TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
1
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
ABOUT
Tailors of Liverpool is a campaign set up to help raise awareness about the tailoring trade in the city of Liverpool. With mass-produced, high street garments being so readily available, there is a danger that the art of tailoring could be lost. The campaign aims to guide people through what it means to have a tailored garment that is made especially for you and how it offers so much more than off-the-rack clothing. Tailors of Liverpool wants to explore the problems facing the trade today and what this means for the future of tailoring.
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
2
CONTENTS 05. MADE TO MEASURE Vs BESPOKE
A 5 step guide to understanding the difference between the two tailoring services.
07. CONSTRUCTION OF A TAILORED GARMENT
We take an in-depth look at the components of a tailored jacket, explaining how each element contributes to the overall garment.
09. WHY LIVERPOOL?
Take a look at our collection of photographs taken with the tailors around the city.
10. TIME LINE OF TAILORING
A look back at tailoring through the decades and where we are today.
11. MEET THE TAILORS
Katherine Ogilvie’s illustrations of the tailors in Liverpool.
13. HOW THEY BEGAN
A snapshot bio of each tailors career.
19. THE FUTURE OF TAILORING
What is in store for the future of the trade? Will the art of tailoring be lost? We talk about the problems facing the industry and what can be done to prevent decline.
An interview with Jan Schofield shows what opportunities are available for young aspiring tailors in
20. OPPORTUNITIES the Liverpool area.
21. WHERE TO FIND THEM
What to get in contact with the tailors yourself? Here is where to find them.
3
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
“Made-to-measure is an incredible product; still a suit made for a chap with a full set of measurements, but made in a different way.” - Harland Collier
“Putting on a proper bespoke jacket, you can feel the difference right away; no question. - Richies Alterations 5
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
The difference between a made-tomeasure and bespoke garments is something that not many can easily define. Within the tailoring industry, the term bespoke is often used incorrectly and bandied around to the point of exhaustion. This results in general confusion of what each process entails and a lack of appreciation for bespoke. However, there are 5 distinctions customers can use to guide them between made-to-measure and bespoke:
MADE-TO-MEASURE Pattern cutting: Imagine a pattern used for cutting out a size 38 jacket. If a customers individual measurements fall just outside of the conventional size 38, the tailor or cutter will take these patterns and adapt them so that they correspond with the customer. In short, a made-to-measure service will customise standardised patterns to fit the individual, for example, garment length and shoulder breadth.
BESPOKE Pattern cutting: A whole new pattern will be created for the customer . There will be no base pattern used to prevent missing small individual distinctions of the wearer. The new pattern will take into consideration not only measurements, but also elements such as the arch of the back and line of the shoulder.
Fitting: In general terms, a madeto measure service will involve an initial fitting to take the customers measurements and construct a design. Then there will be a final fitting when the garment has been created, however, there will not usually be any fittings during the actual creation of the garment. Depending on the result of the final fitting, there may then be alterations made according to the customers preferences.
Fitting: A bespoke service entails not only an initial and final fitting, but several fittings throughout the creation process as well. It is this point that defines bespoke clearly from made-tomeasure and provides a justification for a higher price. The number of fittings during the creation will vary from customer to customer but there is usually at least three or more. These fittings act as more than a confirmation of measurements but as a means for the tailor to build upon each fitting to create the most precise fit.
Fabric: Of course a choice of fabric is offered to the customer, however, in a made-to-measure service the swatches will be provided from a choice of one or two mills. This number can differ from tailor to tailor but it is generally less than a bespoke service as the range offered will have an effect on price.
Fabric: A bespoke service will usually offer a wider range of mills for fabric selection. These swatches will include more unique and unusual fabrics that may increase the price point.
Customisation: A made-to-measure service will come with a list of options that are and are not available. Generally, the list of customisations for this service will include elements such as, buttons, pocket design, vent style, pleats, cuffs, interior lining, lapel width and gorge height.
Customisation: In a bespoke service there is no restriction on customisation; regardless of complexity, the tailor will incorporate it into the design.
The tailor: The person who takes your measurements will not necessarily be the the master tailor and is more likely to be a store worker who has been trained to take measurements. This person will then pass the measurements on to the master tailor.
The tailor: The customer will always meet with the person who is actually crafting their garment. The person who is cutting and constructing the garment will always have a better understanding of the wearers specific needs. TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
6
SHOULDER PAD Keeps the jacket structured and creates clean lines
FELT Helps the jacket keep its shape
HALF CANVAS This is normally made from wool and horsehair. The canvas also helps to keep the jacket’s shape and structure
FUSIBLE INTERFACING Supports the fabric, allowing it to drape correctly
POCKETS These normally lined with cotton fabric
OVERCAST BASTING STITCH Primarily as a seam or edge finish to prevent raveling.
