1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. Oh, this one's for 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: my stitching folks. If you're not into stitching, you might 5 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: still find this interesting. I hope you do. The first 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: week of June this year, there was a report that 7 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: circulated that the company IG Design Group had sold its 8 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: Design Group America division that's usually abbreviated as DGA in 9 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: any headlines or legal filings that you might see. That 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: they were selling DGA off of the international business. And 11 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: DGA is the company that is the umbrella company for 12 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: the sewing pattern companies that are known among stitchers as 13 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: the Big four or the Core four. So that's Simplicity Patterns, McCall's, Butterick, 14 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:01,279 Speaker 1: and Vogue. DGA does also contain other proper lines and brands. 15 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: But this was grave news because DJA was sold to 16 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: a liquidation firm called Hilco Capital for a dollar plus 17 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: per the agreement seventy five percent of proceeds that Hilco 18 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: collects from the sales of the assets. Hilco is the 19 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: same company that purchased Joanne Fabrics and then liquidated it 20 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: earlier this year, as reported by the Craft Industry Alliance 21 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: quote IG Design Group cited the impact of tariffs imposed 22 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: by the US as a factor. Over fifty percent of 23 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 1: dga's products are manufactured in China, although the sewing patterns 24 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: are made in the US. The company also mentioned a 25 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: softening market over the last several years, as well as 26 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: the bankruptcy of Joanne as factors in the sale. You 27 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: can get into a whole discussion about that of like, 28 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: it's so sad that Joeanne going bankrupt and liquidating is 29 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,559 Speaker 1: killing our sales. Let's hand everything over to the same company. Listen, 30 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: that's a whole discussion that's you're having. But there have 31 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: been some social media posts by DJA brands that are 32 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: indicating like, no, no, it's still business as usual. We're 33 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: still working on the next batch of patterns. But it 34 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: really definitely does seem like a little bit of death 35 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: knell too many people that are in the sewing and 36 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: crafting hobby and professional space. And when I started this outline, 37 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: there actually had not been an update on what was 38 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: going to happen next, and when hey, there has been 39 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: since we'll talk about it at the end, but most 40 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: of the folks who sow are expecting the pattern companies 41 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 1: to vanish, And this of course got me thinking about 42 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: how we got here in the first place. Right when 43 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: I was growing up and into my early adulthood, those 44 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: Big four sewing companies pattern companies were competitors for the 45 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: most part, but they eventually all somehow ended up in 46 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: one big company, which is just weird. But well before 47 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: they existed, there were already people trying to share sewing patterns. 48 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: So I thought we could talk about how this all evolved. 49 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: And because it is near and dear to my heart 50 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: and I can't st typing when it's about things like this, 51 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: it turned into a two parter. So Part one is 52 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: going to cover ways that books and periodicals that shared 53 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: sewing patterns or templates to create them started out and 54 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: then became very popular in Europe and the US over 55 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: the course of a couple hundred years, and then part 56 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: two will dig into the origins of the Big four 57 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: and where we got here. So my mention of Europe 58 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: and the US is the clue that this is going 59 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: to be pretty Western eccentric. The approaches to how you 60 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: do showing in other areas of the world are actually 61 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: in some ways very different or have been historically, But 62 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: the US and European sewing markets are really what we're 63 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: talking about. And then at the end of part two 64 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: we will have some information about news that broke near 65 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: the end of my research process. There will probably be 66 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: more between when we record this and when it comes 67 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: out we'll see. So people have of course been putting 68 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: together garments since before recorded history, and then over time 69 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: those garments have generally become a lot more complex. They 70 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: started requiring more knowledge of geometry and how to basically 71 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: assemble something inside out and then when it's turned right 72 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 1: side out it fits on the body. Not every garment 73 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: works that way, obviously, but a lot of garments in 74 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: the clothing traditions that Holly and I grew up in 75 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 1: do yeah, listen, great kill people, I hear you out there. 