| INDEX | MEDIEVAL & RENAISSANCE | 1600s | 1700s | 1800s | 1900s | CROSS-ERA | ETHNO | |
| MISCELLANY | EARLY MUSIC | CONTACT | SEARCH | 
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| INDEX | MEDIEVAL & RENAISSANCE | 1600s | 1700s | 1800s | 1900s | CROSS-ERA | ETHNO | |
| MISCELLANY | EARLY MUSIC | CONTACT | SEARCH |
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Suits were usually made of wool or silk, depending on the occasion and what the customer could afford. I only know one specimen made of linen in the museum in Ludwigsburg, and that's a strange one. As long as no other examples crop up, we should treat linen as a curiosity. Silk fabrics were often made especially for suit use and, from about 1720 on, even woven in such a way that the pattern conformed to the cut of a coat or waistcoat. Due to the purpose, the were relatively stiff if compared to modern silk fabrics*. Apart from damasks, brocades, taffeta and satin, silk velvet and silk corduroy were also used.
Of the silks available today, only the stiffer kinds (taffeta, some damasks and brocades, and satin) are suitable, and even those require a stiff interfacing. It may seem sensible use modern iron-on interfacing, but unfortunately that is too conspicuous even from the outside, even to the untrained eye. So hands off iron-on interfacing! Use stiff linen or even horsehair interfacing instead. See also 18th century fabrics.
Wool is an attractive alternative. Fortunately, it was used by all strata of society and was, with some embellishments, even fit for the most upperclass uses. The most suitable sort of wool fabric is linen or twill weave with a felted, dull surface, i.e. the kind used for coats, only not as thick. Steer clear of the the densely woven, smooth kind (e.g. gabardine) used for most modern suits. The suitable kind is low-maintenance: If it's been prewashed, you don't have to fear shrinking, it can be ironed at full heat, and it is somewhat water- and even dirt-repellent. As an added benefit, you can have two suits at once: With a waistcoat of the same fabric, it's a day suit for the middle-class burgher or nobleman; with a silk waistcoat, it's suitable for more formal occasions. Even the nobility wore woolen coats in simple earth colours, inspired by the English nostalgia for the countryside, which got their upperclass look only from precious waistcoats. They were usually worn for day wear and hunting. Brown caots and red waistcoats were the most popular combination for the English countryside look.
Class distinction mainly showed in the quality of the fabric, colours and trim (or absence thereof), which could consist e.g. of gold and silver borders or gold, silver and silk embroidery. By the way, embroidery also followed the lies of the cut: It was applied to the un-cut fabric along the future cut lines, sold that way and then taken to the tailor. Therefore, modern embroudered fabrics aren't suitable, not just because the embroidery is conspicuously machine-made, but also because it has no regard for the lines of the cut. If you can't afford hand-made embroidery, it's better to forgo it altogether. Suitable gold or silver borders, likewise, are hard to find and excessively expensive. Not quite as costly, but quite precious are fabric-covered buttons with gold/silver embroidery and embroidered buttonholes. There's an extra page on covering buttons.
In most cases, all three parts of the suit were made of the same fabric. In many other cases, coat and breeches were made of the same fabric, while the waistcoat could be made be made of a different, usually contrasing, fabric. Other combinations are rare and probably due to the fact that the breeches were the first to wear through while the rest of the suit was still good. The rich would, of course, discard the whole suit in such a case.
A commoner would usually wear an undecorated woolen suit in muted colours with a waistcoat of the same fabric. The only decoration were pewter buttons polished to a silver-like shine or invalidated silver coins with a loop soldered to the backside.
The lining of coats was made of silk for the wealthy, linen-cotton mix for the less wealthy, or linen for anyone from poor to rich. It makes sense to line silk suits with silk and woolen ones with cotton or linen. Because silk was expensive, the back of the coat, which wasn't visible while the garment was worn, was often lined with a cheaper fabric in back, from shoulders to waist. My books don't tell which kind of silk was used. Taffeta wouldn't be wrong, and I think I remember mentions of coarse, low-grade silks such as Honan and Shandong. In any case, it helps if the lining has some stand. Linen is always a good choice, both to lend stiffness and because of its cooling qualities. Its major drawback is the weight. My model coat, made of wool with partial linen interfacing and linen lining, weighs 2.3 kg. The guinea pig assures me that it's not too heavy.
