make vest from trouser cloth?

[OC Richard]

Not sure where best to post this, but here goes:

If I were to buy a vintage suit, is there enough fabric in the trousers to make a matching waistcoat?

I took out some trousers and a vest and took measurements and it seems that (in theory) there would be just enough fabric in the two rear panels of the trousers to make the two front panels of the waistcoat.

Has anyone done this?

Is there anyone out there willing to undertake a project like this? Thanks! Richard

(I've been looking and looking, it's pretty much impossible to find a vintage three-piece tweed suit in my size, but two-piece suits are more common.)

[Todd Bradshaw]

We haven't done it from a pair of pants, but I'm sure it's possible if you get the right pattern. I own a bunch of vests and they seem to fall into three categories as far as the way the fronts are cut. Some just have one wide piece on either side that makes up the entire front. Others have the same, but with a vertical dart cut into them (A&C below) running from the bottom up 1/2- 2/3 of the way to the top for shaping the vest's front. The final group have a long narrow front panel and a shorter panel joined to it under the arm (B below). The first type and the type shown as "A" might be difficult to get out of the back of a pant leg, especially when you consider that the pattern needs to be placed on the tweed in a particular orientation to the weave. If the first two types need more cloth width than you have available, version B on the other hand uses a long front panel that may only need 7"-8" of fabric width, and the short side panel could be cut from another spot - lower down, or maybe on the front of the pant leg.

I can't say that I have noticed that any one of these pattern types fits much better than the others do. They all offer a means for the person sewing and fitting your vest to adjust the shape and taper to fit you - it's just done with different seams on the various types. If at all possible, that part of the process is good reason to at least attempt to stay local with the project. Being able to test-fit the vest and adjust the shape before it's finished and all sewn shut can make quite a difference in how well it fits and feels.


http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v898...hp?page_id=180

[Kiltboy]

It depends on the width of the legs, and the width of your torso. This determines how much fabric you have to work with. Using the pattern pics above, B would be the likely option, as you can work with narrow strips, like pant legs/seat, to make the final result. You want the twill or pattern to go the same direction, so that limits cutting. Again, B is easiest to find fabric for. As for fit, any style can look good, if fit to your body properly.

Take your idea, and your fabric to a well-established tailor. He/She can look and give you an immediate go/no go answer. Plus they may supply other options.

[Liam]

OCR.... Wouldn't the finished waist coast potentially be "assed backward"..... 😉
Sorry for my poor attempt at humour.....

[GrainReaper]

I would think your best option is B because as many have said, there is the strips you can forage from the legs if needed. What was your thinking on the back of the vest? Matching panels? Silk or similar?

[Todd Bradshaw]

Fortunately, and unlike most of the fabrics we use, the typical fabric store usually has a good selection of satin fabrics in stock for linings and backs, since you aren't likely to have enough tweed to do a tweed back. A back made of two layers of decent satin (the back piece and its lining) will make a pretty sturdy back side for a vest.

Many vests will also have bands of tweed 2-3" wide along the inside of the front pieces where the buttons and button holes are, in place of satin or other lining fabric. These pieces will usually run from the shoulder seams up top, all the way down along the front opening to the bottom of the vest. Some even wrap as a band all the way around the bottom wool on the front side. You may not have enough tweed left to do this inner tweed and may need to just line the entire vest with satin. It works fine, but you will probably want to interface the tweed along this area to give it more body along the front edges. In some cases, we'll interface the entire front of the vest for more body. You do want to pick the facing material fairly carefully though, as too much stiffness gets kind of card-boardy feeling.

Two Harris Tweed vests built to a pattern we developed for me to yield enough length. The brown one has the tweed facing bands along the front opening. The green one does not. No real difference in how they hang, fit or feel.





By far, the most tricky part of making one of these is the slot pockets. If your sewing person is not a pro, they will want to do a couple of practice pockets on scrap fabric, following the instructions carefully before trying them on the real tweed.

[brewerpaul]

I think this would be a fun experiment that I will tackle. I'm one for re-using items where possible, I'm sure it has some other trendy name for re-using. I used a Harris tweed jacket that had a few too many holes to repair, and that I paid very little for, to make a flat cap and for-and-aft. I have passed up many a tweed coat deal, thinking of the caps I could make, hoping someone would by the jacket and actually wear it. As for a vest from pants I will have to experiment. I have a pair of wool pants, size 36, that I bought to caniballize for the waistband and zipper detail. I'll find them and rip them appart further to see if a vest pattern will fit. I tend to make front and back the same fabric on my vest but a nice wool gaberdine would serve fine for back material and paisley lining for the interior. Main issuse would be if there is enough room to lay out the pattern and keep it on the straight of grain. If so then perhaps I'll hit the goodwill more often. I'll post back on this after some messing around.

[OC Richard]

Thanks so much guys! So wonderful to have people with hands-on practical experience to help me out.

I didn't know about that pattern with two-piece front panels. That would make it much more practicable as you say.

About the direction of the pattern, happily the trousers, jacket, and waistcoat of tweed suits seem to always have the pattern go the same way.

Yes I was thinking about the tweed for the front panels only, the back being broadcloth or some such.

Now it's a matter of finding a nice vintage tweed jacket that fits me, that comes with matching trousers.

Thanks! Richard

[Tarheel]

[QUOTE=brewerpaul;1303029]I'm one for re-using items where possible, I'm sure it has some other trendy name for re-using.QUOTE]

Half a century ago (it seems when I was young) the term was refurbish. Has a nice formal tone to the word.

[GrainReaper]

I've always liked the term "repurposed"