The Art of Measuring E-Book

W. D. F. Vincent

• Herausgeber: BoD - Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 62

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

While true craftsmanship lies in skill and care, a well-made garment begins with something far simpler: accurate measurements. Many who take on the task of tailoring have received little formal guidance in this essential step. This brief work is written to assist them. We assume the customer is at hand and focus on the next crucial task - understanding exactly what he wants. Much of a cutter's success depends on this. Misunderstanding the customer leads to mistakes in measuring, cutting, and ultimately, in the finished garment. Clear communication, aided by visual tools like the Tailor and Cutter fashion plates, helps both cutter and client. These references not only guide style choices but also help ensure that the final result matches the client's expectations. Finally, whether recorded by a clerk or the cutter himself, each measurement should be repeated aloud - a small habit that avoids large errors. May this guide serve those who aim to combine precision with elegance in their craft.

Leseprobe

"W.D.F. Vincent was born in Junie 1860 and began his career as an apprentice with Frederick Cooper in Yeovil. After completing his training, he briefly established his own businesses in Oxford and later in Maidenhead as a clothier and tailor, though neither venture was financially successful.

While in Maidenhead, Vincent won an essay competition on tailoring, which was open to all members of the National Federation of Foremen Tailors, titled "The Great National Work on Trouser Cutting, or Defects in Trousers." He submitted his entry under the pseudonym "Oxonian" and won the first prize. This success led him to secure a position with The Tailor and Cutter magazine. In the early years, Vincent contributed numerous articles on tailoring methods and techniques to the magazine. However, due to the terms of his employment, these articles were published without attribution to him.

By the 1890s, Vincent became a leading tailoring authority. His books, such as The Cutter's Practical Guide to the Cutting & Making of All Kinds of Trousers, became standard reference work. By 1917, Vincent referred to himself as a journalist. He died in June 1926.

The Tailor and Cutter magazine and academy were operated by John Williamson & Co Ltd. In the 1950s and 1960s, many tailors displayed their Tailor & Cutter Academy Diplomas, signed by W.D.F. Vincent, as the Chairman of Examiners, as a centerpiece in their shop windows. One such example can still be seen on display at the Museum of Welsh Life at St. Fagans in South Wales."

(cf. https://vincents.org.uk/family-history/w-d-f-vincent-tailor; 15.12.2024)

This edition is a reprint of the legendary Cutter's Practical Guide series; the first book was published in 1890. Although W. D. F. Vincent wrote many books on tailoring, these are the most popular. The entire text has been meticulously read, and the images have been carefully cleaned and edited to ensure the highest quality.

Part 01 – Juvenile Garments

Part 02 – Body Coats

Part 03 – Trousers, Breeches & Knickers

Part 04 – Livery Garments in all their varieties

Part 05 – Overcoats

Part 06 – Ladies' Garments

Part 07 – Defects, Remedies, Trying on

Part 08 – Economical Cutting

Part 09 – Lounges, Reefers, Norfolk, Sporting & Patrol Jackets

Part 10 – Waistcoats for Gentlemen, Ladies, Military & Naval Officers, etc.

Part 11 – Shirts, Undergarments, Collars, Cuffs, Aprons, etc.

Part 12 – Clerical Dress

Part 13 – British Military Uniforms

The Art of Measuring

The Art of Garment Making

Content

THE MEASURES FOR TROUSERS

The Side Length

The Leg Length

The Waist

The Seat

The Knee width

The Bottom width

BREECHES AND PANTALOONS

LEGGINGS AND GAITERS

MEASURING FOR THE VEST

The First Measure

The Length Measure

The Chest Measure

The Waist Measure

S.B. LOUNGE

Take the Measures

The Length of the Sleeve

Frock Coats, Morning Coats, Dress Coats, &c

Overcoats, Ulsters, Inverness Capes, &c

Loose Scye Garments

Capes

USEFUL ILLUSTRATIVE FIGURES

Shirts

Hats & Caps

CORRECT MEASURES

Observations when Measuring

Usual Variations

Shoulder Measures

THE TAILOR & CUTTER DIRECT MEASURER

The Instrument

The Measures

Card of Relative Proportions for Males

The Proportionate Scale of Sizes

Inchtapes

Direkt Measure Tape

Ladies' direct Measure Tape

The Trouser Divisional Tape

The Tailor & Cutter "T" Tape

The Boomerang Tape

The Satinette Tape

Hook-ended Tape

Proportionate Scale for Ladies' Garments

Measures for Jackets, etc.