76 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 1: Don't worry about it. It's not about that. Yeah, yeah, 77 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: it's not what we're talking about right now. But anyway, 78 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: these like this geometric focus and this inside outing and 79 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: right side outing of the garments eventually led to the 80 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: drafting of patterns and the first known publication of such 81 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:51,559 Speaker 1: Patterns was in fifteen eighty. This was in book form 82 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: and it was written by a Spanish man named Wanda 83 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,920 Speaker 1: as Sega, and that book was titled Libro de Geometria 84 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: Practica israsa. This this is translated in different ways, but 85 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: the most direct translation seems to be Book on Geometry 86 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: Practice and pattern RASA, for example, is tracing. It's basically 87 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: like making out patterns. Later editions of this book, because 88 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 1: it did go through multiples, feature an illustration of Wanda 89 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 1: of Sega on the title page and he's using what 90 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: looks like a compass, and he has a ruler in 91 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 1: scissors nearby on his work table. And you would need 92 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: those tools to use this book because there were illustrations 93 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: in it that needed to be hand drafted into human 94 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: size pieces. Today, that's not the most common way to 95 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: acquire a pattern, but it's also not unusual. There are 96 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: still books on sewing that work this way. Sometimes they 97 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: have a grid in them and you size them up 98 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: using that grid as a reference for line placement. I 99 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: remember my mom having a couple of special rulers and 100 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,799 Speaker 1: tools for doing this kind of thing. That's common today 101 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: is the method used in Alsega's book and that's where 102 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,559 Speaker 1: the measures are listed on the diagrams and the home 103 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 1: pattern drafter just tries to enlarge the pattern based only 104 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: on those numbers. But not all of Alcega's illustrations have measurements. 105 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: In some of them, you get a shape and then 106 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: you just you have to sort of work it out 107 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: into a full sized item based on vibes. One to Alcega, 108 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 1: who was born in the Bosque region of Spain, became 109 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 1: a tailor by trade, and when he completed his book, 110 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 1: two other important tailors endorsed it as a valuable work. 111 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: Those are Juan Lopez de Borgette, who was the tailor 112 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: of the Duke of Alba, and ernand Gutierrez, the Princess 113 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 1: of Portugal's personal tailor, and it was through their support 114 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 1: that al Sga received a license from the King of 115 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: Spain to print book on Geometry Practice and Pattern for 116 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: public sale. The book's first section does not feature patterns. 117 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: It's all about the techniques that are needed for enlarging them, 118 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 1: and it also includes information about al Sega's effort to 119 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: write the book. It sounds really arduous. He mentions just 120 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: wanting to quit several times, but this book really set 121 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: the standard for sewing books that include patterns. According to 122 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: a summary by the Library of Congress quote, the quality 123 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: of the designs is noteworthy and contrasts with the neglect 124 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: scene in the writing of the accompanying explanatory texts. That's 125 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: something that's persisted over the centuries. A lot of times 126 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: stitchers have found the explanatory text in these kinds of 127 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: books a lot more confusing than helpful. Al Sega gives 128 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: information on the amounts of fabric that you'll need for 129 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: various patterns, just as you would find on the back 130 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: of a pattern envelope today, although the measure was different. 131 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: There's nothing about yards or meters in this book. At 132 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: the time, Alsega and a lot of other tailors were 133 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: using a measurement called an L. The exact length of 134 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: an L has varied in different places in different cultures, 135 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: so you can find l's that correspond to anywhere from 136 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: twenty seven to forty five inches. The L was its 137 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: own system, and tailors of Alsega's time would have an 138 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: L wand, which is a length of L and that 139 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: had marks on it to break down the various fractional 140 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: lengths of the L, like a half and a quarter 141 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: and things like that. This all just sounds so easy 142 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: and straightforward and interchangeable with everyone's different patterns. I can't 143 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: even imagine. It's like if you we have a hard 144 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: enough time converting yards to meters in you know, modern 145 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: day stitching, but can you imagine if everybody were calling 146 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: it a yard but it was all different? Like, wait, 147 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,599 Speaker 1: whose yard? What are you talking about? No, it's a 148 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: half yard, that's all you'll need. Yeah, but what yard? 149 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: I would lose my mind. In addition to this text, 150 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 1: which is not as six naorious one might desire, al 151 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 1: Sega's book also has so many patterns. It has one 152 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty five in all, and they actually cover 153 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: a wide range of clothing categories. There are garment patterns 154 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 1: for both women and men, like capes and trousers and dresses, 155 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 1: but there are also items that fall into very specific 156 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 1: use groupings. For example, there is a section on garments 157 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: that the clergy would need. There are clothes for jousting 158 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 1: and even things like Turkish clothing for lifting. There's rope 159 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 1: de la trado d'panno that's lawyer's clothing, and there's even 160 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: a bathrobe set. It is a very comprehensive set of 161 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: blocks for any stitcher who may need to clothe all 162 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: kinds of people. So having been calling these diagrams patterns 163 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: all this time that Tracy and I have been talking 164 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 1: is actually a little bit incorrect, because they are what's 165 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: called a block. A block is a set of basic 166 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: pieces that are not exactly patterns. They look very much 167 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: like a pattern, but they're really more like te blitz 168 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: that patterns can be drafted from. They don't have seam allowance. 