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{{Short description|Person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally}} {{Short description|A person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally}}
{{Other uses}} {{Other uses}}
{{Redirect|Tailoring|the clothing made by a tailor's measurements|Bespoke tailoring}} {{Redirect|Tailoring|the clothing made by a tailor's measurements|Bespoke tailoring}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2014}}
]
] 1918–2007.]]
A '''tailor''' is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.


]]]
Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, ''tailor'' took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now properly refers to makers of men's and women's ], ]s, ], and similar garments, commonly of ], ], or ].
A '''tailor''' is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing.{{r|dictionary}} The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century.{{r|bridgland}}
] tailor named Dorcas in ]]]


== History ==
The term so used thus refers to a set of specific hand and machine sewing and pressing techniques that are unique to the construction of traditional jackets. Small and medium size retail tailors often provide their services internationally, with individual tailors and cutters travelling to various cities, allowing the customers to be met locally, measured on one trip, fitted on another and thereafter supplied with (a) garment(s) without the inconvenience of themselves travelling overseas. Even small tailoring businesses without an international following will sometimes travel from one city to another within their home country, and quite a number will visit customers at the customers' places of work or homes.
Although clothing construction goes back to ], there is evidence of tailor shops in ] and ], as well as tailoring tools such as ] and ].{{r|manchester}} The profession of tailor in Europe became formalized in the ] through the establishment of ]. Tailors' guilds instituted a system of ], ], and ]. Guild members established rules to limit competition and establish quality standards.{{r|prog}} In 1244, members of the tailor's guild in ] established statutes to govern their profession and required anyone working as a tailor to join the guild.{{r|epstein}}


In England, the ], passed in 1563, included the profession of tailor{{efn|In the 1563 Statute of Artificers, the profession was spelled ''Taylours''.}} as one of the trades that could be entered only by serving a term of apprenticeship, typically seven years.{{r|woodward}}
Traditional tailoring is called "]" in the United Kingdom, where the heart of the trade is London's ], and "custom tailoring" in the United States and ]. This is unlike ] which starts by using pre-existing patterns within which relatively few individual style preferences can be satisfied. A true bespoke garment or suit is completely original and unique to each customer. However, the term 'bespoke' is widely used by makers of garments not within the strict original definition of the term and the legal battle to prevent what was once regarded as a misuse of the description has now been lost.


A typical tailor shop would have a master, a foreman, several journeymen, and apprentices. The apprentices, often beginning their training as young adolescents and indentured to the master by their parents (for a fee), performed menial tasks such as cleaning, managing the fires to heat the pressing-irons, running errands, and matching fabric and trims. Apprentices were also taught the "'''tailor's posture'''", to sit cross-legged on a raised board or bench while they sewed.{{r|ferguson}} A tailoring establishment then generally consisted of a well-appointed room in which the master would measure customers. Cutting, sewing, buttonholes, and finishing work were performed in adjoining rooms.{{r|linebaugh|pp=241-8}}
Famous fictional tailors include the tailor in '']'', ''] '' and '']''. A more recent example is ]'s '']''.
], in the tailor's posture]]


In England, there were many negative associations with the profession of tailoring. Tailors were often called "snips", "bodkins", "thimbles", "shreds", "{{sic|stiches"}}, and "geese" (referring to the tailor's "goose" or iron). In ]'s plays, a tailor was variously called a "thread", a "thimble", and a "rag". By reputation, tailors were generally presumed to drink to excess and to have ] tendencies (likely because of the view of sewing as a woman's activity). Tailors were presumed to be physically weak and to have delicate constitutions. It was commonly asserted that their diets consisted of cabbage.{{efn|Historically, tailors often supplemented their income with leftover fabric scraps, called "cabbage" in the trade.}} In comics, they were portrayed as cuckolds or henpecked husbands. A common saying at the time was "Nine tailors make a man".{{r|ferguson}}
==Types==
]
]
]
As the tailoring trade has evolved, so too have the methods of tailoring. There are a number of distinctive business models which modern tailors may practise. While some may practise many, there are others who will practise only one or two. Moreover, many tailoring houses, particularly in parts of Western Europe (including the UK) have distinctive individual styles for which they are well known by the better informed users of tailoring services.


