formal jackets and the cookie cutter aversion

[piperdbh]

You might also factor in a bit of isolation between tailors, who could come up with personalized patterns, and the 19th century taste for ornamentation. And don't forget the desire to show off the wealth of the customer.

[Paul]

You might also factor in a bit of isolation between tailors, who could come up with personalized patterns, and the 19th century taste for ornamentation. And don't forget the desire to show off the wealth of the customer.

One of my Prince Charlies is quite different to those made now-a-days and it's only 40 years old. It's got the buttons in a different place, the shape seem to be more "downwards". It's quite diagonal from the front to the back (with a rise) and the sleeved are made to a shoter length (I realise generally you get short sleeves, regular sleeves and long sleeves) as the jacket was tailored to someone the exact same height with slightly longer arms than me and it still looks too short compared to a "modern equivilant" on me.
I think everyone has to do with both personal style and currently fashions at the time of tailoring.

[Jock Scot]

I well remember going into the tailors in Fort William,long gone now, in about 1960 and I would have been aged 20. There I was full of young man arrogance and there was nothing that I did not know and no one could tell me anything. UNTIL I went in to have a kilt day jacket made. I was politely measured, measurements religiously jotted down, my requirements for the "new" fashion that I was going to lead the world; with no Argyll(gauntlet) cuffs, no epaulettes, two buttons at the front, non antler buttons and no buttons on the pocket flaps.Job done I thought and off I went.

A couple of months later I was summoned to the tailors to pick up my new jacket ready to show the world my new creation. UNTIL, I saw it! It was exactly the same cut as all the other kilt jackets in the area and the tailor had taken no notice of what I had wanted. Of course the arrogant 20 year old blew his top! Anyway after a few minutes of huffing and puffing all went quiet and the tailor looked me square in the eyes and said " .....if you want a jacket as you described you should have known not to come here,in this part of the world, the West Highlands, if you want a kilt jacket made by me, THIS is what you get---nothing else." Oh yes, I learned a lot that day, about people and about tailors!

Oh yes, the jacket! I wore it for years and last time I saw it one of my sons was wearing it!