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April 30, 2005
flared trousers & tailors' dens.
(The topside and underside of a very flared pair of trousers.
Richard's suit (which I wrote about earlier) is coming along nicely. Richard wants his trousers to fit over his cowboy boots, hence the flares.
What I'm showing you here are the two cuttings needed for a pair of trousers- the topside on the left, the underside on the right.
You're actually seeing four, not two pieces of cloth here. Suits- coats, waistcoats and trousers- are always cut "on the double". This makes sure both left and right are cut exactly the same. Any disparities between the customer's actual left and right are attended to later.
(Tailors' den, Kingley Street, Soho)
Speaking of trousers, when I was in London this week I stopped by my trouser maker for a "skiffle" (tailor's term for a rush job), who works out of this den in Kingley Street. Though Soho is now mostly known for its trendy cafes, media companies and ad agencies, as you can see Old London is thankfully still with us.
The vast majority of sewing tailors are self-employed, with their dens scattered around within walking distance of Savile Row. All the coats you see being made here will come from all the famous tailors' shops- A&S, Huntsman, Poole's etc. And that's the way it's been for as long as anyone can remember.
Posted by tom at April 30, 2005 1:27 PM
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Comments
There are some interesting details about tailoring and the lot of tailors in the mid nineteenth century, particularly in the forewords, in this little novel I've just discovered by chance.
This seems like an appropriate place to bring it blinking into the daylight!
Posted by: Patrick at January 9, 2009 6:36 AM