As with other artisanal trades, tailors relied on the "house of call" or "call houses", a trade club at which they could procure workmen. Sometimes, a skilled journeyman assigned by the call house would be taken on permanently by the master. Master tailors who failed to comply with laws of wages or hours could lose access to the call houses, and journeymen whose work was reported as poor could be removed from the call book.{{r|ferguson}} Many tailors became virtually blind from the extensive hours of stitching by hand with only candelight to illumine the work. The call for tailoring peaked in the winter, and tailors were often unemployed for several months over the summer.{{r|linebaugh|pp=241-8}}
===Local tailoring===
Local tailoring is as the name implies. Typically the tailor is met locally and the garment produced locally. This method enables the tailor to take professional measurements, assess posture and body shape to make unique details to the garment. ] get to choose fabrics from samples, after this the tailor drafts a pattern; to which the tailor than marks it out with French/tailor’s chalk. Local tailors will typically have a showroom or shopfront, although sometimes the tailor would come to the clients preferred building or hotel. ] and London are the most famous for high quality ] tailoring. It typically takes some two or three fittings and about 50 to 70 working hours to handmake one suit. However, in England (as in Italy and France), the best of bespoke suits may involve a wait of several weeks from first fitting to final supply, whereas the process in the Far East is often very much faster.


During the 18th century, the profession began to shift toward large-scale and specialized production. A hierarchy of skills resulted, with the most prestigious level reserved for those who cut the cloth. "Mere sewers" ranked below the "cutters". More respect was given to those who worked in a master's workshop than those who took in piecework in their own home. Tasks grew more specialized; by the end of the century, one individual might focus solely on collars and sleeves.{{r|ferguson}}
===Made to Measure tailoring===
] of House of Dapper, a tailor based in ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.houseofdapper.nl|title=House of Dapper tailors|date=2019|website=House of Dapper}}</ref>]]
] and tailor in the ] of ]]]
Made to Measure tailoring involves ordering a garment from an out-of-town tailor enabling cheaper labour to be used. In practice this can now be done on a global scale via e-commerce websites. Unlike local tailoring, customers must take their own measurements, fabric selection must be made from a photo and if further alterations are required the garment must be shipped. Today, the most common platform for made to measure tailoring is via online tailors. Typically, instead of drafting a pattern from scratch, made to measure alters a existing pre made pattern to customer specifications.


The trade was one of the first in England to exhibit labor disputes, with tailors frequently on strike against lengthy working hours, low wages, and the use of laborers outside the workshop such as women and children. The strikes generally failed; some participants were imprisoned or ] to America or Australia. The unrest eventually influenced Parliament to establish rules for wages, hours, and working conditions in the tailoring industry.{{r|ferguson}} Tailors were one of the first trades in England to form a labor union.{{r|linebaugh|pp=241-8}}
Online tailors sometimes offer to pay for needed alterations at a local tailor. Another new option is the concept where a free suit mock-up is made to the provided measurements and shipped to the customer first. The suit mock-up can be tried on and worn to see where any adjustments are wanted. The final suit is then tailored to the new specifications provided by the suit mock-up fitting.
Even though Made to Measure tailoring, in the sartorial world; is considered salesmanship instead of tailoring, it still is in the category of tailor because it includes a client getting his garment tailored to his specifications.


The British census in 1851 identified 152,672 tailors, more than the entire railway industry at the time, and that number increased throughout the century.{{efn|The 1851 census identified 63,496 individuals engaged in the railway industry, including clerks, drivers, and station attendants.}} By then, living and working conditions of many tailors had deteriorated, but the trade was still the fourth largest of London professions. One factor was the growing availability and popularity of "slops": cheap ready-made clothing.{{efn|The term "slops" had previously referred specifically to sailors' clothing and bedding.}} Another was a shift from the vast majority of tailors being engaged in workshops to most working outside the shops of employers. Master tailors who relied on outside workers saved themselves the costs of lighting and heating, as well as some supplies. Rather than pay for foremen to supervise the work, masters would fine the outside workers for inferior products. Using outside workers also freed masters from the legal constraints that dictated hours and wages. Tailors who worked outside of workshops began to use their wives and family members in manufacturing garments, which increased their production to maximize their incomes. Some tailors would subcontract aspects of the work to laborers. The house of call system was abandoned. When the Statute of Artificers was repealed in 1814, it abolished the apprenticeship requirement and so tailors could no longer control admission to the trade. Tailor strikes in 1827 and 1834 were largely motivated by opposition to employing women as outworkers. Unlike other industries, in which technological advances contributed to decline of trades, the changes to the work methods in the tailoring industry that led to its decline had occurred several decades before the development of the mechanical sewing machine.{{r|ferguson}}
===Traveling tailor===
Unlike tailors who do distance tailoring, traveling tailors provide a more personal service to their customers and give the customers an opportunity to see the fabric samples and meet the tailor in person. Traveling tailors travel between cities and station in a local luxury hotel for a short period of time to meet and provide the same tailoring services they would provide in their local store. In the hotel, the customer will be able to select the fabric from samples and the tailor will take the measurements himself. The order then will be shipped to the customer within 3–4 weeks. Unlike local tailoring, if further alterations are required the garment must be shipped. Today, most traveling tailors are from Hong Kong, traveling to the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and Japan.


