Customer Reviews

Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Women's Wear (F.I.T. Collection)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Men's Wear first. It's great. The text teaches you how to make beautifully tailored garments. I wanted to see those techniques specifically for women's jackets, trousers, and skirts so I bought this edition. Except for the section on pants and skirts, the text is identical in both books. The sections on women's pants and skirts is like anything you'd find in a commercial pattern instruction sheet - nothing special at all. Couture techniques for making beautifully tailored pants for women are not described or even hinted at in this book. Actually, it's not the fault of the author -- tailoring techniques are actually designed for men's clothing. Couture techniques are essentially for women's clothing. If you want to learn to make tailored jackets (men's or women's), either book gives the same instructions. For tailored trousers, use the men's book. For women's skirts, see Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire B. Shaeffer. (Actually, Claire Shaeffer's Vogue patterns for jackets and trousers are probably a better purchase than this book.)

I found this book and the men's wear companion to be extremely informative and one of the best guides around for learning how to create a tailored garment using the traditional techniques as opposed to the "speed" tailoring that is so popular. There are differences in men's and women's jackets which each book illustrates respectively. Also, the women's book includes chapters on skirts and pants. My disappointment is that neither book included instruction on the various types of coats and raincoats with zip/button-out linings. Coats are not just long jackets; there are differences in construction techniques. I also think that there should have been a little more clarification of some things. For instance, it took me a while to realize that silk-finished thread was actually Mettler's silk-finish cotton thread and not a type of silk thread. A search of the internet provided the answer. Minor gripes in comparison to the knowledge to be gained therein by those who want to make couture-quality garments.

Along with it's companion on classic tailor for men's wear, this book is absolutely essential reading, for it is an absolute classic in terms of the way the book deals step-by-step with the practical making up of a coat and skirt.

It must be clarified that it is complete and utter nonsense that the methods for tailoring women's coats described here is identical to the companion men's tailoring book. Whoever thinks that has clearly neither read this book, nor it's companion. The techniques outlined are totally different, from the shape of the canvas, the panels being canvassed or mounted/underlayed, and even the layers forming the chest piece. There are even sections dealing with a coat with separately cut skirt, as well as discussions about paneled jackets. Obviously, neither of these are found in the men's tailoring edition. The details on how to construct a coat, or skirt are far beyond the instructions found inside a commercial pattern. Yes, the skirt is a plain tailor's skirt rather than a fancier dressmaker's skirt, but this is what the book is about: classic custom/bespoke tailoring a skirt as part of a suit, not couture style dressmaking.

When I bought this book I was somehow doubting if it would be necessary and useful. I have the book on men's wear from Roberto Cabrera already and so i was not sure if there would be any interesting news in this one. But there are! After general information on the pattern, ironing and sewing, which are absolutely the same as in the guide for men's wear, the chapters on women's wear start. The techniques show how to sew several classical women's garments, like a classical skirt, two kinds of different jackets and women's trousers. All descriptions are in the familliar detailled way and there is also good hints and alterations for special figures like what jacket type to use with a bigger bust or which trousers for a flat derriere. Although the book is very detailled I don't think it's for total beginners but for tailors and homesewers with basic information on sewing this is a great book to enter the practical knowledge of high standards on fine bespoke garments.

This is a comprehensive book on women's tailoring.. Has lots of pictures and diagrams to help.

".....THIS BOOK IS A SEQUEL TO AND AN EXPANSION OF OUR EARLIER WORK, Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Men's Wear.

Since women's tailoring is an adaptation of an art which originally belonged exclusively to men's wear, many construction procedures outlined in our first book are repeated here with only slight adjustments --- pockets, lapels, vents, etc....."
[from the book of preface by Patricia Flaherty Meyers]

An excellent book with clear, well explained diagrams and photographs. The book takes you through the full procedure for tailoring women's jackets, skirts and pants