Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket [Paperback]

"Tailoring : The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket" is the BEST book on sewing a classicly tailored jacket - and I have read ALL of them! There are step-by-step pictures and excellent explanations. I found it much easier and more helpful than the Cabrero text. The book explains both the hand couture and machine methods of jacket tailoring. To supplement this text I'd also recommend Mary Ellen Flury's book, "Tailoring Ladies Jackets" along with anything by Sandra Betzina and Kenneth D. King.

This is a fully illustrated guide to the three main methods of tailoring: custom tailoring done by hand, machine tailoring, and tailoring using fusible interfacing. The book is quite comprehensive, covering the entire process of making a tailored jacket from selecting the materials, including a detailed section on different types of interfacings, through fitting the pattern, cutting and marking, and all steps of construction for the three methods. There is an illustrated guide to the tools used in tailoring, detailed instructions for several kinds of pockets including patch pockets, lined patch pockets, welt pockets, single welt pockets and welt pockets with flaps, and a section on bound buttonholes. Linings are also covered, including hand installation of linings, machine installation of linings, partial linings, and how to make partial or full linings for an unlined jacket pattern. The book focuses on jackets with notched collars, explaining that these require the most tailoring, but shawl collars are also covered. Other types of collars are not specifically addressed.

The book is clear and comprehensive, and a great choice for anyone wishing to learn tailoring. I do have a few criticisms. Some things are explained in great detail, such as the pockets and a section on threads, equipment and techniques for hand sewing. Some others are not and omit a few details that would have been helpful. For instance, the book explains that taping the front is done in custom tailoring but not necessary in machine or fusible tailoring, and it clearly explains how to tape the front step by step and with full color photo illustration. It doesn't explain why taping the front is important or what it does. I found out courtesy of one of Claire Schaeffer's couture patterns for Vogue that taping the front weights it so that the fronts of the jacket hang perpendicular to the floor even when the jacket is open instead of slanting. The book mentions jump pleats in the lining section but doesn't explain how to form one. There is a section comparing the three methods and examples of how one might use a combination of methods, but it doesn't really explain the pros and cons of each method. The author also seems to have a few personal biases, such as recommending against silk as a lining material because it can get water stains under the arms.

Overall it is a very good guide but I would recommend supplementing it with other books if you really want to get into the subject.

This Book is the best Book ever produced in regards to Tailoring with step by step instructions and lots of Pictures to follow. However I was hoping that this would be a different kind of Book than the one I already own. This is a reprint of the Singer Reference Library Book about Tailoring which was published in 1988. I was looking for this Book for many Years and I am glad to know that another Publisher seem to have aquired the rights to the Singer Books.