169 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: They kind of represent the exact shape of the body, 170 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: so if you were to tape them together edge to edge, 171 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 1: it would theoretically look like the shell of a person. Blocks, 172 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 1: by the way, are also called slopers. Those words get 173 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 1: used pretty interchangeably, and these are still used by pattern 174 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: makers today to make patterns for all sorts of garments. 175 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 1: So in skilled hands, a good set of blocks becomes 176 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: the foundation for an entire library of potentially very different 177 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: looking pattern designs. We'll talk about some of those pattern 178 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: layouts after we pause or a sponsor break. Some of 179 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: the blocks in al Saga's book are fairly simple. For example, 180 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: there is one pattern block for some of the capa 181 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: Solas d' Pagno. Those are cloth capes in the book, 182 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,319 Speaker 1: and those just have three pieces with instructions for cutting 183 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: some of the pieces on the fold. It looks very 184 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: similar to the way you'd see a pattern in a 185 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 1: modern pattern instance, although again you would have to add 186 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: seam allowance, but others have many pieces for creating much 187 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: more tailored garments. And of note too, is that these 188 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 1: are not graded for multiple sizes. Right. If you've ever 189 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: bought a commercial pattern today, you'll see multiple cutting lines 190 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 1: for different sizes. But these are really what are considered 191 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: base size blocks, intended to represent the average sized person, 192 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: whatever that means. It would be up to the person 193 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 1: using the book to then make any necessary alterations to 194 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: those blocks and the resulting patterns to suit the size 195 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: and shape of the person that a garment was being 196 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 1: made for. And in a very smart move in terms 197 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: of how the book would be used, it's a book 198 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: that was very short and very wide, with binding along 199 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: the short edge, and that made it really easy for 200 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 1: the user to keep the book open while working without 201 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: risking the page's flipping due to how tight the binding was. 202 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: The real accomplishment of Alcega's book was that it opened 203 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 1: the door to the idea that Taylor's manuals could even 204 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:16,080 Speaker 1: be a thing, and Spain continued to lead the way 205 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: in printing instructional sewing books for almost a century. In 206 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: fifteen eighty eight, another Spanish book, Geometry and Design for 207 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: the Taylor's Trade, was published and written by a tailor 208 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: named Diego de Fryla. It's very similar to al Sega's 209 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: book in terms of layout and organization, including the binding 210 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: style that lays open more easily than a traditional sized book. 211 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: One of the ways Frela's work diverges from his predecessor 212 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,320 Speaker 1: is in the unit of measurement used instead of the 213 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,959 Speaker 1: l Frela uses. The vara and Navara had actually become 214 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: Spain's official standard of measurement in fifteen sixty eight, so 215 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:57,679 Speaker 1: even before al Sega's book came out, but by fifteen 216 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: eighty eight, when Frela published, it had become more and 217 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 1: more commonly used and finally replaced that very haphazard assortment 218 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:10,599 Speaker 1: of measures used in Spain by various municipalities. Incidentally, Avara 219 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: is actually pretty close to a yard at just under 220 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: thirty three inches, so that's zero point eight three six 221 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: meters long. Frila also addressed something that had come up 222 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: when Alcega published his book and which applied to his 223 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: own work as well. And sharing all of this information 224 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: and these pattern blocks both tailors were perceived by some 225 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: members of their trade as basically blabbing professional secrets. The 226 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: knowledge that had for centuries been passed down through the 227 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,439 Speaker 1: apprentice system was suddenly available to anyone who could get 228 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: one of these books. But Frila defended the publications by 229 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: explaining that the information he was sharing was to the 230 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 1: benefit of the public financially and to the tailor profession reputationally. 231 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: It wasn't very likely that a novice would plant a 232 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 1: train's tailor just by having a book full of blocks. 233 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 1: But if people who had their clothes made by tailors 234 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: understood more about the process, including how much fabric various 235 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,839 Speaker 1: garments require, it would prevent them from being taken advantage 236 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: of by unscrupulous vendors, and that would help maintain the 237 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: integrity of the trade. As far as we know. It 238 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: actually wasn't until sixteen seventy one that the French started 239 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: publishing patterns, which began with a book titled The Sincere 240 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: Tailor that was written by Benoi Boulay, and the full 241 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: title of this book translated is The Sincere Tailor, containing 242 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: what must be observed to correctly, trace, cut, and assemble 243 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: all the principal pieces which are made in the tailor's profession. 