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Title: Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Men's Wear (F.I.T. Collection)
ISBN: 0870054317
Author:
Roberto Cabrera
Patricia Flaherty Meyers
Publicate Date: 1983-03
Publish: 1983-03
List Price: $55.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $45.07
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $62.45
Amazon Merchant Price: $49.50
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Great book - one of the few focusing exclusively on men's wear
Overview:
This book is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to learn about tailoring a men's suit jacket & pants. It provides detailed instructions on every step of the process, from selecting the threads, materials, and fabrics, to laying out patterns, to sewing in the canvas, etc. It also provides very useful instructions on modifying store bought jacket patterns to fit varying body types (e.g. sloped / broad shoulders, wide /thin body, erect posture, bow legs etc.).
This book completely eliminates the need for the instructions which come with the pattern. And it also gives instructions on how to modify the pattern style (e.g. changing vents, lined or unlined jackets, changing pants pocket styles etc.). As the book states: "all you will use from a pattern envelope are the basic pattern pieces: the jacket front, side panel and back, the sleeve and the undercollar. You will be able to create the rest of the jacket on your own."
A few drawbacks:
The book contains both line drawings and photographs. The luckily, most of the illustrations are the line drawings which are simple and very useful. However, in the paperback version which I purchased brand-new from Amazon (perhaps the only version still in print) the photographs are extremely dark, and hard to see. They look and feel almost as though they were photocopied (poorly) from the original B&W pics in the hardcover book. This was, in my view, the biggest disappointment of this book.
As well, though not necessarily a drawback, it should be noted that the book focuses only on the "Classic" tailoring techniques (i.e. custom / hand stitching method). Those seeking information on the quicker (though inferior) machine and fusible methods of jacket construction will find no help.
Conclusion:
This is perhaps the most in-depth book you will find on men's jacket construction still in print today. It is used (I believe) in college courses on tailoring and fashion, and it is not difficult to see why. The smallest details are covered, and innumerable options are provided for customizing a jacket to your exact style and taste. If it wasn't for the terrible picture quality I would probably have rated it a 5.
As a side note,I found that it was useful to supplement the low resolution photographs in this book with the full colour photographs in Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket(though the latter focuses mainly on women's clothing, many of the techniques overlap). With the two of these books one will be well armed to construct a very nice men's suit.
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2: ?
This book is for persons who are just starting out, not tailors. It is good to have reference books in your library but this book has the same construction directions that a vogue men's pattern has in it. If this book costed 5 or 10 dollars it would be worth it but not for this price. Thank you
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3: Difficult read
This book is not for beginning sewers! It's not an easy book to get through. If you are really ready to make a suit jacket that will be comparable to $1,000 designer jackets, I'd recommend you also have on hand Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket. The pictures in that book are much clearer and easier to follow. And that book shows methods of tailoring with fusible interfacing.
Also, the Zapp Method of Couture Sewing has a great chapter on sewing a tailored jacket. Still, I do believe that a really fine jacket needs to use sew-in hymo hair canvas just as Roberto Cabrera (the author) recommends. It makes a tremendous difference.
If you must use fusibles, then Anna Zapp's method using Fusible Acro is best. I think, however, you will find it eventually separates after many dry cleanings.
You'll most likely need the internet to find these interfacings because places like Jo-Anne's certainly don't carry them!
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4: Classic tailoring techniques
Excellent resource for those desiring to know how to create really beautiful jackets for men or women. Completely replaces pattern instructions purchased with the envelope.
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5: good
This book gives a lot of advice. The only thing that's keeping this book from being rated 5 star is it's picture. It's black and white!!!!
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