7
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
Wool canvas Canvas Felt Padding Arm wadding Padding stitch Cotton tape Inside pockets Reinforcement piece Waist pocket
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
8
WHY LIVERPOOL? When you think of luxury tailoring, your mind often jumps to London and Saville Row. However, the city on the mersey has a lot to offer as well. There are several well established firms who have watched tailoring evolve through the decades and spent years developing and fine tuning their craft. Take a look at our collection of photographs taken from tailoring firms around Liverpool.
TIMELINE OF TAILORING
19th Century, The Regency Period
Simplicity of the clothes at this time and their sombre colours contrasted strongly with the extravagant styles just before. The frock coat came into style in the early 19th century. Towards the end of the century this morphed into the looser and more comfortable ‘morning coat’ in the late 19th century the dinner jacket was invented and sorted to be worn to informal events.
Early 20th Century, The Edwardian Era
The informal ‘lounge suit’ born of the dinner jacket, gained hugely in popularity and was starting to be worn as day wear in the guise of the looser ‘sack suit’, with wide trousers with big cuffs of the day. The steady decline in the wearing of frock coats as the morning coat become standard formal dress.
20’s
30’s
1940’s — 1950’s The War Period
With the rationing of fabrics due to the war, suits become more streamlined and avoided extravagant displays of wealth that could be seen as ostentatious. Lapels and trousers slimmed down, and turn ups were considered wasteful. In the 1950’s ‘teddy boys’ appeared with influences from the edwardian period.
40’s
50’s
1960’s - 1970’s, The Hedonistic Years
60’s
70’s
After the oppression of many years of shortages was over, suits rebelled in the 60’s using bright fabrics, bold prints, huge flares and big lapels. Loose leisure suits were created for a more comfortable and casual attire. ‘Mod’ came into vogue in the 1960’s and in the 1970’s disco gave the suit a new role as a weapon of seduction, flamboyant and liberated sense of dress.
80’s
90’s 1980’s - 1990’s, From Power Dressing to Minimalis
A business boom in the 1980’s made the suit the armour of choice for men of high flying corporate positions of power. Big shoulder pads and large double breasted jackets made them larger than life. The 1990’s took oversized trends and made them more comfortable, more looser with ‘smart casual’.
2000
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
2000’s, Millennium to the Future
Advances in technology creates new fabrics that give little stretch, meaning that the looser styles are no longer necessary in order to be comfortable all day. Men of style have adopted a sartorial elegance that has been missing in recent decades. Similar tailoring style of the 1960’s, classic style with modern touches, with a flaunt of disposable income.
10
___ __ Meet the
Tailors
RICHIE richie’s alterations
11
BASIL craft tailoring
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
WALTER SMITH craft tailoring
NICK COLLIER harland collier
MO ADASSA signature bespoke
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
JOHN MONK & GERRY MURPHY john e. monk
12
13
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
HOW THEY
BEGAN RICHIE richie’s alterations
BASIL craft tailoring
WALTER SMITH craft tailoring
Richie got into tailoring when he was just 16. He got a job in a work room and gradually built up his skills and eventually took over the business when the owner passed away . In the mid 70’s, the trade was impacted by mass-production and materials such as denim, resulting in more casual fashion trends. After this, Richie moved towards alterations to get more business.
Basil started in the trade when he was 17 in Jamaica. He then moved to England to work for a firm called Terry White. From then Basil worked in various firms based around the Liverpool area, until he eventually got a job as the tailor for Craft Tailoring. He has been with this firm for the last 30 years.
Walter has been in the tailoring trade for 64 years. He started out as a shop boy in a local tailoring firm in Liverpool where he began working his way up the tailoring ladder. Walter opened Craft Tailoring in 1980, and over the years has become famous for styling household names such as the Beatles.
NICK COLLIER harland collier
MO ADASSA signature bespoke
JOHN MONK & GERRY MURPHY john e. monk
Nick entered the tailoring trade in 2006 when he began working with Gives and Hawks, a very established tailoring firm who are based on Saville Row and also have a branch in Liverpool. It has always been his ambition to open his own firm and when Peter Harland, the owner of a long standing Liverpool firm announced he was retiring, it seemed like the perfect fit for Nick to take over the company and make it his own.
Mo started his career working for world renowned designers such as Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabbana. His interest in tailoring began when he embarked on a training scheme with Canali. He then moved to London and fell in love with the heritage of traditional English tailoring, which spurred him on to create Signature Bespoke. Mo wants to keep the tradition of the craft alive but with a modern twist.
John (left) and Gerry (right) both began their tailoring careers when they were 15. They got jobs in Liverpool tailors and built up their skills and knowledge over the years John is the cutter and owner of the current firm and Gerry is the tailor. They have worked sideby-side for many years and together know the craft inside out.