The books don't mention the colour of the lining, either. Most extant suits I've seen so far had white or cream lining. Two red suits had red, and one** had pale blue lining. So lining that matched the colour of the top fabric was the exception rather than the norm. The contrast between cream lining and darker top fabric was not regarded as problematic, even though the lining went all the way to the edges so that it was quite visible. In case of breeches and waistcoats, linen and cotton-linen-mix were the predominant lining. Breeches usually had lining only in the waistband. For the waistcoat, it makes sense to practically make it from linen and mount the top fabric onto the fronts. In case of the earlier, longer waistcoats, the lower back was also covered with top fabric.
So, how much fabric do we need?
The reckoning for the top fabric of a 1730s-1750s suit and 150 cm wide Fabric goes like this:
For the lining:
This usually amounts to about 6 metres of top fabric. For mock-ups, have the same amount of cheap fabric ready.
In addition, you need stiffening interlining, e.g. firm linen or horsehair. Silks need at least a layer of medium weight cotton all over. Independent of the stiffness of the top fabric, coat and waistcoat need a strip of interlining along the front edge and smaller pieces here and there. If the skirts are supposed to stick out as was common around 1730-40, they need full interlining.
A dressmaker's dummy is never amiss, but a helper with some sewing know-how and lots of patience is even better. BTW, I'm assuming that the future wearer is also the tailor. In the 21st century, men can tailor again without being badmouthed as cissy. Again, because up until the 17th century, tailoring was considered a male profession.
16 mdeium and 2 small buttons for the breeches (2 x 5 for the knee slit, 6 for the frint slit, 2 small ones for the pockets), 24 medium buttons for the waistcoat (18 front, 6 pockets), 32 large buttons for the justaucorps (16 front, 8 sleeve, 6 pockets, 2 skirt slits) plus at least two of each size for repairs. Choose flat or slightly curved buttons with a shaft, never ones with holes. Preferably brass, pewter, silver, gilded if you (that is, your persona) can afford it. If you find it easier to spend time than to spend money, consider fabric-covered buttons. You can hardly go wrong with them, and if you embroider them with silk floss, gold/silver thread and/or spangles, they may make an otherwise plain suit quite spectacluar. However, do not use store-bought moulds! Make them by hand.
Buttonhole silk (real silk, of couse) for the buttonholes, probably about 50-60 metres. For the chest padding, a good two handfuls preferably of unspun wool, but if you can't get that, cotton wool for cosmetic purposes will also work. No doll maker's poly wadding if you can help it!
A proper suit should also have knee buckles. Some of the sutlers on my purveyors page have replicas. An then, of course, you need the usual suspects: Needles, scissors, thread... For woolens, linen thread is the most suitable kind, even if it's undyed: That's perfectly authentic. If you're going to machine the seams, however, choose thread in the colour of the top fabric: When the seam is pulled apart under strain, the thread will show and betray your inauthentic technique. Fie! For silk fabrics, choose silk thread in the colour ot the top fabric.
The most important preparation is to decide which era you want to portray. Have a look at the guided tour through men's fashion and note how the cuffs, sleeve length, front edge, skirt size collars etc. changed in time. Look at other pictures of the era you like best, e.g. by using the picture database. Never try to combine features of an earlier period with those of a later one, no matter how much you'd like to. The outcome can only be a chimera that may even look nice – but it won't be period.
If 1740-55 is your preferred period, you can use the pattern here. You can even stretch it up to 1765 for a conservative persona. With a different pattern and a grain of salt, the instructions here are good for anything from about 1720 until 1780. A bit earlier or later, the grain would become a pebble.
It is not absolutely necessary to pre-wash the fabric, but it makes sense to pre-wash wool at 40°C: If you've done that once before cutting, it can be done again, and fair fabrics may need it once in a while. At least the breeches. In case of silk, I'd rather advise against pre-washing as it would remove what little (compared to period silk) stiffness the fabric has.
Next chapter: The pattern
*) Waugh: The
Cut of Men's Clothes.
**) Baumgarten: Costume
Close Up
Thursday, 11-May-2006 22:45:52 MEST
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