Tag Archives: Tailoring

The Cutter’s Practical Guide

The Tailor & Cutter shears from the Cutter's Practical Guide

Is a series of books by W. D. F. Vincent that covered tailor’s pattern drafting for all sorts of garments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

When my Costumer’s Manifesto Site was working I had a bunch of these (not all) online (and hope to do so again), but in the meantime, all the parts I posted in PDF form are still available online at assorted sites at these outside links:

the Victorian Patterns Board has all of them listed by Volume on this page.

Hathi Trust link to nicer scan of the the University of California PDF of Cutter’s Guide volume on Children’s Clothing

Hathi Trust link to the University of California PDF of The Cutter’s practical guide to cutting and making shirts, undergarments, collars, and specialty clothing for various occupations

Very good scan of the Volume on Women’s Clothing

Archive.org copy of my old scans of lots of volumes of this stuff on my currently dead The Costumer’s Manifesto/costumes.org site

Archive.org copy of: Vincent’s systems of cutting all kinds of tailor-made garments : part 1 : dealing with the cutting of various styles of trousers, breeches, knickers, pantaloons, leggings and gaiters, and waistcoats 1903 by Vincent, W. D. F (William D. F.) 1860-1925

Siam Costumes has a bunch of these, as well as other tailoring, costume, and needlework copyright expired pdfs at “Cutter’s Guides” pages. Click on “Pattern Guides Female” and “Pattern Guides Male” to find loads of volumes of WDF Vincent’s Cutter’s Guide, including British Military Uniforms, Clerical Dress, Lounge & Sportswear, Livery, etc.

W D F Vincent “The Cutter’s Practical Guide” Part 10 – Waistcoats (3rd Edition)

Archive.org copy of 1890 volume on Women’s Garments

Wikisource 1898 Volume 1 on Juvenile & Youth Garments

The Group, The Victorian Sweatshop Forum has a large number of the volumes available to registered members of the forum, so if you have a strong interest join and go to their Cutter’s Guide Files

The Tailor’s Handbook of Useful Information on Social, Literary, Historical, Practical and Scientific Subjects (also by W.D.F. Vincent)

About The Vincent Square (Tailor’s Ruler)

Also co-authored by W. D. F. Vincent: The sewing machine : an historical and practical exposition of the sewing machine from its inception to the present time : containing explanations showing the modern methods of garment making applied to all kinds of tailor-made garments c.1910, by Lyons, Lewis; Allen, T. W; Vincent, W. D. F. (William D. F.), 1860-1926; Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture. NcD

The Latest Styles for Men & Young Men, Autumn & Winter 1942-43, Ferris Woolen Co. Chicago

This catalog of Men’s and Women’s Tailored Garments would have been published about 6 months after the US joined World War II in December 1941.  It is the sort of thing a store would keep on hand as a guide for ordering semi-custom made garments, even though with rationing on wool being rather severe, the trade in civilian garments would have been considerably curtailed.  Therefore, unlike pre-war catalogs of similar type, there are pages of officer uniforms and women’s work wear suits shown as options.  This type of catalog was usually used to order suits that were 90% mass manufactured, that were later finished to size on the cuffs of jackets and hems of trousers at the store where they were purchased after a fitting on the wearer.

Interestingly, the color images appear to all be printed using only 3 colors of ink: black, bright red and deep blue, which are cleverly used to create the browns, grays and dark blues of the woolen styles.  This makes for all the pops of color having a patriotic flavor, as well as ties in with the theme of “All American Styles!” which is featured in the catalog text and illustrations.  It also likely saved on ink, which would be viewed as both patriotic and practical.