The Forepart.

Draw a line down from A; mark at C half natural waist length, 8; square a line out to C, and mark on it half the waist measure, 8; square a line out from A; on this mark 6 and 9; with 8 and 9, square a line out to 8, which is equal to two-thirds of front of scye measure; square a short line up to B on this mark 24; then place the square with the angle on the 24 mark, and one arm on the line at A, and square a line up, on which is marked 12 and 15; square a line out from 12; on this is seen 6 marked; draw a line from 6 to the angle at B, and another line from 6 at the neck to 6 at bottom of scye; raise bottom of scye 24 above line A B ; on line 6 B mark 3; square out a line on which 6 is marked, for the width in front of neck. Find the sideseam by placing line 9 on the back on line 8 9 of the forepart; suppress the waist 1 inches, and find the shoulder by placing the back down as shown. Find the width in front by marking 4 inches in front of the line at A, and the same over the waist measure. In the old system by W. Crees, the depth of scye (in D E is found at of an inch over half the natural waist length. This is plausible in theory, but an absurdity when applied in practice.

By the new idea we are now introducing, the back scye at B is about 2 inches higher than fixed by most systems, and regulate the depth of scye by marking half the shoulder measure from 6 on the angular line down to B, or to make the size in 6 B an inch more than two-thirds of the scale to which the coat is being draughted. By this means, the coat will be kept close to the arm at back scye, and ample ease placed on the front shoulder.

The Sleeve.

The common defect in the fitting of sleeves is found in the front arm seam at 9 being too low, and in the front arm seam at 10 being too straight. Find depth of front seam by marking 3 down, 9 on angular line for width, 4 will fix half-way, and 3 will give the round. Mark out 10 for bend of sleeve; hollow the seam 1, and make the width at hand 6§. This diagram is given for the purpose of being operated upon and experimented with. Those who do so will find it to their advantage and satisfaction.

Cardiff and District Amalgamated Provident Society of Tailors and Clothiers. Plate on next page.

At the usual weekly meeting of the above society, held at the Great Western Hotel, on Monday, Jan. 27th, 1890, Mr. Tom H. Sawyers, in the chair, the following lecture was delivered by

Mr. Thos. Moore, on Frock Coats,

After being formally introduced by the chairman, Mr. Moore rose and said::

MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN,-When requested to allow my name to appear on the syllabus, I was for a time undecided as to what possible subject, if any, I could bring before you, that would prove to you at all interesting. Now-a-days, when our technical journals are brought up to such a standard of perfection, it is really very difficult to select a subject that has not been thoroughly thrashed out by one or other of our trade societies, or the shining lights of our profession. Therefore, gentlemen, you cannot wonder that I, with that usual modesty and reserve that are so characteristic of the foreman tailor generally, should pause ere giving a name to my subject. And so, after due deliberation, I decided to give that ideal subject, viz., "Frock Coats."

Of all the many and varied cutters I have met, I do not think I

ever came across one who did not flatter himself that he could cut a decent Frock coat with the next man; you may therefore have little doubt that I should entertain the same opinion which is the common error of the creed. But that a cutter should pride himself on this garment more than all others, can give little cause for surprise, when we remember that it calls forth the reserve of our artistic skill and ingenuity more than almost any other garment. The Frock coat body also represents the foundation cf all our systems past and present. This brings me, gentlemen, to the question:

Which Systems are the best

For general use-breast measure or shoulder? This opens up a wide train of thought, which it would be impossible for me, with the limited time I have at my disposal, to do anything like justice to; neither, gentlemen, will I attempt it, but will content myself by standing to my guns as a defender of the good old breast measure; and I most emphatically say: for general purposes I have yet to see the mode of cutting that will beat it. At the present day, when so many orders are taken and measured for by commercial travellers, salesmen, &c., which customers the cutter never sees, it behoves us to reduce our system of measuring to its most simple form. I maintain, therefore that chest and cross measures only tend to mystify the customer, confuse the salesman, and throw the cutter out of his judgment in his ideas of the formation and shape of the customer he is called upon to cut for. It would be absurd of me to attempt to defend breast measure cutting this evening, if I did not place before you something in the shape of a draught that I believe cannot be beaten by any shoulder measure. I shall therefore have great pleasure in bringing before your notice the system I have followed in daily practice ever since I have been at the cutting board. In this I have followed our chairman's (Mr. Sawyer) advice which he gave us in his last lecture, and I will now proceed to describe the system.