244 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: And in the opening of the book, Boulay invokes God 245 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: as the reason he is a tailor, writing quote, when 246 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: God calls us into some profession or some job, we 247 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: must consider it as something that divine providence has established. 248 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: Man is a block to spend his life in this work. 249 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: Like the Spanish examples we've mentioned, this has a wide 250 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: range of patterns and mentions the ease of use of 251 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: some of them in their accompanying text. For example, one 252 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: rogue pattern is described this way quote, The said dress 253 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: is made in the manner that I represented in the 254 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: figure below, and to cut it one has very few measurements. 255 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: To take. One only needs the length, which should only 256 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: go to four fingers from the ground, the thickness, and 257 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: the seams must be loose on the body. The tellure 258 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: since there, has been so popular with costumers and clothing 259 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: historians that patterns from it were being reproduced into the 260 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: twentieth century. In the book Period Patterns published in nineteen 261 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: forty two and written by Doris Edson and Lucy Barton 262 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 1: in English. The first book that included patterns was The 263 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: Tailor's Complete Guide, that did not come out until seventeen 264 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: sixty nine. An attribution here is hazy. Advertisements for the 265 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: guide describe it as the work of Quote, a society 266 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: of adepts in the profession, and the goal of the 267 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: book was to address the common problems of misfitting. Getting 268 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: a garment to sit perfectly on a human body can 269 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: be very tricky, particularly because, in addition to just being 270 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: different shapes, people are not statues, and their movements will 271 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: shift the garment around as they go through their day 272 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: to day lives. And apparently the tailors of England were 273 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: really struggling with this issue at the end of the 274 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: eighteenth century. But this book maybe didn't achieve its goal 275 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: because it was heavily criticized as late as one hundred 276 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 1: years later by another English tailor named Edward B. Giles, 277 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: who noted in his own book about the history of 278 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: tailoring that Quote its issue could only be warranted by 279 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: the non existence of any other published method, and in 280 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: those circumstances it was better than none. At all. As 281 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: for the US, the first entry into the market of 282 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 1: tailoring books that featured patterns was The Tailor's Instructor in 283 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 1: eighteen oh nine. This publication, written by Philadelphia taylors William 284 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: Lapsi and James Queen, has the marvelously long alternate title 285 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 1: of A Comprehensive Analysis of the Elements of Cutting Garments 286 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: of every kind, to which are added directions for cutting 287 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:24,440 Speaker 1: various articles of dress for both sexes without the usual 288 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 1: seams and regimentals of all descriptions with instructions for making 289 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 1: up work with accuracy and precision. What's really interesting here 290 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:37,439 Speaker 1: is that Queen and Lapsie actually referenced the Taylor's Complete 291 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: Guide in their introduction, and like Edward Giles, they seem 292 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:44,679 Speaker 1: to find it lacking. Their criticism of it is a 293 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 1: little more subtle, though, choosing to praise what came after 294 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: as better quote. The following work will no doubt produce 295 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: in your minds a degree of curiosity, as it is 296 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,440 Speaker 1: the first of its kind that has made its appearance 297 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: in the United States, and we believe the second ever 298 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 1: known in the English language. The first was published in 299 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: London in the year seventeen ninety six, and received the 300 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 1: liberal patronage of the trade in general, not only for 301 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: its novelty, but for the interesting and useful instructions contained 302 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 1: there in. The one following was more judiciously executed, being 303 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: an improvement on the first, and exhibited one of the 304 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: briefest compens of instruction, both in cutting and making up 305 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 1: work of different kinds, so that from the master taylor 306 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:32,160 Speaker 1: down to the youngest apprentice it proved interesting and useful. 307 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: This book begins with quite a bit of writing about 308 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: clothing theory, including the nature of fashion, writing quote the 309 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: eye will soon discriminate between the elegant contour and dress 310 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:48,399 Speaker 1: of a complete gentleman and the extravagant whimsies of a 311 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: city fop. These are great considerations in the articles of dress, 312 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: the former being the result of grace, sensibility, and refined experience, 313 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 1: the latter the extravagance of follow under the sanction of 314 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: the whim of fashion. And even before a single pattern appears. 