Tailoring

Freelance Pattern Cutting.

(072). I began my Pattern cutting career at Jaeger Tailoring in 1976. 

Working initially on Ladies` tailored  patterns – Jackets, skirts and trousers. Later I was  involved in cutting the  Mens tailored  patterns. Since then I have been involved in an extremely wide variety of pattern making for men, women and children.

But I always come back to Mens Tailoring as the area of pattern cutting that I most enjoy and that I am most skilled at. It is very satisfying to develop a tailored pattern to fit perfectly from a designer sketch through to a toile and final sample garment.

While Mens and Ladies Tailoring have many similarities they are in fact vastly different – A Menswear Tailor would find it  difficult to do Ladies Tailoring and vice versa. Gents Tailoring is far more structured and conservative, while Ladies` Tailoring can be more innovative. Menswear generally  needs to be more conservative and precise, with an exact amount of shirt cuff or collar showing and with pockets placed in exactly the right position.

EMAIL –  [email protected]

Mens Tailoring Pattern Cutter.

As a Freelance pattern cutter I  worked for a wide variety of Clients  from small startup clothing businesses through to top designer names and iconic high street brands as well as Savlle Row Tailors in London. While most of my work has been for London based Clients, I also work for many Clients throughout the U.K.

Mens tailoring styles tend to change very slowly, so the basic shapes should remain the same for many years. At the moment single breasted jackets and flat front trousers are in fashion, At other times it will be double breasted jackets and pleated trousers.

The Mans Tailored Jacket Pattern.

There are two parts to creating a mans tailored jacket pattern – Firstly you need to create the shape.

The Jacket Shape.

This is done normally by starting with a standard block pattern for the size that you are making. Although mens tailored jackets tend to be quite standardised in their basic style, the fit can change enormously, depending on the client.

Each manufacturer has their own typical customer, but they also have different types of fit. The fit may be Regular. Classic. Slim. Extra slim. Athletic. Stout. Etc. As a freelancer you tend to work for many different clients, each one with their own fit. And each one with their variations of that fit.

The Internals.

The second part of the pattern making process is creating all the internals and lining patterns. There may be sixty or more pattern pieces for a mens jacket. These can be for : Body lining. Sleeve lining.  Interlining. Heavy fusing. Light fusing. Armhole stay. Canvas. Melton. Pocketing. Etc.

The Lining Pattern.

The lining has to be cut accurately and correctly as even small errors can ruin the shape of the garment. This is where so many inexperienced cutters go wrong. Even if the main fabric pattern is perfect, they tend to make a number of errors with the lining that add up to a badly mis shapen garment. The body tends to be in a malleable fabric, while the  lining is normally in  a very unforgiving fabric.

The lining needs to be cut a little bigger to give it some ease, if only to prevent it being cut too small. There need to be extra length added both in the body, and in the sleeve. For a jacket that is to be mass produced, it needs to have less ease in the sleeve than the main fabric has. And there needs to be a pleat in the centre back to allow for arm movement.

Fusing.

Most jackets contain a number of fusing of different weights and types. The main body will have one type of fusing, while the cuffs will have another. The armhole and neck may have a narrow fusing strip with a narrower non fusible stay laid on top, to hold these areas in place. The sleevehead may also be fused. The chest area should have a multi-layer of fusings and padded chest pieces, with a layer or two of canvas.

EMAIL –  [email protected]