After coming back from Seoul I had a new book waiting for me. How To Make Men’s Clothes by Jane Rhinehart is basically awesome so far. The book was published in 1975 and much of what it says still applies.
What I hope to one day look like
Rhinehart explains that tailoring is a dying trade because of the secretive nature of the trade. Additionally tailors tend to produce basically the same fashion over and over whereas dressmakers create newer styles. Furthermore applying dressmaking techniques to tailoring will supposedly result in a homemade looking suit.
A tip Rhinehart gives when looking for a quality made suit: the best coats are hand-sewn 1/4 inch from the edge using two strands of fine silk thread in a practically invisible backstitch.
What the fuck is a backstitch? “Backstitch is a stitch used in embroidery and sewing stitches. Stitches are sewn backwards to the direction of the sewing. They form lines and usually used to outline shapes or add detail to an embroidered picture.” Thanks WikiHow.com!
Later in the book she gives a list of tools to buy. I will be slowly buying these and continue reading the book. Looks like I’m going to try and make myself a suit. Crazy.
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Here’s a recent story from the Sentinel: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_13793287?IADID=Search-www.santacruzsentinel.com-www.santacruzsentinel.com
It’s sad, obviously, 60-year-old man killed in a hit and run, but it made me think of this sewing thing you’re working on because the guy was a tailor his last name was Tailor. Originally from India, it doesn’t seem too crazy to assume that he adopted an “American” last name based on his profession. I didn’t know people did that kind of thing anymore. Thought it was interesting.
Hi there, stumbled on your site while looking for more tailoring books for men’s wear. Saw you returned from a recent trip to Seoul, I live in S. Korea and hope you went to the giant fabric market at DongDaeMun while you were here! Since you are interested in learning how to sew, I highly recommend you signing up at PatternReview.com. There are so many talented people who frequent the boards on that site, lots of information on all aspects of sewing. Good luck in your endeavors!
I tried finding fabric in Namdaemun but it seemed none was there. I should have gone to DongDaeMun! Man.
Thanks I will check out patternreview for sure. I just finished moving into a new apartment so this blog should get rolling again soon.
I know Jane personally and she taught me to sew. Whenever I had a question, she referred me to her book. I made a pair of pants drafted from her pattern instructions, and they were dyn-o-mite. Threads magazine did a piece on making jeans, and they used her pants pattern drafting instructions. The book is a gem. Enjoy!