Diagram 1

Represents the system for a normal 36 block, 5 feet 8 inches in height. Commencing at O on the back seam, I go down one-fourth of the whole height, for natural waist 17 at A; from O to B half that quantity for bottom of scye line; O to C one-third of natural waist; square across from back seam from all these points. For back neck, go across from O to D inch less than one-sixth breast and up; finish back to fancy or as shown.

Cut out the back and proceed to draught the forepart; lay down the back in a convenient position and square right out from 0 to E 18 or half breast; from C to F, B to G, and A to H ditto. From C to one-third of breast; draw a line from D to* for straightness line. From C to K and B to L inch more than two-thirds the breast; from E to Xinch less than one-sixth breast; from N hook in 3 inches for waist suppression. This is a fixed quantity in all cases. Making a pivot of R, swing forward the waist to P as per dotted lines; add on of round for blades, or to fancy as the figure requires. Mark off the sidebody and take out 1 inch at S; then draw a line at T parallel with O E, and 1 above it. Place the back with the short cross line D to* resting on line T V, and shape shoulder, back, and sidebody; take out at the scye point of shoulder at W; 24 is allowed over front construction line at breast, and measure out at the waist, allowing 2 inches over. Find neck point at one-third breast, 6 inches, from T to Z; to find length of front, sweep from 2 to 3, making a pivot of T; 4 is 1 inch above 3; go 14 above straight line at 5 for waist line. To find the run of the back scye, go across from T to V one-third of half the breast, and one-third natural waist less 1 inch-in this case 103, and finish draught.

Diagram 2

Represents the skirt. Commence by squaring from O to A B, and O to C; in front allow for lapel, take off 14 inches. To find spring go down on C line 10 inches, out 2; draw line from O through D, adding on at Dinch, and finish draft as shown.

Diagram 3

Represents the sleeve. Square from L H to F; H to E 1 inch; H to Gbreast; H to L breast; E to M breast; G to N scye; F to Pbreast, and finish sleeve as shown.

Having got over the student's portion of the business, we will now proceed to give it practical effect. The first thing we then have to consider is

March 1, 1890.

59

Style.

And as our pattern is drawn out for a good and well developed figure, it behoves us to infuse into our draft that style which will set the figure off to the best advantages, without deteriorating the fit. It has often been a matter of surprise to me, that the question of style is not much more taken up than it is. We do meet with so many garments in our public thoroughfares, which, while they may be considered excellent in fit, are thoroughly devoid of style. Style is undoubtedly the burning question of the day, and is the one branch in tailoring that is open to more improvement than any other; and I am pleased to see that the various foremen societies in the country are devoting one, and in some cases two nights' discussion in a session to such an important subject. I am quite aware that style must, in a measure, run hand in hand with experience, because the experienced cutter will be able to cut with more precision, knowing his system better, and what it can do exactly ; whereas the student is handicapped, because his garments, although cut in the first instance in excellent style, may be marred by a few serious alterations; which is clear proof, that the more we can reduce our system to simplicity and certainty in daily practice, the better able we shall be to cope with that ever varying, ever changing, fickle goddess, fashion. In considering the question of style, we must take into consideration the class of garment we are called upon to cut. The garment before you, a button up Frock coat, close fittting, should have as square and military a style infused into it as possible, without, of course, violating the laws of good taste; therefore I have brought

Diagram 4

For your inspection, and have altered the lines and run of seams upon the draft, to meet the present fashion, taste, style, and to give you my ideas as to the form they should take to improve the height of the figure, and give it a good square appearance. The plain lines represent the system proper, and the dotted lines the alterations I have effected.

Now gentlemen, I shall be very pleased if each member will give me his opinion on the drafts laid down, and I will endeavour to respond as far as possible to their criticisms.

