Fit
Rise decides where trousers sit and the waistband cannot argue with it
The single measurement that determines how a pair of trousers hangs is one that almost nobody checks and no…
· 4 min read
The Outfit Files — Clothes, and why they work
Fit
The shoulder seam is the one line a tailor would rather not move
Nearly everything else on a jacket is negotiable, but the shoulder is where the garment is assembled, and that is why it decides whether the thing fits.
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Sleeve length is measured to a bone, not to the end of your hand
Both shirt and jacket sleeves are set against a fixed anatomical landmark, and once you know where it is…
· 4 min read
Fit
A high armhole looks uncomfortable and is the opposite
The small, tight-looking armhole in a well-cut jacket is what lets you raise your arm without lifting the…
· 4 min read
Fit
Seam allowance is the budget every alteration has to spend
A garment can only be let out as far as the cloth folded inside it allows, which is why the same alteration…
· 4 min read
Fabric
Fabric weight tells you more about a garment than the fibre on the label
The composition tag names the raw material and stops there; the weight of the cloth is what determines how…
· 4 min read
Fabric
A woven cloth and a knitted one fail in completely different ways
Weaving interlaces straight yarns at right angles while knitting builds a fabric out of loops, and nearly…
· 4 min read
Fabric
Wool works because the fibre is crimped and covered in scales
Nearly everything wool does well, and the two things it does badly, come from the physical architecture of…
· 4 min read
Fabric
Elastane has a shorter life than the garment it is sewn into
A few percent of stretch fibre changes how a garment fits and moves, and it also installs a component that…
· 3 min read
Fabric
Cotton, linen and viscose are all cellulose and behave nothing alike
Three fabrics made from the same chemical substance differ so completely in strength, creasing and drape…
· 4 min read