Hi HTA Brains Trust
I am making a three buttoned hacking jacket. I have baste it up but not yet put the sleeves on but obviously, when i have the shoulder seams sewn, tried it on with the shoulder pads placed in (who doesnt?) I seem to have a long front balance as the coat is "A" Shape down the front edge. I know i should complete the baste with shoulder pads, sleeves and collar but obviously it would be good to give the first fitting its best shot if i can sort out a bit of this "A" Shape. I have done quite a bit of reading in books and various HTA Forum pieces.
I have found this in the "Tailoring Suits the Professional Way" by Clarence Poulin
I have pinned out the shoulder like Fig 36 and 3/4" brings the front edges in line
The solution is this
Poulin has taken off the 3/4" right across the the shoulder AB to CD which effectively moves the neck point A over to C. I had thought we should try to keep the neck point in line with the original pattern and the dart. I thought the neck point line was King? So I amended my pattern like below moving the pattern straight down the neck point by 3/4"
Once i did that I then I found that Rory had made this useful post here https://www.handcrafttailor.com/forum/general-discussions/clarification-on-how-to-make-balance-adjustments
Even though it is for increasing the front balance i can reverse it for reducing the balance. This would be taking out a wedge in the Chest for a reduction in the front balance and adding a wedge to the Half Back. This also moves the neck point over (so obviously not king!)
So after all that, my question is this: What's the difference between the three options?
Poulin's moving parallel to the shoulder seam thus keeping the shoulder angle and moving the neck point
Mine with moving down the neck seam thus keeping the shoulder angle and neck point in line
Rory's cutting the wedge out and thus moving the neck point and changing the shoulder angle
Supplementary question in relation to the relative location of the breast pocket which I have already put in:
a. Poulin's and mine will move the effective location of the breast pocket up 3/4"
b. Rory's will also move up but not as much - say 5/8" but will change the pocket angle
Does all this matter??!
Cheers
Ken
Thanks John. I had read the later section in Poulin's book about sliding the back up. But I got the feeling that this was a "secondary" method. Poulin says "But as this method necessitates scooping the armhole and cutting from the top of the revers, most tailors prefer to use another means of attaining the same ends" then goes on to describe the back method. It made me think that the front option was a better option overall and the back option a bit lazy and thus not as good. What's your thoughts on that?
If you read a little further in Poulin's book he would have shown sliding the back up, trimming part of the back shoulder, back underarm and adding to the bottom. If there needs to be straightened or crooking there should be inlay at the top of front shoulder for this.
Another method he shows is lowering the front neck point and adding the back. At the fitting all lines are adjustable. This leaves the brest pocket approximately where you want it.
Roy's method also straight or crooks it while adjusting the front and back lengths.
When you look at the back shape, that needs length, the upper back is curved. Roy's method adds this curve.
The opposite needs more curve in the front, which adds length to the front, and shortens the back and less curve.
The recommended numbers are only educated estimates to be close. Inlays and fitting are for final fit.
Towards the end of the fitting stand back and check that the fronts and backs are elegantly falling from the shoulders. That the small of the back of the person and coat match in height. The tailors that made body coats, Frock Coats were the business coats, the small of the back was a huge issue. When modern coats showed up some newer tailors don't seem to pay much attention to this. You don't necessarily want the small of the back to fit perfectly close with modern coats, body shapes are different, but a pleasant look is best for the overall figure.