Couture Sewing Techniques, Revised and Updated

258 Pages·2011·15.13 MB·English

by  Claire Shaeffer

Revised & Updated
Couture
Sewing
techniques
ClaiRe B. s haeffeR
Couture
Sewing
techniques

REVISED & UPDATED
Couture
Sewing
techniques
CLAIRE B. S HAEFFER
Text © 2011 by Claire B. Shaeffer ❇
Illustrations © 2011 by The Taunton Press, Inc.
All rights reserved.
This book is dedicated to
Pp
home sewers everywhere who
The Taunton Press, Inc., 63 South Main Street, PO Box 5506, appreciate fine workmanship
Newtown, CT 06470-5506
e-mail: [email protected]
and take pleasure in creating
Editor: Erica Sanders-Foege
Copy editor: W. Anne Jones beautiful garments.
Technical editor: Linda Conner Griepentrog
Indexer: Lynne Lipkind
❇
Cover design: Kimberly Adis
Interior design/Layout: Kimberly Adis
Illustrators: Steve Buchanan and Christine Erikson
Cover photography: (front) Ken Howie, author’s Collection; (back, clockwise
from top) Ken Howie, author’s collection; Steven H. Bluttal, courtesy of the
Museum of the City of New York, Costume Collection. Costume worn by
Katharine Cornell in “No Time for Comedy” [1939] by S. N. Behrman; Photo
by Brian Sanderson, Courtesy of the FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute
of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles, CA. Gift of Mrs. Herbert Lawrence,
1956; Claire B. Shaeffer.
The following names/manufacturers appearing in Couture Sewing
Techniques are trademarks: Harper’s BazaarSM, Mylar®, PlastDip®, Rigilene®,
Teflon®, Vogue Patterns®.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shaeffer, Claire B.
Couture sewing techniques / Claire Shaeffer. -- Rev. and updated.
p. cm.
Summary: “Best-selling couture sewing reference that presents in clear
photos and illustrations and concise prose the basics and applications of
couture sewing, as well as its cultural importance”-- Provided by publisher.
E-Book ISBN 978-1-60085-835-2
1. Dressmaking. 2. Tailoring (Women’s) I. Title.
TT515.S483 2011
646.4--dc22
2011007172
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Acknowledgments
A book of this kind
cannot be written without much help and
cooperation. I am greatly indebted to the couture industry, which helped
me enormously with the research for the original edition of Couture Sewing
Techniques. My thanks in particular go to the Chambre syndicale de la couture
parisienne, the governing body in Paris of the couture industry, and to the
couture houses, bespoke tailors, embroiderers, I also want to thank the museums that loaned
and custom shirtmakers in Paris, Rome, London, photographs and sketches, their curators, and
Florence, and New York. photographers: Dennita Sewell at Phoenix Art
Special thanks to the late Mme Marguérite Carré Museum, Phyllis Magidson at the Museum of the
for her personal memories of the techniques used City of New York, Gayle Strege at The Ohio State
at Christian Dior, when she was the “première de University Historic Costume Collection, Valerie
premières,” and to the late Charles Kleibacker for Steele at the Fashion Institute of Technology, the
sharing his knowledge of couture techniques. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kevin Jones at the
For the 2nd Edition of Couture Sewing Techniques, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in
I thank Ralph Rucci and James Galanos for allowing Los Angeles, Söjic Phaff at Christian Dior, John
me to visit their workrooms, observe the techniques Wirchanski and the estate of Charles Kleibacker, and
which they used, and interview their employees. I am Lynn Cook at Australian Stitches.
grateful to the Fondation Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint I want to thank Sarah Benson who helped with so
Laurent for arranging an interview with Jean-Pierre many things from typing and editing, making samples
Derbord, the premier of the atelier du tailler, who and photos, organizing, repairing, and pressing the
shared his expertise and described the techniques garments to dressing mannequins.
used at Yves Saint Laurent. I’m particularly grateful to The Taunton Press for
I am very grateful to Phyllis Magidson, the curator undertaking such a challenging project and to its staff,
at the Museum of the City of New York, with especially my editor Erica Sanders-Foege, whose skills
whom I worked on a research project that focused and enthusiasm helped to transform my dreams into
on Mainbocher and Charles Frederick Worth. This reality.
project expanded my knowledge while reminding me And last, but not least, my thanks to my mother,
that many couture techniques which I had written the late Juanita Sumner Brightwell, who taught
about earlier had changed little, if at all. me that only my best was good enough, and to my
A special thanks to Ken Howie and Sherill Taylor, husband, Charlie Shaeffer, MD, whose support and
who photographed the designs in my vintage encouragement make it all possible.
collection, and to their staffs and the stylists who
assisted them as well as the Phoenix Art Museum
and Neil’s of Palm Desert, who loaned mannequins.

Contents
 2 Introduction 106 part two
A pplying

Couture Techniques
 4 part one
t he Basics 108 Chapter 6
Skirts & Pants
of Couture Sewing

124 Chapter 7
 6 Chapter 1 Blouses & Dresses
inside the world
of Haute Couture
144 Chapter 8
Sleeves

24 Chapter 2
the Art of 158 Chapter 9
Hand Sewing Pockets
38 Chapter 3 172 Chapter 10
Jackets & Coats
Shaping the garment

66 Chapter 4 198 Chapter 11
Designing
edge Finishes
with Fabric

86 Chapter 5

Closures 214 Chapter 12
Special occasions
240 SelectedGlossaryofTerms
243 MetricEquivalencyChart
244 Bibliography
247 Resources
248 Index
introduction
If you can sew, you can sew couture.
Very
few techniques are difficult, but they require time and patience. This
edition, like the original, describes couture techniques as practiced
in the ateliers of the haute couture. They are not adapted for home-
sewers because I feel strongly that grasping the principles used in the
haute couture will help you better understand the actual garment. This allows you to fine-tune the
garment construction and fitting, and in turn, help dimensions and practice your skills.
you to solve many problems you encounter. No matter what your sewing expertise, this book
My focus is on the craftsmanship, even though will expand your horizons. Most importantly, it
elements like draping and design, proportion and is a practical guide for learning the craft of haute
balance, fit and fabric are equally important. I’ve couture, and it will also provide new ideas for
concentrated on classic couture techniques that can applying the techniques that you already know.
be applied to a variety of designs and fabrics and While some techniques are less suitable for
also offer the most value to the greatest number of beginners, most will be of value to the average
readers. home-sewer; they are easy to duplicate and can be
The book itself is divided into two sections. applied to many designs and fabrics.
The first five chapters introduce you to the world I find sewing by hand extremely rewarding. The
of haute couture, how it differs from expensive pleasure of both making and wearing beautifully
ready-to-wear, basic couture skills, and essential constructed garments far exceeds the time and
techniques. My instincts as a teacher compel me to effort required to complete them. I hope this book
suggest that you read these chapters first. will help you develop these same skills and perfect
The last seven chapters focus on the application old ones, and, in turn, reward you with years of
of these techniques to garments. The new chapter pleasure—and a closet full of beautifully made
—Chapter 11: Designing with Fabric—describes garments.
particular details I’ve seen on specific fabrics.
Many of the photographs in the first edition were
no longer available so I’ve selected new ones from
various museums; and I’ve included photographs
of some garments in my vintage collection.
The measurements used throughout the book are
only guidelines; I suggest that you always purchase
extra fabric so you can make samples before sewing
2
InTRoduCTIon 3