Garment cutting in the twentieth century

by Günther F. Hertzer

It is true, we can alter such a coat by reducing it somewhere at and behind and below the arm, and by cutting the armhole forward, so that the back of the waist can fall backward; but it will take all the life out of a fit in the back, and make the breast too small. The only remedy is an outlet under the arm on a frock coat, or in the center of the back, or in the side seam on a sack. By this operation it will be seen that the erect form cannot be fitted by carving out the waist behind, but must be done by contracting the length, and really giving more width. One-half to five-eighths inches fold may be set down as the average, but the exact amount cannot be found by measuring. All this depends upon the judgment of the cutter. One-half to one-fourth inch, one way or the other, will not spoil a coat if otherwise well-balanced.

Stretching certain parts will accomplish a great deal of good, but all stretching should be clearly marked by nicks, for a journeyman cannot always be expected to know just where the stretching is required. Thus, if we take a regular frock coat pattern, and stretch the sidepiece half an inch downward on the front and at the hollow of the waist, that is equal to contracting the sidepiece the same distance at the back seam; and the erect form is imitated.

The erect form requires the coat short at the hollow of the waist, but the stooping form requires the coat longer over the shoulder blade. Erect forms may be fitted by simply taking, say one half inch, from the curve of the sidepiece, starting at the hollow of the waist, as shown on Dia. [II B], and the contrary may be applied to stooping forms. To fit the back of the waist for either the erect or for the stooping form, and taking Dia. [II] as a model, we must in some way give more spring for the erect form, and less for the stooping form. Stretching the bottom of the sidepiece is equal to giving more spring on either side, and it is better, because the extra width so obtained will divide better all over the hip. But it would not do to adopt the contrary plan for the stooping form, and shrink the bottom of the sidepiece. The measure of the waist being the same, the back part of the waist requires a reduction, but which reduction on the back must be allowed in front. The reduction of the back part for the stooping form is best made by reducing, say one half inch, on the sidepiece and on the under arm gore, and by stretching the back sidepiece seam about three eighths downward on starting at line 11¼, which operation will leave the whole gore between the back and the sidepiece undisturbed.

I have seen a great many tailors shrinking the sidepiece in its center downward, but shrinking a straight piece will always come back to its original shape. To improve the shape of the sidepiece under the iron must be done by stretching its edges downward; the front seam for the erect and the back seam for the stooping form. After a coat is made up, and it should prove short over the blade by hanging loose at the back, the back may be made longer over the blade by stretching the front seam of the side piece upward, starting at the hollow of the waist. I say it may be so made longer, but the best way to treat such a back, is to give the whole back and the back part of the side seam a good stretch downward, over the blade, all of which holds good on a sack coat.

Many coats hang better after three months wear, simply because some parts have stretched, and can now conform to the shape of the body. It is always better to have a coat back a trifle short rather than too long. A short back can easily be stretched one half to five-eighths of an inch over the blade, say 3 to 4 inches sidewise from the center of the back, for which reason all back lining should be put in in ample quantity, both in length and width and on the bias. If, however, the lining is straight and not longer than the outside, then the lining must be opened and pieced, for it cannot be stretched.

A skeleton coat of woolen material will fit almost any form, for it will stretch wherever a strain may exist; for this reason all linings should be plenty large around the arm and back, and the whole coat should be made soft so that it will give. This includes even the basting of the linings on the seams, all of which should be made with large and loose back stitches.

In connection with this article and that on the “[Stooping Forms],” let us again compare the angle of 15 deg. If a cutter will go to the expense and trouble to cut and make for himself a skeleton coat, cut over Dia. [III], omitting all seams sidewise, and for this reason reducing the square of 18 to 17, and using nothing in front and outside of the angle of 15 deg., in fact cutting nothing out except the armholes and the shoulder seams, and using some stiff material, such as heavy vest padding or French canvas, he will be able to form for himself a correct idea of the workings of the angle of 15 deg.; and it will repay him, for he may save many subsequent alterations. And alterations cost considerable money, besides a great deal of annoyance between employer, cutter and customer.

In cutting it, the back should be cut pretty short, say 13 on line 9 in front, or still shorter, in order to assure a smooth back. When such a skeleton is on the body it will be observed that the center of the back is on a plumb line from the shoulders down to over the seat and the bottom of the coat, and that at the side it tapers outward from under the arm to over the largest part at the thigh, and down to the end of the coat, but does not touch the hollow of the waist anywhere, running straight downward. In front it will taper outward but fit the whole chest above the pit of the stomach; below, it will taper forward and stick outward in front, as shown in Fig. [II].

To reduce the front, means to reduce the front angle of 15 deg. so that it falls straight downward from the front of the waist the same as it does at the back of the seat, thus giving stepping room for the legs, backward and forward, as also shown in Fig. [II]. Elsewhere the modus operandi is fully explained.

Now, suppose this angle of 15 deg., as a completed coat, is upon the body, and without a wrinkle in the back as well as without any reduction at the hollow of the back of the waist, and let us—contemplate the scene! If we desire to bring the straight back into the hollow of the body at the side and back, we must do what we have done to bring the back of the pants in to the body, back and below the seat. We must cut the waist through, starting at the side and going all around the back, and over to the other side; and when thus cut through we can push the upper part in to the hollow of the waist. And it will be found that in so doing the upper portion becomes too wide for that circle around the body and must be reduced in width. At the same time the upper part becomes too short and a wedge must be put in, starting with nothing at the side and running backward; and the closer we try to fit the waist, the wider the wedge must be at the back, and the more the back must be reduced in width.