315 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: In the first section, which is on outerwear, there's an 316 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:13,160 Speaker 1: essay titled a Dissertation on coats. Then it gets into 317 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: a how to, still quite worthy, on measuring a thin 318 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: man for a single breasted coat and notes which measures 319 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:23,680 Speaker 1: mapped to which figures in the drawings of pattern pieces 320 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:27,919 Speaker 1: that follow, So not too bad in terms of conveying 321 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: the information needed to create clothing. All of these books, though, 322 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: were really prepared for the tailoring market and professionals more 323 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 1: than the at home stitcher, even though there were absolutely 324 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,120 Speaker 1: likely a few non tailors who managed to access them 325 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 1: and perhaps learned a few tricks of the trade in 326 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: the process. This started to shift a bit in the 327 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 1: early to mid eighteen hundreds, as tailors were augmenting their 328 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: income by offering lessons to anyone who had the money 329 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: to enroll with them. This still wasn't usually a person 330 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 1: sewing for them, though it was in most cases tailors, 331 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 1: or would be tailors from rural areas who would travel, 332 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: for example, to London to learn from a pro. And 333 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: while this didn't democratize tailoring and pattern access for everyone, 334 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: it does mark another big step out from under the 335 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: umbrella of trade secrets that a lot of professionals still 336 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 1: believed in for centuries. Outside of this handful of publications 337 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: we've mentioned, specific pattern blocks were passed down through families 338 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: or through a shop's apprentice lines, and they were generally 339 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: pretty carefully guarded, but by the mid nineteenth century that 340 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 1: had all changed significantly. More and more books on tailoring 341 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: started to come out, and some even offered early grading 342 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 1: systems to try to help address the needs of multiple 343 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,679 Speaker 1: sizes to aid in customized fittings without needing to draft 344 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 1: brand new slopers. As this loosening of trade secrecy grew 345 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: more common, periodicals dedicated to tailoring also started to emerge, 346 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,880 Speaker 1: with patterns for women as well as men, and tissue 347 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:06,400 Speaker 1: patterns started to be sold in England, first as standalone 348 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 1: items advertised in magazines and then included as inserts in 349 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 1: those magazines. We are about to get to sewing books 350 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: that were targeted to women in just a moment, but 351 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 1: first we will hear from the sponsors that keep stuffymus 352 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: in history class Going. Books specifically published for women home 353 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,600 Speaker 1: sists started to appear on the market as early as 354 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:41,240 Speaker 1: the seventeen nineties, but these were often less about fashion 355 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 1: and more about utility or in some cases even charity. 356 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: For example, the first known of these was titled Instructions 357 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 1: for Cutting Out Apparel for the Poor, so this didn't 358 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: have patterns so much as directions for how to use 359 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,440 Speaker 1: basic rectangle cuts to create very simple clothing for people 360 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: who just needed something to cover them. There was no 361 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: fashion in the mix at all. Similarly, the eighteen oh 362 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 1: eight publication of The Ladies' Economical Assistant did feature actual patterns, 363 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:14,399 Speaker 1: but they were no frills, extra basic patterns. Right. You 364 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: weren't going to find any pockets anywhere, and you weren't 365 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 1: going to find any lines for placement of trims. And 366 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: a lot of these patterns were actually for children, so 367 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 1: that mothers could just keep their babies clothed. Again, not 368 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: so much about fashion. In the book The History of 369 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: the Paper Pattern Industry, which came out in twenty fourteen, 370 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: Joyce spanbell Emery notes that it's entirely possible that full 371 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:41,199 Speaker 1: sized patterns for women's garments were available as early as 372 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: the eighteen thirties. There were ads and magazines for patterns 373 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 1: that were available to purchase at retailers, but there aren't 374 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 1: any known surviving examples of such patterns. As most patterns 375 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: were still issued in small scale and needed to be 376 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: hand enlarged. A lot of companies developed their own in 377 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 1: large systems to go along with proprietary patterned diagrams, so 378 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 1: by using any given system. Home stitchers and professional dressmakers 379 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:11,919 Speaker 1: were assured by the manufacturer that they would have the 380 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:16,880 Speaker 1: greatest ease of success. Magazines that were focused on women's 381 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: garment sewing started to circulate in the second and third 382 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,120 Speaker 1: decades of the eighteen hundreds. The World of Fashion began 383 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:27,959 Speaker 1: publishing in London in eighteen twenty nine. This was a 384 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: magazine that wasn't so much about sewing a dress as 385 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: it was about informing readers about fashion trends. It featured 386 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: color plates at the front and then text in the 387 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,919 Speaker 1: main pages describing and commenting on the clothes represented in 388 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 1: those opening pages. For example, in one entry in the 389 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:50,359 Speaker 1: January eighteen twenty nine issue, there's this write up about headwear. 390 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: Quote caps Lapont and Ala Psyche constitute the most favorite headdresses. 391 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: The former has the pawn ornament in front of splendid 392 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:05,439 Speaker 1: blonde and very narrow pink satin rulo, under which is 393 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 1: the stiffening which keeps the areola so formed in shape. 