==Economics== == Tailoring ==


] requires a “skeleton fitting” in which the garment is only partially made in order to correct minor deficiencies in fit]]
There are many gradations within the tailoring industry. The prices charged for genuine bespoke tailoring by Savile Row tailors, like those charged by leading haute couturiers in Paris, are well beyond the budget of most ordinary working people, even those from rich countries. Fortunately, mass-produced factory made 'tailored' clothing, while of inferior quality to such artisanal masterpieces, is invariably priced to be within the budget of many more modest wearers.


Tailoring men's jackets by adding underlayers of padding became fashionable in Europe by the 14th century. Over the years, additional areas were padded to provide an understructure that helped the garment lie neatly on the body. By the 19th century, well-tailored garments were carefully fit to the wearer with a more subtly shaped understructure. Even with the advent of modern machines, nearly 75 percent of a custom-tailored suit's stitching is still done by hand.{{r|cabrera}}
==Related terms==
]]]
]]]
* A ''tailor-made'' is a man's suit consisting of a (usually) ] or ] ] and ]; the name arose during the ].
* As an adjective, ''tailor-made'' (from the second half of the twentieth century usually simplified to ''tailored'') refers to ] made by or in the style of clothes made by a tailor, characterized by simplicity of ] and ] and fine (often hand) finishing; as a women's clothing style ''tailored'' as opposed to ].
*''Rodeo tailor'' is a term for a creator of the flamboyant costumes typical of ] musicians, characterized by extensive hand ], an abundance of ]s, and ] details such as ] ] and ].
* In some contexts, the verb 'to tailor' means to adjust, and tailoring means adjusting.


The earliest extant work on cutting by tailors is from Spain in 1580. ], a Spanish tailor in the 16th century, published ''Libro de Geometría, practica, y traça'' (''Book on Geometry, Practice, and Pattern''){{efn|A copy of the 1589 edition of Alcega's book is housed at the ] in London.}} which documented methods of laying out patterns to achieve the most economical use of the fabric. Alcega illustrated 163 patterns to scale in 23 categories of men's and women's garments.{{r|seligman|pp=2-3}}
'''''Sewing professional''''' is the most general term for those who make their living by sewing, teaching, writing about sewing, or retailing sewing supplies. They may work out of their home, a studio, or retail shop, and may work part-time or full-time. They may be any or all or the following sub-specialties:
*A '''custom clothier''' makes custom garments one at a time, to order, to meet an individual customer's needs and preferences.
*A '''custom dressmaker''' specializes in women's custom apparel, including day dresses, suits, evening or bridal wear, sportswear, or lingerie.
*A '''tailor''' makes custom menswear-style jackets and trousers.
] City, ] Province, ]]]
*A '''cutter''' cuts out, from lengths of cloth, the panels that make up a suit. In bespoke tailoring, the cutter may also measure the client, advise them on style choices, and commission craftsmen to sew the suit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stjames-style.blogspot.com/2010/05/cad-and-dandys-london-cut.html |title=St James Style: Cad and the Dandy's London Cut &#124; Men's Style and Lifestyle Blog |publisher=Stjames-style.blogspot.com |date=2010-05-26 |access-date=2014-02-06}}</ref>
*An '''alterations specialist''', or '''alterationist''' adjusts the fit of completed garments, usually ready-to-wear, or restyles them. Note that while all tailors can do alterations, not all alterationists can do tailoring.
*''']s''' conceive combinations of line, proportion, color, and texture for intended garments. They may or may not have sewing or patternmaking skills, and may only sketch or conceptualize garments. They work with people who know how to actually construct the garment.
*''']s''' flat draft the shapes and sizes of the numerous pieces of a garment by hand, using paper and measuring tools or by computer using AutoCAD based software, or by draping muslin onto a dressform. The resulting pattern pieces must comprise the intended design of the garment and they must fit the intended wearer.
*A '''wardrobe consultant''', '''fashion advisor''', or '''stylist''' recommends styles and colors that are flattering to a client.
*A ''']''' is someone who sews seams or a machine operator in a factory who may not have the skills to make garments 'from scratch' or to fit them onto a real body. This term is not a synonym for ''dressmaker''. ''Seamstress'' is also an unkind and archaic euphemism for prostitute. Despite such unfortunate double meanings, a good seamstress can perform invaluable work within a hand tailoring business.