The Chairman, on rising, said: GENTLEMEN,-Every man addressing an audience should keep in mind these two important factors; First to rivet the attention of his hearers as quickly as possible; and, second, to endeavour to hit the right nail on the head. Mr. Moore, in laying his subject before us this evening, has placed his nails in the beam and driven them well home to our entire satisfaction. He has certainly proved an able exponent of breast measure cutting, and although I am not prepared to follow him headlong in all his remarks, still I must admit that he has given us very tangible reasons whereby all those who find themselves situated as he is, or all those who are content to rest upon their laurels as breast measure cutters, and are afraid to descend into that (to them) yawning chasm called shoulderology, and tread that labyrinth of ways that leads to they know not where; to them, at least, he has proved that breast measure cutting has not yet lost its hold upon public favour; and I doubt, even, if it ever will. In his remarks in reference to style, he has struck his most happy vein, and I fully endorse every word he has uttered. Style is so undoubtedly a present-day subject, that I consider Mr. Moore has fitted in his remarks most appropriate to the occasion. Style is the embodiment of that sense in man called taste, and it is that sense "taste" that must enter into the composition of the cutter of the future in a greater degree than it has ever done before. The cry on all sides to-day is for competent cutters, and those that enter the arena for the tournament of the future, hoping to win a prize, must see that they are thoroughly qualified all round. The qualifications of the cutter of the future will be a stylish appearance, a good address, a fair education, a good knowledge of the groundwork and science of cutting, with the ability to make it subservient to the will and wishes of the customers, and an inclination to make himself agreeable to all those he is brought in contact with. It therefore behoves us to endeavour to cultivate those qualities of the sense of taste, invoking the aid of the sense of speech to declaim it, and the sense of sight to guide us on to that goal of victory-success. I shall now ask any gentleman who likes, to test the draughts and give us the benefit of his opinion.

There was at once a rush for the drafts, and inch tapes were soon flying in all directions. Mr. Shapland thought the draft of the system a trifle too open in the scye, and would prefer a little more taken out

at underarm seam, and less between back and sidebody.-Mr. Bale and Mr. Chabriel both considered it a very good draft.-Mr. Symonds concurring with both of the latter said, he liked the idea of placing the back to the top of the shoulder; he would like Mr. Moore on a future occasion to lay down the system for large and disproportionate sizes.-Mr. Arthur said he used the system himself, and therefore could speak of its good qualities, and testified to the same, but he would hollow the back seam a little.

Mr. Moore, in replying, said he had intended bringing a baist of a coat for his own wear, but owing to unforeseen circumstances, he had been unable to do so. He would keep Mr. Symonds request in mind, and show the working of the system for large sizes at the first opportunity. He might say that the system varied to a considerable extent in large sizes, because the divisions of the natural waist ceased to work in the same ratio as in the normal.

After the usual votes of thanks to Mr. Moore and the chairman, the meeting terminated.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION

And Trade Reform, Past, Present, & Future.

ARTICLE 3.

We

It must be frankly acknowledged that Technical Education in our trade has become a problem very difficult of solution. The enthusiasts on its behalf are becoming few and far between, even though nearly everyone connected with the trade will not only admit, but prove to demonstration, its stern necessity. It is not now a question of the introduction of workable, practicable schemes. never did believe that the elaborate schemes by which central institutions were to be introduced on a grand scale, supported by masters throughout the kingdom would more than touch the margin of what was required. All such schemes failed simply because it was attempting the impossible to introduce them. Other schemes more practicable in their working, much less costly, and more effective in results, because directly under the control of those immediately concerned, have since been propounded, and generally approved; and still, nothing is done. What could be more simple, practicable, or effective for its purpose than the masters in each town-or such in each town as are in a position to pay the recognised Logforming themselves into an association. Renting one or

more rooms where from ten to fifty lads, according to the demand, under the tuition of one or more first-class competent workmen, would be taught the art of sewing simply, in all its branches, finishing up with some slight knowledge as to how garments are put together. Periods ranging from three to six months would be ample for most boys, to fit them for being drafted into good-class shops, and put under competent men as bound apprentices. They thus begin at once by being a real help to the man ; and having previously undergone a course of discipline, as could easily be arranged at the local institution, they would constitute much better material to work upon than the large bulk of apprentices are found to be. The expense of this arrangement being thus divided, would be comparatively small. There would be no waste of expenditure in working elaborate schemes, to a large extent useless for their object.