394 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:13,440 Speaker 1: This gap is tastefully but slightly ornamented with white gauze 395 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: striped ribbon and in front next the hair with full 396 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: blown roses. The call is of tool finished by pink 397 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: and white satin ribbon. Tila Grek, a psyche cap of 398 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 1: toul and very broad blonde of a most superb pattern, 399 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:34,439 Speaker 1: is entitled to a high degree of admiration. It is 400 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:37,880 Speaker 1: ornamented across the front with half a wreath of damask 401 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: roses and those of Jericho in full bloom, and the 402 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 1: same flowers cross the crown. Behind the strings are of 403 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 1: white gauze ribbon, finished at the edges by a border 404 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: in a Greek pattern. The magazine also included information on 405 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,640 Speaker 1: what fashions were popular in London, Paris and other places 406 00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: including Russia. It also had features on more standard news 407 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 1: like births and deaths in prominent families. While the World 408 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,160 Speaker 1: of Fashion taught more about style than stitching, a book 409 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,120 Speaker 1: came out a decade later titled The Workwoman's Guide, containing 410 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 1: instructions to the inexperienced in cutting out and completing those 411 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 1: articles of wearing apparel, et cetera which are usually made 412 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:26,359 Speaker 1: at home. Also explanations on upholstery, straw platting, bonnet making, knitting, etc. 413 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 1: This volume, attributed simply to a lady, was very clearly 414 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:36,359 Speaker 1: intended to share practical and comprehensive information on how to 415 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,920 Speaker 1: make clothing and home goods for almost anything you would 416 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,439 Speaker 1: need for a fully stalked wardrobe and linen closet. The 417 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: preface notes as much, stating quote, the author of the 418 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: following pages has been encouraged to hope that in placing them, 419 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 1: after much deliberation, in the hands of a printer, she 420 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 1: is tendering an important and acceptable, however humble, service to 421 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,880 Speaker 1: persons of her own sex, who, in any condition of life, 422 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 1: are engaged by duty or inclination, in cutting out wearing 423 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:09,160 Speaker 1: apparel in a family or for their poorer neighbors. She trusts, 424 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:13,879 Speaker 1: in particular that clergymen's wives, young married women's schoolmistresses, and 425 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:17,639 Speaker 1: ladies maids may find in the Workwoman's Guide a fast 426 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 1: and serviceable friend. The first chapter teaches basic sewing, covering stitches, 427 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 1: and how to finish garments. Subsequent chapters focus on materials, 428 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: setting up a sewing basket, and how to properly cut 429 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:35,680 Speaker 1: fabric for clothing before it gets into actual patterns, including 430 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: perhaps Holly's favorite piece of advice quote, cutting out whole 431 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 1: sets of things together often prevents much waste. Hence, it 432 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 1: is better to cut out six or twelve shirts at 433 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:49,360 Speaker 1: once than only one at a time. Uh. That's good advice, 434 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: y'all if you sew listen to a lady, even if 435 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:58,119 Speaker 1: all of her advice is super gendered. Once the book 436 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 1: gets to the pattern sections, it is robust. There are 437 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:07,120 Speaker 1: chapters that cover kids clothes, women's clothes, and men's clothes, 438 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 1: all from your base layer your undergarments up to accessories, 439 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: along with pattern diagrams for enlargement. There is also a 440 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 1: chapter titled Receipts meaning recipes in this context that has 441 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: directions to make everything from inks to mark clothing and 442 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:27,440 Speaker 1: fabric to cleaning solutions. I was unable to find any 443 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: information on exactly how many copies of this book were published, though, 444 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: so while it actually would have been incredibly useful, it 445 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,119 Speaker 1: isn't clear how many people would have owned a copy. 446 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: It was a British publication that was printed in London 447 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,399 Speaker 1: in eighteen thirty eight by Simpkin Marshaling Company. Not long 448 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,439 Speaker 1: after that publishing house moved their company into a larger 449 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 1: office that actually became a huge publishing company for a while, 450 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: but this was one of their earlier publications, so it 451 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:56,199 Speaker 1: seems a little unlikely that there would have been a 452 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: huge number of copies printed. A lot of the contents 453 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 1: of the book, though, were reprinted in the US in 454 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: women's magazines. One of the developments that impacted the success 455 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:10,680 Speaker 1: of patterns for home use in the US, also noted 456 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:13,400 Speaker 1: by Emery in her book, is the eighteen forty five 457 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 1: expansion of the US Postal Service. This made postage cheaper, 458 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: and it also opened up the mail not just to letters, 459 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:23,400 Speaker 1: but also, per the bill that was approved by Congress, 460 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: quote circulars and handbills or advertisements, as well as other materials. 461 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:32,320 Speaker 1: So the stage was set for mail order businesses, which 462 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 1: was perfect for pattern distribution. According to an article in 463 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 1: the Journal of American History that was written by Margaret 464 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: Walsh in nineteen seventy nine, in the eighteen fifties in 465 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:47,400 Speaker 1: the US, we see a three tiered hierarchy of clothing options. 466 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: The top tier was bespoke garments crafted by boutique artisans 467 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 1: for people who had a lot of money. The middle 468 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 1: range was clothing that was created by dressmakers but who 469 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 1: were operating as sort of trades level small businesses rather 470 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: than fashion houses, so their customers were generally the middle class. 471 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 1: And then the third tier was clothing that was made 472 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 1: by the home stitcher, and while many homestitchers are and 473 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: have been historically very skilled, I'm not knocking the homestitcher obviously. 