(SEE DIA. IV.)
The square consists of 20 numbers. Height of back, 14; height of front,
9; shoulders at an angle of 135 deg.; top of back, 3¾; gore under the
arm, ⅜ at line 15, ¾ at line 17½, 1 at line 20. Sink the front bottom
of the forepart 15 deg. for a pretty square bottom. On the garment from
the neck to the ankle the vest is on a square of 17½. On this square the
height of the back remains 14, but on the front plumb line it is 11¼; the
gore under the arm is 3¼, and the bottom is square, while the front has
an angle of 15 deg. attached. The square of 17½, with the angle of 15
deg. in front, is virtually nothing but an angle of 15 deg., having, at
the starting point of the garment, a width of 17½ numbers, according to
scale. (See Dia. XII and XIII.)
Top of back is as wide as the angle of 45 deg. at the neck, but may be
made 3¼. The back must be that wide, in order to bring the spring of the
collar to the side of the neck, and again, in order to enable the vest
maker to sew the vest back all around, and turn the whole vest through
the neckhole. If that hole is too small, the back is apt to tear, while
the vest is turned. The bottom of the collar band is on a straight line
from 11¼, on the plumb base line, through 5 on the top square line.
This collar band, as it is here cut, requires that the top and side of
the back must be stretched, say ¼ inch, on each side, and close to the
shoulder seam, and it is for this reason that the top of the back should
be 3¼ wide, in order to bring the stretch as far forward and to the side
of the neck as possible.
If this is worked right it will make a neat collar, and a neat shoulder,
but if the vest maker can not be depended upon, it is better to allow
¼ inch spring, and starting said spring at the middle of the shoulder
seam, which is about 2½ in. from point 5, and sew the back even on the
neckband, but in no case must the back be held full. If anything is
to be the fullest, it must be the neckband, which must in all cases
be cut plenty long, and the vest maker must be instructed to fit the
two together, as above directed. The junction of the neckband, or the
so-called standing collar, is further explained in the article on
“Collars.”
It will be seen that Dia. IV has the shoulder on the plain angle of 135
deg., and that there is neither lap nor gore. A trifle spring that is
required for a vest must be worked in by stretching the top of the back
close to the shoulder seam. Dia. IV is so represented for the following
reason:
I intended that Dia. V and VI should both be represented with a perfect
shoulder slope of 22½ deg., and that Dia. IX should have the perfect
shoulder slope of 30 deg., all of which were made over the same pattern
as was Dia. IV. But Dia. V and VI are cut ¾ of a number further sidewise
at the side of the neck, because in the position of the shoulder seam of
Dia. V, the neckband can not be cut on, for the reason that the spring
for the side of the neck would locate too far in front. Both Dia. V and
VI are for illustration only. If I had placed a spring of ¼ inch at the
top of the shoulder seam, the shoulder slopes as shown in each of Dia. V
and VI and IX would have to be changed, and make the angle of 135 deg. a
mess of confused lines.
If the collar opens very low, and a very hollow curve is required, the
upper part of the neckband must be cut higher, say one inch, at the
upper end, but the same at the shoulder seam as shown in Dia. IV. This
will give a chance to cut a nice curve or open front, especially for a
double-breasted vest, intended for very open fronts. But cutting the
neckband higher on the upper end destroys spring at the neck, and for
this reason an extra spring must be given in the shoulder seam. If the
neckband is raised behind, say 1 in., an extra spring of ¼ inch must be
allowed at top of the shoulder seam, no matter if it is cut like Dia.
IV, or if ¼ is allowed already. Forty years of tailoring has convinced
me that Dia. IV is the best for all kinds of vests, because the front
collar may be curved at pleasure, and the collar is simply a piece added
for the turn-down part, and always fitting to the neck-hole of the vest.
In order to make the top collar conform with the curve of the neck-hole,
the inside part of it must be pretty well stretched at the most prominent
part of the curve. Dia. IV is plain, and is cut with the neck-band on.
Dia. V is cut in a square of 10, or ¼ breast and 1¼ in.; the neck-hole
is cut out at the center of the neck, or at 67½ deg., hence the back and
front of the neck-hole are equal; the shoulder slope is taken out at the
center of the neck, and when connected will form the same as Dia. IV,
except the neck-band. Dia. VI is Dia. V simply doubled. The solid lines
represent one-half of the angle of 135 deg., or an angle of 67½ deg.
The dotted lines passing through the neckholes of Dia. IV and VI may be
called the grand center lines, and would fit a human form decapitated;
and it will be seen that the actual neck-hole, from that line, is just
half the diameter of the neck.
The waist of the vest is calculated upon one-ninth less than the breast,
whole measure. The under-arm cut of “one” makes a close waist, and may
be reduced to three-fourths, or even to nothing, for a large waist. (See
Odd Forms.) The square of 20, as for a vest, is reduced in front from the
pit of the stomach down, or where the body turns backward, and whatever
is taken off in front is again added behind; hence the spring over the
seat, which really does not at all change the dimensions, but gives it a
different direction by reducing the front and by enlarging the back, and
when all this is done the waist is reduced, say 1 in., under the arm, as
in Dia. IV. The turn of the front is higher up than in the back, and the
front is to be even between 9 and 15 on the front base, from which points
it turns backward both up and down.
Dia. IV represents a vest to close all the way up to the neck. It gives
the whole front edge, and may be cut lower to satisfy notion or style.