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
14
15
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
16
17
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
“
“
A tailored jacket makes a guy feel like he is the star of the movie. The movie is his life and he is the star. - Harland Collier
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
“
“
A bespoke tailored suit is like an architecturally designed house or hand built car. All of these things are rarities, but you recognise them straight away. - Craft Tailoring
18
THE FUTURE OF TAILORING “The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them.” - George Bernard Shaw The art of tailoring is a craft that is steeped in tradition and national heritage. The quote above epitomises the trade; nobody appreciates a person’s uniqueness more that a tailor. A tailor dedicates his life to perfecting garments that accentuate our individuality. Whilst tailoring remains a distinguished and lucrative craft, the trade has encountered hardships over recent years. Mass-production and designer brands are perhaps at the root of these struggles. Commanding lower prices than tailored garments, offering on-the-day purchase and packaged and branded to the hilt, both designer and high-street suits have prospered. It is fair to say that in today’s culture, consumers are more concerned about flashy credentials and designer labels, rather than the actual cut and quality of their clothes.
19
Although a hand tailored suit is undoubtedly still a status symbol, the saturated market is leading tailoring down a more niche and specialised route. Where in the past it was the social normal to go out and get your clothes fitted for the individual, nowadays, customers must actively seek out a tailor, usually only occurring on special occasions than for every day wear. For younger generations especially, who have not grown up with tailoring being the ‘done thing’, there is now a distinct lack of understanding and appreciation for the craft. Customers do not acknowledge the time and detail that is required to construct a tailored garment, and much more than that, they do not understand what well fitted clothing looks like. Indeed, many of the younger generations, who have never worn a hand crafted item, cannot possibly understand what it means to have a tailored garment made especially for you. So it is clear that the tailoring trade is vastly different today compared to previous generations; but what does this mean for the future of the industry? There is a real danger of the profession being lost, especially in areas such as Liverpool. ‘Tailors of Liverpool’ interviewed each tailor around the city and all unanimously agreed that two key things need to be done in order to save the trade: 1. The first is getting younger generations interested in the TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
craft. This refers to both people buying tailored garments but also making tailored garments. Aspiring fashion designers often overlook the possibilities of going down the tailoring route, and those that do once again don’t appreciate the skills required to enter the industry. There are a number of opportunities and apprenticeships available to young aspiring tailors. For full details look at the openings and possibilities on page 20. 2. The second is creating awareness. As we have said, there is a general lack of knowledge about the trade as it grows to be a more increasingly niche market. ‘Tailors of Liverpool’ aims to create this much needed awareness and guide people through tailoring in Liverpool.
If you want to learn more about tailoring in Liverpool, get information about apprenticeships and openings or want to watch our interviews with the tailors visit our website on: www.tailorsofliverpool.com And help raise awareness by following us on social media:
@tailorsofliverpool @tailorsoflpool @Tailors of Liverpool
Q
&A
Interview with Jan Schofield head of school - fashion, art and design at Liverpool Community College jan.schofield@liv-coll.ac.uk
1. What apprenticeships in tailoring is available in Liverpool? There is an apparel apprenticeship which includes tailoring currently available at the College and has been for four years. previously we had an NVQ in Tailoring which was delivered successfully to Cheshire Bespoke Tailors.
2. Are you working with any Liverpool tailors/ if not why not? Not at present as there has not been much interest and no attendance at any events to promote the programmes.
3. Are young people in Liverpool applying for Apprenticeships in tailoring/ if so where? No. most young people opt for fashion first and then specialise in Tailoring.
4. What is available for tailors if they take on young apprentice? Apprenticeships are only available if an employers takes on an apprentice for a given period of time ( normally on minimum wage). They become their employee. They can then attend College one day per week to achieve a Technical certificate Qualification and they complete and NVQ in the workplace. (An assessor comes in to assess the apprentice in the workplace organised by College) At the end of the apprenticeship the employer does not have to guarantee and job for the apprentice. 5. Are young people learning all the skills they need in the tailoring apprenticeships? The skills are dependent on the level of apprenticeship they study.
6. What advice would you give to someone who whats to get into tailoring? It is not easy. Register with NAS (National Apprenticeship Service) but you may have to opt for fashion fist and then apply once you have some experience as most employers will not take any anyone without some experience. Finding the job is the first step and an employer that is willing to take on an apprentice.
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
20
CRAFT TAILORING
C
HARLAND COLLIER
H SIGNATURE BESPOKE RICHIE’S ALTERATIONS
S
KEY
21
S
C
21, Old Hall St, Liverpool, L3 9BS
H
6, Stanley St, Liverpool, L1 6AF
M R
R
India Buildings Water St, Liverpool, L2 0RR
39, Pembroke Pl, Liverpool, L3 5PH
25, Victoria St, Liverpool, L1 6BD
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
WHERE TO FIND THEM JOHN E. MONK
M
TAILORS OF LIVERPOOL
22
@tailorsofliverpool
www.tailorsofliverpool.com @tailorsoflpool @Tailors of Liverpool
@Tailors of Liverpool