474 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: In general, the garments, though in this third tier, were 475 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 1: of inferior quality to the other two, but that had 476 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 1: less to do with stitching skill than it did with 477 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 1: the rather different skill of draping and pattern making. If 478 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: you've ever done any garment sewing, this makes a lot 479 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 1: of sense. The people in the top two tiers had 480 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 1: years of experience and their own libraries of garment blocks. 481 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:42,479 Speaker 1: While there were some books and patterns hitting the market, 482 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,479 Speaker 1: a lot of home sewists had to kind of guess 483 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: at how fabric had to be cut to create clothing. 484 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 1: If they did have access to books or periodicals about sewing, 485 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: there was still a good bit of guesswork. It was 486 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 1: and still is possible for a person to take a 487 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 1: part an exis garment and use the pieces of that 488 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: as a pattern, but even then it's imprecise because the 489 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: years of where that a garment has had will have 490 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 1: warped or stretched some of the pieces, and just taking 491 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: it apart would probably compromise some of the components or 492 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: change their shapes. But the late eighteen fifties was when 493 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: the first sewing machines intended for home use were introduced, 494 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 1: so we of course talked about this in our twenty 495 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: thirteen episode The Contentious Invention of the Sewing Machine that 496 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: ran as a Saturday Classic on August nineteenth of twenty seventeen. 497 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 1: And sewing machines enabled dressmakers and homestitchers to create clothing 498 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:42,840 Speaker 1: that had cleaner finishes and look sharper and more professional. 499 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: The highest level fashion tier, though, we should note, continued 500 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 1: to tout its fine hand sewing, and that is actually 501 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: still the case in many instances today. Couture fashion houses, 502 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: for example, employ a lot of artisans who are extremely 503 00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:02,880 Speaker 1: skilled at handwork. But despite the production of the sewing machine, 504 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: there were still hurdles in the way of easy access 505 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 1: DIY fashion. A lot of patterns were distributed in diagram 506 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 1: form in periodicals, as we mentioned earlier, so readers would 507 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: have to scale them up by hand to use them. 508 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 1: This is a tricky process and it meant that the 509 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 1: resulting pattern was likely to have some faults that needed 510 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 1: correcting once the garment was actually stitched up. There were 511 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 1: some full sized paper patterns available, but not that many, 512 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: and often they either came in a basic generic size 513 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: that had to be altered, or they might come directly 514 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:42,320 Speaker 1: from a dressmaker drafter to the stitcher's measurements. That meant 515 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: a greater expense, though, and it seems to have been 516 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 1: a more unusual path. Yeah, I did find a couple 517 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 1: of advertisements for that, but I would imagine most people 518 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:56,440 Speaker 1: that were stitching their own clothes were not willing to 519 00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 1: take on the extra expense of having someone else draft 520 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 1: the pattern. Another factor that made pattern use at large 521 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:05,280 Speaker 1: a bit of a challenge in the mid eighteen hundreds 522 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 1: was a rapidly shifting silhouette in fashion for women. In 523 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: the years before that, a lot of the pieces of 524 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: address started out still mostly rectangular, like if you look 525 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: at the ampere waists that were popular before then, and 526 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: then they were altered through darts and gathers to shape 527 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: to the body. But in the mid nineteenth century that 528 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: all really started to change, and it happened very quickly, 529 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: so more tailored cuts became fashionable, and that necessitated much 530 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 1: more specialized pattern pieces, and this means that people needed 531 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 1: not only patterns, they also needed more education on how 532 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 1: to assemble those patterns into clothing, and to meet that demand, 533 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:48,600 Speaker 1: instructional books began to appear on the market in Europe 534 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 1: and the US. One such book was eighteen forty nine 535 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:57,240 Speaker 1: The Art of Dressmaking, containing plain directions in simple language 536 00:32:57,240 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: from the fitting of the pattern to the finish of 537 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 1: the by Eliza and Corey. She signs her dedication, which 538 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:08,080 Speaker 1: is to her cousin, as Eliza Ann, but her name 539 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 1: on the title page is only given as Missus Corey. 540 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 1: This book doesn't actually give much in the way of patterns. 541 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 1: It features diagrams of only two pieces, a half back 542 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: and a half front, and then the rest of the 543 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: book is text explaining how to measure a person and 544 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:28,920 Speaker 1: then adjust those two pieces to customize them. But really 545 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 1: it's mostly suggesting how to use a method people had 546 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 1: been using for a long time already. It starts the 547 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: instructions with quote supposing the reader to have no idea 548 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 1: of cutting the first patterns, she is requested to take 549 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 1: the body of an old dress and pick it to pieces. When, 550 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: if made with a single plat, the half front will 551 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 1: be found something in the form shown in the frontispiece 552 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 1: of this little manual. The half front is then to 553 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:58,560 Speaker 1: be laid upon a piece of undressed Holland and a 554 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: pattern cut from it. It must be