted forms which do not carry their fronts of waists in front of that line at all, though their abdomen may curve outside of it. Such pants may be cut with a normal front of waist—but with a trifle more curve over the center of the abdomen, and plenty full at the side so that the forepart is thrown forward from the side, forming another curve over the oval front on the same principle, as the back is thrown backward from the side, to form the curve over the seat.

There is an endless variation of such forms, and it is fortunate for cutters that a trifle more or less will not kill a pants. The difference in Dia. [XIX], [XX] and [XXI] is not so great that a great mistake would be made. All the small diagrams were made with the top of front of waist thrown forward of the base 1¼, but as they are used for illustration only, and as there are a great many pants which require it, they have been left that way. Otherwise they are the same as Dia. [XIX], [XX] and [XXI].

Fig. 1.

FIG. II.

Fig. [II] illustrates the side view of the angle of 135 deg. as applied on the draft, and shows the reduction of the square in front and below the waist, as well as the addition behind and below the waist. The diagram on this figure is a simple vest, on the square of 17½, and hence the under arm cut is 3¼ at the circle.