Master tailors used proprietary methods for creating their clothing patterns.{{r|roetzel}} Up until approximately 1790, ] to be used for cutting were considered trade secrets to be exclusively owned by the masters. By the late 18th century, publications that not only printed patterns but also gave directions for cutting and layout were widely available.{{r|linebaugh|pp=438-9}}
==''Tailor'' as a surname==
]
The craft's denomination, ''Tailor'', is a common surname in many languages: '']'' (English), ''Couturier'' (French), ''Schroeder'', ''Schneider'', and ''Schneiderman'' (German), ''Sarti'' (Italian), ''Siuvejas'' (Lithuanian), ''Szabó'' (Hungarian), ''Croitor'' (Romanian), ''Sastre'' (Spanish), ''Krawiec'' (''Kravitz'') (Polish), ''Portnov, Kravtsov'' (Russian), ''Krejčí'' (Czech), ''Darzi'' (]/]), ''Snijder'', ''Kleermaker(s)'' (Dutch), ''Alfaiate'' (Portuguese), ''Khayat'' / خياط (Arabic), ''Chait'' / חייט (Hebrew), ''Raftis'' /Ράφτης (Greek), ''Kravets'', ''Kravchuk'', and ''Kravchenko'' (Ukrainian), ''Terzi'' (Turkish).
In the movie '']'' (written and directed by ]), many of the characters have the ] ("blood relative") of the surname ''Tailor'' from different languages.


In addition to patterns and templates, some master tailors and cutters use the '''rock of eye''' method of cutting: which is a freehand way of drafting a pattern by trusting your eye and experience rather than focusing on numbers. Instead of using pencil to draft the pattern, the rock of eye typically involves chalk to mark.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://savilerowsuit.com/savile-row-rock-of-eye/ | title=Savile Row :Rock of Eye. - Savile Row Tales }}</ref>{{r|seligman|p=7}}{{r|williams}}
Though unrelated to the procedure of tailoring, the similar sounding name ] was derived from the ] profession.

==Regional styles ==
], Russia]]
Just as there are various methods of tailoring, there are also styles that differ regionally. This is due to different climates and cultures in the world, causing "house style" cuts of the trade.

===British cut===

The silhouette of a British cut suit is influenced by military tailoring, with a defined waist and shoulders. The target image is that of an upper-class gentleman.{{r|roetzel}}

The British cut of tailoring can be defined by various ways of inner construction. Since the ] has a cooler climate than (for example) the Mediterranean, the cut of the British is heavier, and bears a greater military influence. This style of canvassing has 3 layers, a wool or camel-hair canvas for the body, a horsehair chest piece for the breast area, and a flannel domette for a more ] pronounced bulk. The shoulders of the British are more heavily padded. The fabrics used by the British are in the range of 9-13 oz due to the colder climate. This style of cut can be credited to ], and ]. The British are also credited in creating their ever-so-popular trademark, the ], credited to ] who trained the founders of ].

