What’s in a well made shirt – Part .03
The fit or shape of a shirt can be such a subjective thing but generally speaking good pattern cutting can make or break it. We used to cut patterns ourselves years ago, which certainly helps, and these days we have one master pattern cutter in London who knows how to get just the fit we want. So how do you tell this and what’s in the cutting of a shirt that just makes you feel good the first time you wear it ?
Complex Curves
Maybe first we need to discuss how to spot some poor cutting. Have a close look at that shirt you have that’s not from London or New York…is the collar cut quite wide at the back with not enough drop at the front ? Are the armholes cut quite deep but still you can’t move your arms forward well when are by your side ? Is the whole shirt just too baggy and loose?
Pattern cutting is like 3D art mixed with a bit of science and its quite a skill to cut complex curves like a collar or armhole. Collars cannot be cut straight but are actually an opened out S shape to ease them over your shoulders. The armhole can be even more complex with lovely old tailoring terms like “depth of scye” and an oval shape rather than a circle. A good cutter can cut a high armhole that still gives you movement so a neat , clean look that feels great.
Then there are little tricks on cutting garments to either make them feel better or just look better. Well cut shorts have a tiny amount taken out of the bottom hem which gives the visual appearance of straighter legs – how many shorts have worn where the legs seem to flare out ? We do a similar small trick with our shirt hems but not quite the same way. Next time you wear a Tripl , see how the lower part on your hips compares to our completion ?
