Some cutters may say that I am mentioning things which will do them no good, because they cannot go into all the details. This I admit, but others again will be glad to have a thing figured down, so that they need not bother their heads about it. But to illustrate: Let us suppose we have before us a round wooden pole 5 in. in diameter, representing the neck of a man. If we cut it straight through we can fit a collar to it with a square piece of cloth or paper. Such a square piece fits to the circumference of a pole, if wound around on horizontal lines. Next, let us suppose that we cut one end down, about 3 in., representing the forward and downward slope of the neck, and we find that a straight piece will not fit that slope, but must be hollowed out. Now, if we build shoulders to it, and a chest and shoulder blades, in fact take the form of a person for our model, we find that the neckhole of a garment goes around the top of a body sloping upward from all sides, though irregularly, but that a complete circle from the point of the angle of 135 deg. will fit the neck after 45 deg. have been taken out from its center, all of which will form an irregular circle or curve, while in any shape on the flat table; but will form an almost complete circle when sewed together and placed on the body. The neck itself is almost a complete circle, and the point of the angle of 135 deg. must be considered as the center of the neck, which is round, but to which cloth must be brought by irregular approaches. Now if we find a straight neck behind, with hardly any incline from the back forward, the garment must run straight up, too, and the circle for the neckhole must be straightened as far as the back goes; but if the neck slopes forward, the garment must turn forward also, and the edge of the circle over the back must form a more complete part of a circle.
But I must make another illustration: Take a piece of stiff paper, and cut out of it a half circle of say 4½ in. whole diameter, representing the neck of a 36 breast measure, or thereabouts. Take that circle and fit it to the neck of a man on horizontal lines, and the circle will fit the neck no matter where you apply it. Next try to fit it to the neck from the side, but on the slope of the shoulders, and the circle will be too round for the neck. Again, try to fit it from the slope of the back, and the difference between neck and circle will be still greater. Next, take a stove-pipe of 4½ in. diameter and try to fit it on that, and on perpendicular lines, and you will find that the circle cannot be used at all, but that a square piece must be used for that. If the neck were as wide as the shoulders, and the chest and the blades, that is, if the body would run straight up from these points, then the top edge could be fitted with nothing else but a square piece of cloth.
After all, the above pros and cons let me say that if Dia. [II] is used for the stooping form, place height of back ¼ to ¾ higher, and reduce the back of the sidepiece ⅛ to ¼ more, at the waist, and that is about the best alteration which will result from the description of the stooping form. Contrary: Placing height of back at 14½, and giving ⅛ to ¼ more spring at the waist will give a good proportion for the erect form. As to the difference of 1¼ numbers more or less back length over the blade, between the stooping and erect form, each cutter must judge for himself, for it cannot be measured on the human form.
Short persons with short necks and very flat shoulder blades, may be fitted with a height of back of 14¼ above line 9, and top of back at 3¾ and side of neck at 4. (See [Odd Forms I].) Erect forms who throw their arms backward can be fitted by using a pattern one or two sizes too small, and by allowing the difference of ½ to 1 inch, as the case may be, on the front of the breast. If a cutter will put a coat, say two sizes too small on such a form, he will find that the back, the shoulders and the armhole fit, but that the front of breast is too small, and the extra size must be allowed there. This rule will work both ways, and the contrary may be applied for stooping forms.
Odd Forms.
During the summer of 1891, I reviewed such patterns which I had preserved for several years back, and I knew that they were good. I laid them out like Dia. [II], [IV], [VIII], [VIIIa] and [X], and they came as near together as could be expected, at least they came near enough so that a slight difference would make no difference in the fit, and I think I can give some valuable information if I give descriptions of some odd shaped garments, just as I found them.