===Italian cut===

An Italian cut suit offers a flattering shape with soft tailoring, aiming for the most attractive appearance for the wearer. A suit jacket in northern Italy will usually have a square shoulder, while in southern Italy, the preference is for a more natural shoulder.{{r|roetzel}}

Like the British cut, the Italian cut is defined by its inner construction. Since ] lies in southern Europe and has a warm climate, the ] tailors developed a cut that was light and cooler to coincide with the conditions. What they developed is called the Italian/European cut. This cut is more light, with fabrics ranging from 7-9 oz. This way of doing canvas has a range of 1-2 layers, a linen body canvas, and a light horsehair canvas. The Italian shoulder is more natural, and sometimes has a "shirt sleeve" with a roping head. The cut is also slimmer than the British, with a more casual setting. The tailors credited with these cuts are ] and ].

Bespoke suits created by an Italian tailor are called ''su misura''. The average cost of a ''su misura'' suit is between {{Euro|1,700}} and {{Euro|3,000}}, although one might cost more than {{Euro|5,000}} from the finest tailoring houses. A master tailor can create a suit in approximately 40 hours. The number of tailors in Italy decreases at a rate of 8 percent annually, with fewer than 750 tailors as of 2016.{{r|carby}}

===American cut===
The American cut of tailoring is a mix of the Italian and the British ways. The American cut is more baggy and full, with a natural shoulder that is lightly padded. American tailoring usually involves doing light canvas, where only the canvas and the flannel domette are used. The most well-known cut developed by the Americans is the ] cut. The tailors credited with this cut remain anonymous.{{r|gazette}}


==See also== ==See also==
*]
*]
{{Portal|Fashion}} {{Portal|Fashion}}

*"]"
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=bridgland>{{cite book |last= Bridgland|first= A.S.|orig-date= 1928 |publication-date= 2013 |title= The Modern Tailor Outfitter and Clothier Vol 1|url= https://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/9781445505350?invid=16211097458?siteID=lbHlpxiEbDY-Y6RWr_eP3L7IysTavqwHrw |location= UK|publisher= Read Books Ltd.|page= 3|quote= The Oxford English Dictionary states that the word ‘tailor’ first came into usage around the 1290s, and undoubtedly by this point, tailoring guilds, as well as those of cloth merchants and weavers were well established across Europe.| isbn=}}</ref>
* Deckert, Barbara: ''Sewing for Plus Sizes: Design, Fit and Construction for Ample Apparel'', Taunton, 1999, ''Appendix B: How to Find, Select, and Work With a Custom Clothier'', pp.&nbsp;142–143.'Meru'(Merollu_plural)(Telugu language of Telangana in A.P.)
<ref name=cabrera>{{cite book | publisher=Fairchild Publications | isbn=9780870054310 | year=1983 | last1=Cabrera | first1=Roberto | last2=Flaherty Meyers | first2=Patricia | title=Classic Tailoring Techniques | page=1}}</ref>
<ref name=carby>{{cite book | last=Carby | first=Luke | title=Italian tailoring: a glimpse into the world of sartorial masters | year=2018 | publication-place=Milano, Italy | isbn=978-88-572-3828-9 | oclc=1043470104 | page=54}}</ref>
<ref name=dictionary>{{Cite web |url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailor|title= Definition of tailor|website= Merriam-Webster|date= 6 September 2023}}</ref>
<ref name=epstein>{{cite book | last=Epstein | first=S.A. | title=Wage Labor and Guilds in Medieval Europe | publisher=University of North Carolina Press | year=1991 | isbn=978-0-8078-4498-4 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g3ZwoY11WWYC&pg=PA83 | access-date=April 16, 2022 | pages=82–83}}</ref>
<ref name=ferguson>{{cite book | title=An Artisan Intellectual: James Carter and the Rise of Modern Britain, 1792-1853 | chapter=The Tailors' Industrial Revolution | last=Ferguson | first=Christopher | year=2016 | publisher =Louisiana State University Press | isbn=9780807163818}}</ref>
<ref name=gazette>{{Cite web |url= https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/british-italian-american-suits/|title= British vs Italian vs American - Suit Fashions & Silhouettes|date=2019|website= Gentleman's Gazette}}</ref>
<ref name=linebaugh>{{cite book | title=The London hanged : crime and civil society in the eighteenth century | last=Linebaugh | first=Peter | publisher=Verso | publication-place=London | year=2003| isbn=1-85984-638-6 | page=}}</ref>
<ref name=manchester>{{cite magazine | magazine=Progressive Tailor | date=1917 | issue=Autumn and Winter | last=Manchester | first=H. H. | title=The Story of the Tailor Shop | page=77 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9N42AQAAMAAJ&dq=history+of+tailor+guild&pg=RA5-PA46}}</ref>
<ref name=prog>{{cite magazine | magazine=Progressive Tailor | date=1917 | issue=Autumn and Winter | last=Manchester | first=H. H. | title=The History of the Tailor Shop | page=46 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9N42AQAAMAAJ&dq=history+of+tailor+guild&pg=RA5-PA46}}</ref>
<ref name=roetzel>{{cite magazine | magazine=Gentleman's Gazette | title=The History of Bespoke Tailoring: Now and Then | url=https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/the-history-bespoke-tailoring/}}</ref>
<ref name=seligman>{{cite book | last=Seligman | first=Kevin L. |title=Cutting for all!| year=1996 | publisher=Southern Illinois University Press |publication-place=Carbondale | isbn=0-8093-2005-3 }}</ref>
<ref name=williams>{{cite web | last=Williams | first=James | title=Developing the Tailor's 'Rock of Eye' | website=James Williams | date=October 2, 2018 | url=https://www.historical-tailoring.com/2018/10/developing-the-tailors-rock-of-eye/ | access-date=May 7, 2022}}</ref>
<ref name=woodward>{{cite journal | journal=The Economic History Review | title=The Background to the Statute of Artificers | last=Woodward | first=Donald | date=February 1980 | volume=33 | issue=1 | pages=32–44}}</ref>
}}


