Reddit reviews Classic Tailoring Techniques for Menswear: A Construction Guide
We found 5 Reddit comments about Classic Tailoring Techniques for Menswear: A Construction Guide. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Fairchild Books & Visuals
Definitely. Pressing is part of the process and some of the problem may be that you haven't pressed so you can't see everything that's happening.
I know of many resources. Some of the books are expensive or hard to find. You may be able to borrow them from a library.
Online
Books
Some Japanese men's pattern books can be found here and here.
For Inspiration
I can't make a recommendation for menswear patternmaking books. I plan to take a class this spring and the teacher told me he was going to follow the basic format of a particular book, but he noted that the book had mistakes.
I recommend joining the Cutter and Tailor forum, which is a terrific resource. As a beginner, you will not be able to post or ask about jackets until you've learned the fundamentals. Learn to sew shirts, trousers, skirts, and vests before attempting a jacket.
There's is an older edition of the below book that probably is cheaper now.
http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Tailoring-Techniques-Menswear-Construction/dp/1628921706/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
Good photos, and discusses hand, machine, and hybrid methods:
http://www.amazon.com/Tailoring-Classic-Sewing-Perfect-Jacket/dp/1589236092/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1G1MR8C41H6P2XHD4KD9
Discusses women's tailoring, but the techniques are good, if somewhat lighther than those used for men.
http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Couture-Tailoring-Thomas-Nordheim/dp/1847973736/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459214116&sr=1-1&keywords=vintage+couture+tailoring
Oh, I understood.
As for resources, here's what I suggest:
A good sewing class at a community college. I took classes at a fashion-oriented one and in under four months I had learned how to sew on an industrial machine and done several seams and seam finishes, basic hand stitches, two types of zippers, facings, a skirt with zipper, darts, waistband, and closures and a fairly complex woman's blouse (it had 14 pieces). At the end, I didn't do any of these things as well I would have liked, but I knew the fundamentals and what I had to improve on. All projects were in some kind of cotton because it is easy to work with.
In the second sewing class, I learned welt pockets, made corduroy pants with a waistband and fly, and sewed a wool jacket with patch pockets and a bagged lining. Again, I learned a lot, but there was still plenty of room for improvement. Then I took tailoring and couture classes and menswear classes.
A community college setting is good because there's a curriculum into which they have put some thought and by law, they have to make sure you do the work. It's also usually cheaper than private classes if you qualify for the in-state rate.
If you can afford it and want to do things on your own schedule, private classes are great. I would have a teacher show me how to fit and modify a pattern and teach me to sew it. One source for teachers is the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals.
Online, I recommend the University of Fashion because the teaching, in general, is very good. For pattern making and draping, they tell you the sequence of videos to watch. I think that the sewing videos aren't organized that way, but if you need to look up a technique, it's very easy.
If you want a complex project, I recommend Susan Khalje's The Couture Dress on Craftsy. Even if you don't use the pattern that comes with the course, she teaches very good methods. Couture-style sewing is actually good for beginners because there are many more steps that give the sewer more control. It was only after a basic couture class that I really began to improve because I needed to break down the process more. Khalje also teaches a lace skirt class, but the lace used is pretty expensive. As you may know, Craftsy offers frequent sales.
There are many good sewing books, but any edition of The Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing is decent. It's a really encyclopedic home sewing book. If you ever look into tailoring, Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket and these books for men and women are very helpful.
Elizabeth Liechty's Fitting and Pattern Alteration is usually considered the most comprehensive book on that subject.
All these books are available in the library if too expensive to buy.
My teacher, who was the head of a Menswear program, did not teach directly from these books (he had his own approach, as many teachers do), but he recommended this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Mens-Fashion-Design-Clothes/dp/0870055143/ref=cm_cr_othr_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
Here are some books on tailoring and a link to a tailoring forum:
https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Tailoring-Techniques-Construction-Collection/dp/0870054317
https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Tailoring-Techniques-Menswear-Construction/dp/1628921706/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1628921706&pd_rd_r=QJRZP6W10YZA3RAQVJCT&pd_rd_w=K0lmR&pd_rd_wg=MYIWi&psc=1&refRID=QJRZP6W10YZA3RAQVJCT
(Great price at $39.66)
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=roberto+cabrera
http://www.cutterandtailor.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2130
A bit late, but thanks for the guide, man! I've started trying to learn how to make my own clothing as well. I bought "Classic Tailoring Techniques for Menswear" as it was a highly recommended guide to tailoring. Did you learn off that? Or, are there any other books you would recommend?
Also, how in your opinion, how necessary is it to be great at hand sewing? I'd say I'm mediocre at best with hand sewing, and am not sure if it's worth putting in tons more hours getting better at hand sewing or if I should focus more on improving my sewing machine skills.