The Vintage Tailoring Thread

[Claudio]

Do any of you guys know if it's somehow possible to make the rise on a pair of trousers higher? I recently got a nice 20s suit, with two pair of trousers, that fits quite well. Except for the fact that it was clearly made for someone with a shorter torso than me; there's about a .5-1" gap between the trouser waistline and the waistcoat.

nightmare - cannot be done IMO considering you want it to *look* good and not just be the right rise. I think its sometimes easy to 'loose the plot' whilst looking for that perfect 'era look' but at the same time having an ill fitting garment. I'm all for alterating as much as possible a vintage garment to suit your size but it needs an overall esthetic ballance in the end. There are some details (like the trouser rise) that are just too tricky to deal with and will no doubt look odd if at all accomplished.

My 2 pence worth

 

[Claudio]

Indeed outstanding work HBK. I personally think that your choice for a smaller angle of the gorg is a better option as the 40's jacket one is massive and would be too wide and deep on your jackets lapel.

 

[herringbonekid]

Please do! I'd be especially interested to see some pictures of the back too. The "in progress" pictures you posted of the shoulders looked really cool.

more shots on the blog: http://laurencejohn.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[Two Types]

The pinstripe suit is amazing - especially the pattern matching on the pocket flaps. Really good work.

 

[simonc]

I have said this over and over the boy has a gift!

 

[Two Types]

I have said this over and over the boy has a gift!

For any of you that haven't yet had a detailed look at HBK's double breasted, 1920s style pinstripe suit, I would recommend looking at his blog. It's probably the most interesting and well-realised piece of home tailoring that i have ever seen on the lounge.

 

[Papperskatt]

For any of you that haven't yet had a detailed look at HBK's double breasted, 1920s style pinstripe suit, I would recommend looking at his blog. It's probably the most interesting and well-realised piece of home tailoring that i have ever seen on the lounge.

It is simply amazing.

 

[Broccoli]

For any of you that haven't yet had a detailed look at HBK's double breasted, 1920s style pinstripe suit, I would recommend looking at his blog. It's probably the most interesting and well-realised piece of home tailoring that i have ever seen on the lounge.

It instantly became one of my favourite suits that I've ever seen, it is cut just in the ways I like it.

 

[herringbonekid]

does anyone know what happens on the outer side of the pocket with this type of pleat-front-into-pocket-welt arrangement ?

i'm assuming there must be a visible slash somewhere emerging from the pocket on the outer side, which we can't see ?

 

[dh66]

It's impossible to tell from an illustration, of course, but perhaps the pleats are simply a separate piece of fabric trim sewn onto the front, like the pleats on a guayabera style shirt. I'm no tailor, but just a thought. This sort of "quick and dirty" method would certainly not seem out of sorts on a child's garment.

That jacket you made recently with the 20s style lapels looks fantastic, by the way. This is the sort of attention to detail that keeps me looking at these sort of threads. I appreciate what you guys are doing.

 

[herringbonekid]

dh66, thanks !

i'm pretty sure these are inverse pleats which fold inward. here's something similar, but not identical:

... these are trapped beneath the belt.

Norfolk straps are easier... you can just sew them onto the outside as you suggest.

 

[Qirrel]

I think the area between the pleat, the underarm dart, the pocket and the armhole would be cut as a separate piece. That way there won't be any seam running from the pocket to the sideseam.

 

[herringbonekid]

Q, that would seem to be the only way to avoid that seam. thanks !

p.s. i don't suppose you've got any vintage patterns of something similar (the pleats i mean, not the whole jacket ) ?

 

[Qirrel]

I couldn't find anything in my books. I guess you can figure out a good way to do it by experimenting around a bit.

 

[Nick D]

I'd say a cut-through breast dart, with the pleat above the pocket making the front into two panels.

 

[herringbonekid]

i've put this diagram together based on Q's suggestion. you could get as many pleats as you like by varying the size of the separate piece:

 

[Qirrel]

That's how I would have done it too.

 

[herringbonekid]

what about this one ?

the pleats don't go into the pocket, so it must either have an all-round waist seam beneath the loose belt, or just cut from the pleat to the side seam:

 

[simonc]

A high waisted seam think of it like string and shape it around that.

 

[Qirrel]

My guess would be a cut to the underarm dart or the sideseam.