Garment cutting in the twentieth century

by Günther F. Hertzer

Large waists and erect forms are mostly combined in one person, because when a person’s waist grows forward the shoulders throw themselves backward, in order to keep the body in balance, and if this would not be the case, a large waisted person would tumble forward unless supported by something else. Anybody can see how this works. Take a normal waisted form with a coat which fits well in the back and place a sack of flour, or any other weight of fifty pounds, in front of this waist, supported by the arms, and the whole upper body will throw itself backward in order to keep its balance, and the back of this coat will become too long across the hollow of the waist behind, because the front of the coat cannot stretch like the body itself.

Diagram [VIIIa] is made especially for the erect form, and is in all respects like Dia. [VIII] except the “V” closed up across the hollow of the waist, and the three-eighths stretch of the side piece upward, and the consequent shortening of the back of 1¼. The difference at the front edge cannot be considered a fitting point. If Dia. [VIIIa] is used for a large waisted form, which is mostly always erect, then the gore between the back and side piece should be cut like Dia. [VIII], or nearly so. In all cases, whenever the waist becomes fuller, or the person more erect, the spring over the seat may be enlarged, and if it becomes too large, it is less trouble to reduce it than if the spring is too small. A good outlet over the seat and center of back of a sack coat comes very handy sometimes, but such a seam should be sewed by hand, because the machine will usually cut its edges.

Now, in considering the above, a cutter must observe if the form he intends to fit is erect or stooping, or large waisted, or if there is a combination of such, or other abnormal conditions. The single erect, or stooping, or large waist, or long or short necked person is very seldom to be found; there is mostly a combination of two or three abnormal conditions combined in one person.

The gores between the back and the fore part of both Dia. [VIII] [and VIIIa] are cut out pretty close at the hollow of the waist, and it will never hurt any sack, cut over either of them, to have one-half inch more at line 17½. Dia. [VIIIa] may be used for the normal form, providing the depth of the back is made 12¾ numbers above line 9, and I have often used it for such with good results.

A sack coat with two seams and which is intended to conform partly to the hollow of the waist in the back must have a spring over the center of the seat, starting at the most hollow part of the hollow of the waist. Said spring cannot be obtained by allowing it at the side of the back which may be six or seven inches wide. Even if said spring were able to push the coat back over the seat it would at the same time push the coat upward and backward and away from the waist, and make it too wide and too long there. The only way to make such a coat good is to cut the spring, intended for the center of the back, at the side, and stretch the side of the back, under the iron, and at the hollow of the waist, and press the whole back in the shape of the pattern as in Dia. [VIII] and deduct the seam behind.

Sacks without any downward seams will never be in demand until we come closer to oriental fashions, or until we fall back upon cloaks. For the purpose of finding out how close I could come to making a reasonably good fitting sack in the back of the waist, without any seams downward, I have made four of them during the last 12 years. The first one I had to rip up again and make it up into a smaller size as a three seamer. The second and third I sold as cheap coats and the purchasers never found out that they wore seamless coats. They were better than a great many five seamers seen on the street, though they were loose coats at and around the back of the waist. One of them I had photographed on myself, both front and back views, and have the photo still in my possession. One back and one front view I sent to the office of the then “American Tailor,” and a letter in my possession says that they consider it a good fit for such a coat. The last seamless coat I made last summer, 1891, and have it on hand now, and I intend to keep it at least for the present. A front and a back view of that coat will be found in “[Figures and Diagrams].” For the last six months I have kept it for a show coat, with a card on it offering $25 to any cutter or tailor who will make one like it, and which fits as good or better. So far I have had no call for the $25, nor did I expect a response, because it will not pay anybody to make one even for $25, and risk a fit. I made the offer to advertise my work, that was all.

The fit of a seamless coat must be put in by the maker, and it takes a cutter and a maker who knows what he is about, and one who don’t care how long it takes to make one and what it costs; in fact, it must be a work done for pleasure—not for profit, except perhaps to gain knowledge, for “Knowledge is Power.” Now I will give a description of how such a coat may be made:

Select a good fitting sack coat pattern with three seams, and one which is not cut very close at the side of the waist, that is a sack cut pretty straight. The one I have on hand now is cut over Dia. [VIII], and as size 36. The height of the back above line 9 over the front should not be over 13, but the top of the back should be placed at 2½, so that the portion over the blade is short and the top of back cut close to the point of the angle of 135 deg. If the top of back becomes too close to the neck, it can be cut down after the coat is tried on. On account of the short back, the armhole must be cut pretty low and well forward. The front must also be cut large and fitted to the body after the back has been regulated. After the pattern is thus cut, proceed as follows: Close the back and the front from the bottom to the hollow of the waist, lapping the seams; at the bottom of the armscye the front and back will lap over about 1¼ inch; fit the pattern to the back so that one seam is deducted from behind at the neck and at least two seams at the bottom, so that the hollow of waist shows as little surplus cloth as possible. Over the seat, the cloth may be stretched in width, thus obtaining some artificial spring over the seat. Cut the back, and the back of the armhole to within 1½ inch to the front of the armhole and not quite as deep as the pattern. In cutting the pattern the back shoulder seam must be cut pretty low at the armhole and should be at least as low as 8 for the reason that the lap of the pattern at the side seam will bring both back and front shoulder seam too close together and would have to be pieced, but if the back shoulder seam is thrown down, and the front up, both will come out right. Now the next thing to be observed is to make an artificial wedge of whatever the back and the forepart lap at the bottom of the armscye, running out to nothing at the waist. This must be done by stretching the bottom of the armhole in width, and which stretch must be extended down to the waist, but nothing must be stretched at the waist, for the waist is too wide already, owing to the hollow of the back, in the pattern which can not be imitated on the straight coat back. That stretch must start at the point of the shoulder blade say about 4 in. from the center of the back, and must continue to the front of armhole. The stretch will throw the front of armhole forward of whatever the stretch amounts to, and for this reason, the front of the armhole must be cut 1½ in. backward, of what it is intended to be. After that artificial wedge is stretched in, the back side seam may be marked and stitches drawn in, and the forepart fitted to it and the front of armhole may be cut complete.

That all of this can not be done without trying on ever so many times is self evident. Otherwise such a job must be made of material which stretches well, and must be made up thin and the lining put in plenty large, so it can give, and it would be best to make up without lining. Nothing can be accomplished by shrinking. Everything must be done by stretching. Plenty outlets should be left at the neck and shoulder seams and in front of the breast. Such a coat can not be fitted on the cutting board, but must be fitted on the body.