remembered that this 555 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,800 Speaker 1: is not the pattern to work from, but only a 556 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: necessary preliminary groundwork on which to take the paper or 557 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 1: working pattern. Viewed through today's lens, when there are video 558 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 1: tutorials for almost anything you might want to make, books 559 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:21,920 Speaker 1: like the Art of Dressmaking don't actually seem very helpful 560 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:25,960 Speaker 1: or informative. There was a lot of assuming that the 561 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,279 Speaker 1: reader would be able to kind of figure out some 562 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:32,239 Speaker 1: things for themselves. There was pretty clearly a gap in 563 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:35,319 Speaker 1: the available patterns that would enable people to make their 564 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:40,239 Speaker 1: own fashionable clothes. Two people were highly instrumental in developing 565 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 1: an industry of affordable, size graded patterns for home soists 566 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:47,840 Speaker 1: in the second half of the nineteenth century in the 567 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:53,360 Speaker 1: United States. Those were Ellen, Curtis Demorist and Ebenezer Butterick. 568 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:56,760 Speaker 1: And we're going to talk about them and other people 569 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: in the industry on our next installment this episode. Meanwhile, 570 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: do you have listener mail? Mees correct? My first piece 571 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,040 Speaker 1: of listener mail is from our listener Ellen, who is 572 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: talking about her encounter with Beerstatt's last of the Buffalo, 573 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:19,920 Speaker 1: and Ellen writes, Hi, Holly and Tracy, longtime listener and 574 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:22,799 Speaker 1: first time writer. Your wonderful podcast has gotten me through 575 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:26,240 Speaker 1: many hours of cleaning stalls, painting walls, and long road trips. 576 00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 1: I just finished listening to your episode on Albert Berstatt, 577 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:32,000 Speaker 1: and I was so excited to realize while listening to 578 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:35,440 Speaker 1: the episode, I had seen some of his art in person. Recently, 579 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:38,200 Speaker 1: we took a family trip to Washington, d C. And 580 00:35:38,239 --> 00:35:40,879 Speaker 1: as part of the trip toured the National Gallery, where 581 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:43,360 Speaker 1: I was struck by the painting The Last of the Buffalo. 582 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 1: It is a massive work of art and has a 583 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:48,760 Speaker 1: very nice plaque next to it describing how the hunting 584 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:53,400 Speaker 1: of American bison by European settlers decimated the species. My 585 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,239 Speaker 1: initial reaction to the painting was the opposite of what 586 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 1: y'all point out in the episode. I saw the lone 587 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 1: figure of the indigenous hunter as included in the lament, 588 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 1: and not the cause of the death of the bison. 589 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:08,240 Speaker 1: Just an example of how art can speak different messages 590 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:11,480 Speaker 1: to different people, I suppose. Frankly, I love your read 591 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: way better, Ellen. I really enjoy learning about the different 592 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:16,879 Speaker 1: artists as part of the history podcast y'all put out, 593 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:19,400 Speaker 1: and I hope you continue to include them in your rotation. 594 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 1: Listen safe, bet I'll talk about an artist any day. 595 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: Ellen then gives a suggestion of a cool topic and 596 00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:29,680 Speaker 1: then puts pet tax and it is some photos, she says, 597 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:33,320 Speaker 1: of my horses I raise show prospects for Western performance riding. 598 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:36,080 Speaker 1: And let me tell you, horses are not so majestic 599 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:37,960 Speaker 1: all of the time. I've tried to include a few 600 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:40,759 Speaker 1: photos to show you. One of these photos is of 601 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:44,320 Speaker 1: this gorgeous horse wearing a baseball cap, which is the 602 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:48,880 Speaker 1: cutest thing I've maybe ever seen. There is another of 603 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 1: just a beautiful horse kind of standing before a gorgeous sunset. 604 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:56,480 Speaker 1: That's a beautiful, beautiful combination of images. There is a 605 00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:59,400 Speaker 1: very cute baby horse in this, but he already has 606 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 1: a little go tea, which I love. He or she 607 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:06,520 Speaker 1: and some horses eating these are all such beauties. Horses 608 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 1: are so pretty. A bicolor horse that's absolutely gorgeous, and 609 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:14,360 Speaker 1: one that is a like a buff colored horse, like 610 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 1: an ivory colored horse making the horsiest horse face like 611 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:19,799 Speaker 1: it's a face that if you drew it and said 612 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:21,360 Speaker 1: it was a horse, people would be like have you 613 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 1: seen a horse, but horses make that face? I love 614 00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:27,960 Speaker 1: it so much. And Ellen, I love that you pointed 615 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:33,600 Speaker 1: out that you know, art is interpreted differently by different people, 616 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:35,040 Speaker 1: And like I said, I like your read of that 617 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:37,920 Speaker 1: painting better than what it actually seemed to be about, 618 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: at least according to Beerstot and many people at the time. 619 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:43,719 Speaker 1: So if you would like to write to us and 620 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:47,319 Speaker 1: share your takes on art that we've talked about or not, 621 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 1: and animals being very silly, which is one of my 622 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 1: favorite flavors of animal pictures, you can do so at 623 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:57,560 Speaker 1: History Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. You can also subscribe 624 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:00,720 Speaker 1: to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app wherever you listen 625 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:08,440 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows. Stuff you Missed in History Class 626 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:12,520 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 627 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:16,280 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 628 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:17,280 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.