A History of Tailoring

As noted by fashion editor Bruce Boyer:

'The knowledge and art of tailoring, of cutting and sewing cloth - the two basic aspects of constructing clothes from a pattern - developed slowly and gradually in Europe between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. The Oxford English Dictionary's first reference to the word "tailor" gives the specific date of 1297; and certainty by that date tailoring guilds, as well as those of weavers, and cloth merchants were well established in Europe.'

Given the early origins of tailoring, it is inevitable that this traditional technique of garment construction is rich in historical reference that has developed throughout the centuries. So how and why has the tailored jacket remained relevant into the 21st Century? With so many technological advancements taking place since industrialisation in the late 1700's, is it not logical that the techniques of the past would be lost in history, replaced by modern, more efficient techniques in a world where technology has come to play such and important role in our lives? Of course there have been tremendous innovations in tailoring in the past century: sewing machines now do the work on straight seams better than could be done by hand; new fabric technologies are producing more comfortable cloths, but as Boyer notes:

'Tailoring is still, and likely to remain so, an art. It has not been brought down to the level of a science. The tailor still believes in making personalised clothing, statements of fashion for the individual, as he always has done.' 

The age old technique of tailoring is relevant today, as it was in the past. The explanation of which can only be realised through our understanding of tailoring and what it constitutes. Throughout this blog I will endeavour to answer this question. My initial thought is that the tailored jacket first and foremost needs to have evidence of the hand in its internal structure. I'll discuss this in my next post where I will be navigating the tailored jacket, to determine exactly what goes into making it.


Another early thought I just wanted to touch on is that while tailoring of the past was known to follow strict design rules and guidelines about fit and finish, the modern day tailored jacket comes in many different shapes and fabrications. Elsa Schiaparelli was an innovative designer who became famous for her surrealist designs in the 1930's. Many of her designs, including her 'circus jacket' and 'skeleton dress', challenged conventional ideas about fashion, paving the way for a lot more experimentation from designers that followed.

The circus jacket is really quirky and fun. The show pony print in pink and blue really captivates the imagination.