==External links==
{{wiktionary}} {{wiktionary}}
{{wikiquote|Tailors}} {{wikiquote|Tailors}}
{{Commons category|Tailors}} {{Commons category|Tailors}}
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Latest revision as of 22:42, 23 December 2024

A person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally For other uses, see Tailor (disambiguation). "Tailoring" redirects here. For the clothing made by a tailor's measurements, see Bespoke tailoring.
1955 photo of a tailor at work in Wales

A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century.

Fuliiru tailor named Dorcas in Democratic Republic of Congo

History

Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of tailor shops in Ancient Greece and Rome, as well as tailoring tools such as irons and shears. The profession of tailor in Europe became formalized in the High Middle Ages through the establishment of guilds. Tailors' guilds instituted a system of masters, journeymen, and apprentices. Guild members established rules to limit competition and establish quality standards. In 1244, members of the tailor's guild in Bologna established statutes to govern their profession and required anyone working as a tailor to join the guild.

In England, the Statute of Artificers, passed in 1563, included the profession of tailor as one of the trades that could be entered only by serving a term of apprenticeship, typically seven years.

A typical tailor shop would have a master, a foreman, several journeymen, and apprentices. The apprentices, often beginning their training as young adolescents and indentured to the master by their parents (for a fee), performed menial tasks such as cleaning, managing the fires to heat the pressing-irons, running errands, and matching fabric and trims. Apprentices were also taught the "tailor's posture", to sit cross-legged on a raised board or bench while they sewed. A tailoring establishment then generally consisted of a well-appointed room in which the master would measure customers. Cutting, sewing, buttonholes, and finishing work were performed in adjoining rooms.

Master Tailor Agne Wideheim (1918–2007), Sweden, in the tailor's posture

In England, there were many negative associations with the profession of tailoring. Tailors were often called "snips", "bodkins", "thimbles", "shreds", "stiches" [sic], and "geese" (referring to the tailor's "goose" or iron). In William Shakespeare's plays, a tailor was variously called a "thread", a "thimble", and a "rag". By reputation, tailors were generally presumed to drink to excess and to have effeminate tendencies (likely because of the view of sewing as a woman's activity). Tailors were presumed to be physically weak and to have delicate constitutions. It was commonly asserted that their diets consisted of cabbage. In comics, they were portrayed as cuckolds or henpecked husbands. A common saying at the time was "Nine tailors make a man".

As with other artisanal trades, tailors relied on the "house of call" or "call houses", a trade club at which they could procure workmen. Sometimes, a skilled journeyman assigned by the call house would be taken on permanently by the master. Master tailors who failed to comply with laws of wages or hours could lose access to the call houses, and journeymen whose work was reported as poor could be removed from the call book. Many tailors became virtually blind from the extensive hours of stitching by hand with only candelight to illumine the work. The call for tailoring peaked in the winter, and tailors were often unemployed for several months over the summer.

