In order to properly
learn the skied art and science of cutting and refine my skills of
making-up, it was put to me by Wolife, a friend and extraordinarily skilled tailor, the task of
creating a vest in each of the three main tailoring manuals available to us from the 1860's.
Namely, I shall endeavor to create a vest according to:
- Louis Devere's 1866 “Handbook of Practical cutting on the Centre Point System.”
- Wilbur S. Salisbury's 1865 “Sailisbury's System of Actual Measurement and Drafting, For All Styles of Coats, Upon Geometrical Principles.”
- Edward Minister's 1856 “The Complete Guide to Practical Cutting.”
The first order of
business was to take measures of my form per the three systems, which
Wolfie was wondrously helpful in assisting me. It was of some
great aid that she assisted me, as in addition to taking measures,
she provided me with a great deal many pointers, such as the need to
ensure the armscye allows the free motion of the ball of the
shoulder. Furthermore, after working with her, it appears I had been
laboring under the misguided delusion as to the location of my waist;
I had placed it a two or three inches below the true natural waist.
Naturally this had stymied my prior attempts at creating drafts.
It should be noted
that I currently lack a well fitting vest, so all measures were taken
over a period shirt. Unfortunate, but no other good manner to attack
the problem.
Devere 1866
So to start I will
work with drafting system which there appears to be the greatest
amount of literature on, namely Devere's 1866. To begin the measures
were taken as per the text outlines. I have submitted the relevant
passages below.
MEASUREMENT.(Plate 13.)In taking the measures of a Waistcoat, we have, even for very disproportionate structures, much fewer points to ascertain than for a coat. The scye of a Waistcoat is so large, that we need take no measures for the shoulder, and the only ones indeed that are required, are shown on fig. 7: they are the first five measures of the First Series, as described for coats, and shown on Figs. 7 and 8, viz. :-Breast, Waist, Curve, Bust, and Side.If the customer is very particular as to the exact style required, we may add, as supplementary measures, the Depth of Opening, and the Length to bottom of Front.If the client is ordering a coat and waistcoat at the same time, there are of course, no measures required to be taken of the waistcoat, except, perhaps, Nos. 6 and 7. But if as sometimes happens, the customer requires a waistcoat only, then the first five measures must be taken, in the same manner as for a coat, and will be fully explained in Part 1, pages 9 to 12, and plate 4.No. 1, Breast. Taken on the Waistcoat.No. 2, Waist. A little tighter than for a coat: say 15 1/2 for the proportionate man.
No. 3, Curve. From the top of back to the centre point, as for a coat.No. 4, Bust. As for a coat. N.B.-In taking the bust and curve measures over a loose fitting coat, the fronts must be laid over and drawn together, so as to make the coat fit close at the back; unless this is done, the centre point cannot be marked at its proper place, and the Curve may be taken too short and the Bust too long.No. 5, Side. As for the coat, except that it need not be taken up quite so high; as it is of no importance in a Waistcoat, if the scye should be a little lower.----No. 6, Opening, or length of neck seam, from the middle of back neck to the top button, measured neither too tight nor too slack, see figs. 7 and 8.No. 7, Front Length. Measured from the centre of back neck, to the bottom of front. See figs. 7 and 8.
On calculating the
Centre-Point which is essential for the later measures.
The finding of this [Centre-Point], has hitherto depended upon great accuracy of calculation, for it is place at two-fifths of the waist measure, from the seam in the middle of the back...
So given the above
we determined my measures to be as follows:
Breast as
Measured: 50
No. 1 Breast: 25
Waist as
Measured: 46
No. 2 Waist: 46
Centre-Point [2/5 of
Waist]: 9 1/5
No. 3 Curve: 20 1/4
No. 4 Bust: 26
No. 5 Side: 6
No. 6 Opening: 13 1/2
No. 7 Front
Length: 24 1/4
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