Extra Measures

Traveller's Measures

Proportions

Measure for Costume Skirts

Various Garments

Sac Coat

Loose Raglans, and deep Scye Coats

Newmarkets, or other Waist-seam Coats

Blouses

Corsets

Capes

Hoods

Vests

Robes, etc.

Equestienne Garments, Riding Trains

Ride-Astride Skirt

Knickers, Breeches & Trousers

Spats and Gaiters

Advertising

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

While true craftsmanship lies in skill and care, a well-made garment begins with something far simpler: accurate measurements. Many who take on the task of tailoring have received little formal guidance in this essential step.

This brief work is written to assist them.

We assume the customer is at hand and focus on the next crucial task —understanding exactly what he wants. Much of a cutter’s success depends on this. Misunderstanding the customer leads to mistakes in measuring, cutting, and ultimately, in the finished garment.

Clear communication, aided by visual tools like the Tailor and Cutter fashion plates, helps both cutter and client. These references not only guide style choices but also help ensure that the final result matches the client's expectations.

Finally, whether recorded by a clerk or the cutter himself, each measurement should be repeated aloud — a small habit that avoids large errors. May this guide serve those who aim to combine precision with elegance in their craft.

W. D. F. VINCENT..

PREVIOUSLY PRINTED BY THE JOHN WILLIAMSON COMPANY LIMITED, 93 & 94 DRURY LANE, LONDON, W.C.

https://www.becomeatailor.com

Although Dr. Watts sang: —

"Were I so tall to reach the pole, Or grasp the ocean in a span;

I must be measured by my soul:

The mind's the standard of the man."

yet it is necessary for tailors to get a correct idea of the length and circumference of the body they have to clothe, and as it is very essential that this should be done properly, and as there are a large number who have to perform this duty who have had no special instructions on this matter, we have ventured to write the following work for their benefit.

The first thing to be done is to get your customer, and on this topic we might write pages of useful suggestions, but as that is outside the range of this work, we will assume that the customer has been obtained, and we consequently proceed to find out definitely what he requires, and it will be well to remember that a very great deal of the cutter's success or failure results from this initial step. Sometimes the cutter fails to grasp his customer's wishes, and as a result he takes the measures wrong, cuts the garment wrong, and finishes it in a like manner.

Whereas the cutter who takes the pains to find out what his customer wants, has only to use ordinary care to carry the whole order through to a successful issue.

One of the most useful helps in this connection is the Semi-Annual Plate of Fashion, published by the proprietors of The "Tailor and Cutter" in February and August. When framed these make excellent decorations for any tailoring and out fitting establishment, and as they are always published the same size, the frames may be used year after year. Failing these, the plates issued with the weekly or monthly "Tailor and Cutter" are most useful, as by their aid the customer is able to give definite instructions as to his requirements, and to point out any feature that he wishes embodied in his garment mmIn most up-to-date establishments a clerk takes down the dimensions, and in connection with this we may state that it is important that the writer should call each measurement back the cutter, so that the latter may know they have been written down correctly, otherwise 17 may be entered as 70, and so on.

The next thing is to have a clear idea of what measures are required, and on this point we will dwell a little.

The most superficial thinker will at once see that it will be necessary to take measures of the lengths and the widths, whilst the careful student will realize the necessity of taking such measurements as will help him to find out the shape of the customer, and the style of his figure.