During the 18th century, the profession began to shift toward large-scale and specialized production. A hierarchy of skills resulted, with the most prestigious level reserved for those who cut the cloth. "Mere sewers" ranked below the "cutters". More respect was given to those who worked in a master's workshop than those who took in piecework in their own home. Tasks grew more specialized; by the end of the century, one individual might focus solely on collars and sleeves.

The trade was one of the first in England to exhibit labor disputes, with tailors frequently on strike against lengthy working hours, low wages, and the use of laborers outside the workshop such as women and children. The strikes generally failed; some participants were imprisoned or transported to America or Australia. The unrest eventually influenced Parliament to establish rules for wages, hours, and working conditions in the tailoring industry. Tailors were one of the first trades in England to form a labor union.

The British census in 1851 identified 152,672 tailors, more than the entire railway industry at the time, and that number increased throughout the century. By then, living and working conditions of many tailors had deteriorated, but the trade was still the fourth largest of London professions. One factor was the growing availability and popularity of "slops": cheap ready-made clothing. Another was a shift from the vast majority of tailors being engaged in workshops to most working outside the shops of employers. Master tailors who relied on outside workers saved themselves the costs of lighting and heating, as well as some supplies. Rather than pay for foremen to supervise the work, masters would fine the outside workers for inferior products. Using outside workers also freed masters from the legal constraints that dictated hours and wages. Tailors who worked outside of workshops began to use their wives and family members in manufacturing garments, which increased their production to maximize their incomes. Some tailors would subcontract aspects of the work to laborers. The house of call system was abandoned. When the Statute of Artificers was repealed in 1814, it abolished the apprenticeship requirement and so tailors could no longer control admission to the trade. Tailor strikes in 1827 and 1834 were largely motivated by opposition to employing women as outworkers. Unlike other industries, in which technological advances contributed to decline of trades, the changes to the work methods in the tailoring industry that led to its decline had occurred several decades before the development of the mechanical sewing machine.

Tailoring

A bespoke suit requires a “skeleton fitting” in which the garment is only partially made in order to correct minor deficiencies in fit

Tailoring men's jackets by adding underlayers of padding became fashionable in Europe by the 14th century. Over the years, additional areas were padded to provide an understructure that helped the garment lie neatly on the body. By the 19th century, well-tailored garments were carefully fit to the wearer with a more subtly shaped understructure. Even with the advent of modern machines, nearly 75 percent of a custom-tailored suit's stitching is still done by hand.

The earliest extant work on cutting by tailors is from Spain in 1580. Juan de Alcega, a Spanish tailor in the 16th century, published Libro de Geometría, practica, y traça (Book on Geometry, Practice, and Pattern) which documented methods of laying out patterns to achieve the most economical use of the fabric. Alcega illustrated 163 patterns to scale in 23 categories of men's and women's garments.

Master tailors used proprietary methods for creating their clothing patterns. Up until approximately 1790, patterns to be used for cutting were considered trade secrets to be exclusively owned by the masters. By the late 18th century, publications that not only printed patterns but also gave directions for cutting and layout were widely available.

In addition to patterns and templates, some master tailors and cutters use the rock of eye method of cutting: which is a freehand way of drafting a pattern by trusting your eye and experience rather than focusing on numbers. Instead of using pencil to draft the pattern, the rock of eye typically involves chalk to mark.

Regional styles

Seamstress at work. Buryatia, Russia

Just as there are various methods of tailoring, there are also styles that differ regionally. This is due to different climates and cultures in the world, causing "house style" cuts of the trade.

British cut

The silhouette of a British cut suit is influenced by military tailoring, with a defined waist and shoulders. The target image is that of an upper-class gentleman.

The British cut of tailoring can be defined by various ways of inner construction. Since the United Kingdom has a cooler climate than (for example) the Mediterranean, the cut of the British is heavier, and bears a greater military influence. This style of canvassing has 3 layers, a wool or camel-hair canvas for the body, a horsehair chest piece for the breast area, and a flannel domette for a more masculine pronounced bulk. The shoulders of the British are more heavily padded. The fabrics used by the British are in the range of 9-13 oz due to the colder climate. This style of cut can be credited to Henry Poole & Co, and H. Huntsman & Sons. The British are also credited in creating their ever-so-popular trademark, the Drape cut, credited to Frederick Scholte who trained the founders of Anderson & Sheppard.

