Men’s Wear

Some More On The Frock Coat…

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It’s been awhile since we’ve posted in regard to men’s wear so here’s something that should remedy this. During the late 19th Century, the frock coat was one of the basics of men’s wardrobe, serving as both a garment formal as well as an everyday business coat. Just to set the stage, here’s an example of the frock coat in everyday use, albeit by way of a painting by Renoir:

Edgar Renoir At The Stock Exchange, 1878 – 1879

And for an extant example:

Frock Coat & Trousers, c. 1876; Kansas State University Museum (KSUM 1986.41.2 ab)

Compared to the 1850s/1860s version, this frock coat is tailored, following the lines of the human body in smooth, somewhat relaxed fashion.

Putting Fabric To Work…

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I decided to use some of the magnificent yardage we’ve acquired on our trips to Europe to work and so here’s a shirt that I made utilizing an interesting cotton shirting that I found in London last year. This is a standard men’s shirt, circa 1880s-early 1900 that I just finished. Time to make a fashion statement the next time I’m in Tombstone!

First, the shirt (the camera really makes the colors pop)…

And the original fabric…

And Off To The Ball!

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After many adventures in and around Bath, we finally reached the high point of our trip to the UK- the Prior Attire Ball! 🙂 Held in the historic Bath Assembly Rooms, the ball lasts for four and a half hours and features various historic set dances as well as waltzes and polkas. In between, a buffet supper is served and there’s a bar. The Assembly Rooms were designed in 1769 and opened in 1771 and were intended as a social center for Bath’s upper crust visitors (to include royalty) who would descend on the town in droves (today, the Fashion Museum Bath is located in the basement of the Assembly Rooms). There are actually a series of rooms of which only one was used for the dancing and the others for the attendees to eat and socialize.

And here’s me…

Because we were staying in a hotel just up the street from the Assembly Rooms, it was a quick easy walk in clear whether (no threat of rain) thus we were not burdened with having to deal with taxis and all that (try stuffing people wearing ballgowns into a Prius- not fun!). Here’s Karin upon arrival:

With all the dancing and such, we didn’t have an opportunity to get many photos but trust us when we say that it was a magical evening and it was well worth the effort getting to Bath. 🙂

A Little Catch-Up…

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Things have been hectic at the atelier- between receiving shipments of the fabric that we’d bought in the UK and catching up various housekeeping chores, it’s a wonder that there’s time for actual sewing… 🙂 Well, after a long break, I was finally able to finish up on a few vest projects that I’d been working on for awhile. Here’s one of them:

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The above vest is constructed from a pattern made by Laughing Moon that I modified for my height. The above example is the second I’ve made using this pattern and overall, it went smoothly. The pattern is based on period originals and as with the originals, there are no short-cuts- patience and and attention to detail are critical. For materials, I used a lightweight herring bone weave dark rust-colored wool combined with a lining of black polished cotton. I’ll definitely be using this pattern in the future. 🙂

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In The Works…Shirts!

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In anticipation of traveling up north to San Jose for the Clockwork Alchemy 2017, I am attempting to finish up some old projects that have lingered on for far too long and one of those is this men’s shirt that I started back in March. Long ago I decided that I needed to update my modern wardrobe so I resolved to make some shirts comparable to ones that would be made custom and utilizing finer fabrics with interesting patterns and colors. Fortunately, I have easy access to Mood fabrics which offers a wide variety of Italian shirting fabrics and the choices are nearly endless and after great deliberation, I settled on a purple/white/blue striped lightweight cotton:

Adam Shirt

For the pattern, I used a McCalls shirt pattern (6044) that I modified to better fit my long torso and simplify some of the assembly steps.

However, while the fabric is exquisite both in terms of color/pattern and finish, it was difficult to work with because of the slick finish; the fabric would constantly shift while running it through the sewing machine or even when simply cutting the pieces. It took me a lot longer to cut than I had anticipated because of the need to pin EVERYTHING securely. Also, in the course of sewing the pieces together, I was forced to redo seams whose edges had shifted out of position- Mr. Seam Ripper was busy throughout the sewing process.

In the end, it was worth the effort and I learned some valuable lessons about sewing with lighter, more “wander prone” fabrics and so now I have another shirt for the modern wardrobe:

Adam Shirt

I apologize for not having as many pictures as I would have wanted but unfortunately, life got in the way. However, I will be making more “modern” items in the future so stay tuned for more. 🙂