The whole front of Dia. IV is such that it can lose one seam to turn
in the edge, but if the vest is otherwise well-balanced it will not
injure it if the seam is allowed to remain, and the edge bound as it
is. A difference will be noticed between the straight front of a coat
and the straight front of a vest. On a coat usually worn by the clergy
the buttons and front of button-holes may be placed one seam back of
the front line of the angle of 135 deg. down, as far as line 17½, which
results in the same thing as when we cut the front off on that line, and
sew it up with a seam. The vest is to fit a trifle more snugly at that
point, and after one seam is turned in, or cut off, there still remains
one-half for lap of buttons and button-holes.
To regulate the top buttons of the vest and coat, the top coat button
may be placed ½ inch lower than the top vest button, and the coat will
cover the vest when buttoned, providing the coat lapel is 1 in. in front
of point 9. It is of very great importance for a cutter to be able to
regulate the above points, and this is one reason why I have placed all
coats and vests on the same base; which is on the angle of 135 deg. The
vest arm-hole touches lines 9 and 14 at the bottom, and the angle of 45
deg. in front, but may be ½ inch deeper and ½ more forward for a person
who desires plenty of room.
At the breast line, a vest is plenty large enough if it is ½ breast and
2½ in. At the hip line, ½ hip and 2 in. is large enough, because vests
are left open below the hollow of waist. If a vest is to be sewed up
clear down over the hips, the bottom must have a width, which corresponds
with the hip measure, when sitting down, after it is finished and
buttoned up, or ½ hip and 2½ in., the same as the breast. At the waist,
a vest must be treated on the same principle as a pants, that is, it
must be made wide and comfortable enough for the waist when a person
sits down. At the waist, a vest is shut up all around, and can not give,
and provisions must be made for expansion when sitting. Such allowance
depends upon the condition of the body at the waist, and like on pants,
this measure may be taken in a sitting position. But a variation may be
made between persons who are mostly standing, and those who are mostly
sitting. The sitting person requires a larger waist partly allowed at the
side, but mostly in front. The normal form requires the vest as large at
the waist as it is over the hips, and the square of 20 gives that width,
by reducing about 1 in. at the under-arm cut at the waist.
In Dia. XIII will be observed a dotted gore in the back, extending
through both pants and vest, which gore is cut out on a pants, but on a
vest it is usually buckled up. A vest made without buckle-straps should
have that gore cut out.
At the front of the collar, the underside should be cut so that when it
is sewed on it will pull the vest part over so much as to hide the under
side when the top collar is finished. The inside part of the top collar
must be pretty well stretched back of the curve, and if the material is
not bias, and can not stretch, a “V” must be sewed in, after which the
whole top collar must be shaped as it is required by the curve. This may
cause some extra work for the maker, but that is the only way to produce
a low opening with a hollow collar, especially on double-breasted vests.
The edge of a collar should be finished about 1 in. above the shoulder
seam, and the under collar cut away entirely. Over and across the back
there is no need of anything but the double top collar, which is simply
sewed together with a seam, which is pressed out, the top collar doubled
up in shape, and the back stitched on top of the collar. On heavy goods,
the top collar seam of a vest should be drawn together to make it thin.
The front and the bottom of a double-breasted vest requires especial
attention, in order that the parts which lap under, or over, do not show
the front corners on each side, or that the top side runs too high up.
Rounding off the corners pretty well will remedy the evil to some extent,
but it does not look well, or a customer may order an even bottom of
front, as in fact, all such vests should be.
The following will make a good front: Sweep from the point of the angle
of 135 deg. through the bottom of the front angle of 15 deg., and add
say ⅛ to ¼ inch more roundness to the bottom at the center between the
front edge and the buttons. That sweep _may be used for the whole_ bottom
of the front. From the front line go back 2½ in. for the button line,
and allow in front of line 9 1⅞ in., and on the bottom allow 1 in. in
front of the front line, and draw a straight line for that front edge.
If the lap is to be more or less, set the buttons that much backward or
forward as the case may be. A double-breasted vest which is to button
clear up to the neck must have at least a gore of 2 in. under the lapel,
and the top button must be set back as far as the width of the lapel.
A double-breasted vest should have a small gore under the collar, even
if the collar is low down, and the depth of the collar must be made
according to the measure, and the collar itself may be made straight or
with a large curve the same as shown on Dia. IV.
The sweep from the point of the angle of 135 deg. will give the
whole bottom of the forepart as shown on Dia. XI and XII, and the
double-breasted front may be shaped just like it, but may have a trifle
more in the center of the angle of 15 deg., and that trifle may be
obtained complete by a sweep from 3¾ on the plumb base line through the
front angle of 15 deg. only. It should be observed that each particular
double-breasted vest requires particular care, in order that the bottom
of the front, as well as the front itself, and the collar is correct,
and that the buttons are on their places. If it is desired to sink the
front down further than the sweeps, add equal distance, say ½ inch at the
button line and at the front edge, and both will remain in balance. It
will also be found that a double-breasted vest can be improved, by making
the back 14½ long above line 9, because the front will have a better
chance to settle in its proper place.
Nor should it be forgotten that a double-breasted vest, which has to lap
over the oval center of front, can not set without a break somewhere,
unless there is a gore cut at the waist, or under the collar; or, the
front is drawn in pretty well under the collar, which is the same thing
as cutting a gore. (See Supplement.)
[Illustration]
[Illustration]