Italian cut

An Italian cut suit offers a flattering shape with soft tailoring, aiming for the most attractive appearance for the wearer. A suit jacket in northern Italy will usually have a square shoulder, while in southern Italy, the preference is for a more natural shoulder.

Like the British cut, the Italian cut is defined by its inner construction. Since Italy lies in southern Europe and has a warm climate, the Italian tailors developed a cut that was light and cooler to coincide with the conditions. What they developed is called the Italian/European cut. This cut is more light, with fabrics ranging from 7-9 oz. This way of doing canvas has a range of 1-2 layers, a linen body canvas, and a light horsehair canvas. The Italian shoulder is more natural, and sometimes has a "shirt sleeve" with a roping head. The cut is also slimmer than the British, with a more casual setting. The tailors credited with these cuts are Brioni and Rubinacci.

Bespoke suits created by an Italian tailor are called su misura. The average cost of a su misura suit is between €1,700 and €3,000, although one might cost more than €5,000 from the finest tailoring houses. A master tailor can create a suit in approximately 40 hours. The number of tailors in Italy decreases at a rate of 8 percent annually, with fewer than 750 tailors as of 2016.

American cut

The American cut of tailoring is a mix of the Italian and the British ways. The American cut is more baggy and full, with a natural shoulder that is lightly padded. American tailoring usually involves doing light canvas, where only the canvas and the flannel domette are used. The most well-known cut developed by the Americans is the Ivy League cut. The tailors credited with this cut remain anonymous.

See also

Notes

  1. In the 1563 Statute of Artificers, the profession was spelled Taylours.
  2. Historically, tailors often supplemented their income with leftover fabric scraps, called "cabbage" in the trade.
  3. The 1851 census identified 63,496 individuals engaged in the railway industry, including clerks, drivers, and station attendants.
  4. The term "slops" had previously referred specifically to sailors' clothing and bedding.
  5. A copy of the 1589 edition of Alcega's book is housed at the National Art Library in London.

References

  1. "Definition of tailor". Merriam-Webster. 6 September 2023.
  2. Bridgland, A.S. (2013) . The Modern Tailor Outfitter and Clothier Vol 1. UK: Read Books Ltd. p. 3. The Oxford English Dictionary states that the word 'tailor' first came into usage around the 1290s, and undoubtedly by this point, tailoring guilds, as well as those of cloth merchants and weavers were well established across Europe.
  3. Manchester, H. H. (1917). "The Story of the Tailor Shop". Progressive Tailor. No. Autumn and Winter. p. 77.
  4. Manchester, H. H. (1917). "The History of the Tailor Shop". Progressive Tailor. No. Autumn and Winter. p. 46.
  5. Epstein, S.A. (1991). Wage Labor and Guilds in Medieval Europe. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-0-8078-4498-4. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  6. Woodward, Donald (February 1980). "The Background to the Statute of Artificers". The Economic History Review. 33 (1): 32–44.
  7. ^ Ferguson, Christopher (2016). "The Tailors' Industrial Revolution". An Artisan Intellectual: James Carter and the Rise of Modern Britain, 1792-1853. Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 9780807163818.
  8. ^ Linebaugh, Peter (2003). The London hanged : crime and civil society in the eighteenth century. London: Verso. ISBN 1-85984-638-6.
  9. Cabrera, Roberto; Flaherty Meyers, Patricia (1983). Classic Tailoring Techniques. Fairchild Publications. p. 1. ISBN 9780870054310.
  10. ^ Seligman, Kevin L. (1996). Cutting for all!. Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 0-8093-2005-3.
  11. ^ "The History of Bespoke Tailoring: Now and Then". Gentleman's Gazette.
  12. "Savile Row :Rock of Eye. - Savile Row Tales".
  13. Williams, James (October 2, 2018). "Developing the Tailor's 'Rock of Eye'". James Williams. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  14. Carby, Luke (2018). Italian tailoring: a glimpse into the world of sartorial masters. Milano, Italy. p. 54. ISBN 978-88-572-3828-9. OCLC 1043470104.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. "British vs Italian vs American - Suit Fashions & Silhouettes". Gentleman's Gazette. 2019.
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