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Front Balance

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

3 comments

3 Comments

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Ken Woodman

Aug 12

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?

John W

Aug 15

Replying to

This goes back to patterns from about the 1860s. The front piece went around to most of the back. The back covers most of the back neck heading to the shoulder (down a bit) drops 3-4 inches, curves over the shoulder blade (they can adjust for a very good shoulder blade fit) towards the center back about 3-4 inches wide. So all the part of the back that isn't filled with the back piece is part of the front. Balance was fitted different. Eventually they added a seam cutting the front piece into two parts so they could keep the back, now two parts sewn. This made moving the back balance adjustments easier by sliding it up or down and adjusting the shoulder blade fit. Which is still used to this day. It is simple and quick. Some other changes may need to be done whether you use this method or not. All human backs, fronts and shoulders are different. The first method he shows is more work and error prone. If you cut away to much of the front, you got a disaster. The back, if you make a cut error you can open up the inlay, back seam, and recreate the rest. An inch inlay can be helpful. Way cheaper than buying new cloth.

Since we are discussing breast measurement, circumference,

which includes balance. Raising the the back means back length longer, which means, the width of the back is wider/longer. The pattern needs that room. The back is curved length and width. This changes the circumference measurement. To bring back the correct circumference the front needs to be reduced. The length is shortened. If you are dealing with a rounded chest beyond normal the back is not rounded the directions are reversed. When you look at tailors inlays they are very helpful with adjustments.

Roy once wrote somewhere, years ago, to get the hem of the coat level it is all done with the shoulder seams. (Might not remember correctly). This might create adjustments needed other places. Most likely will.

Edited

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