AboutSharon Vogel Expertise I can answer general sewing questions as well as tailoring, heirloom, menswear, children's wear, craft sewing, quilting and just about any fabric or notion. I can also help with some sewing machine repair and maintenance.
Experience I started sewing at the age of 3...thanks to my mom and grandmother, and I am now in my fifties. Home economics classes in junior high and high school helped me to finesse my skills.
Education/Credentials Palmer and Plesch tailoring class
Basically, self-taught...give me the instructions and I will figure it out and then make it better!
Awards and Honors A few blue ribbons at fairs along the way
For a long time now I've tried finding these vintage men's shirts. I believe the era is 1910-1920 or so. The Internet has yielded pictures, but not sewing patterns for vintage clothing...do you know where I might find patterns for these shirts?
The picture is attached...
The guy on the left and the guy on the right are both wearing the dress shirts in which I'm interested: shirts with those wide, funny collars that nearly cover the necktie knots. Are you aware of a place that deals in antique patterns?
Sorry I can't describe the garments in greater detail. That would be pretty difficult =)
ANSWER: Dear Tom,
I found a website with some great patterns for you. www.patternsoftime.com Of course they have many more women's patterns but there are a few men's patterns.
I believe the collars on those shirts are detachable because in that time period, men tended to rewear a shirt before washing it but changed the collar and cuffs because they got dirtier. I even have a few collars in an old trunk that belonged to my grandpa who was born in the late 1800's.
It was fun looking at all the patterns. Thanks for your question.
Sharon
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QUESTION: Hi again Sharon!
Thanks for the rapid and informative response. The sites you suggested are great! I have more searching to do. There are LOTS of patterns and things on those sites ;)
A follow-up question if you don't mind. I've just learned (from you) about the detachable collars. These shirts now seem unlikely candidates for wearing...anywhere, haha =) But maybe other options exist...
Two parts to the question:
1) Is it possible to sew a permanent collar onto a tailored shirt, to give the identical look without the removable collar deal? Know what I mean? Same collar look, but permanent material collar. I'm sure you get what I mean ;)
2) If I decided to have such a shirt made, which material should I select for it? I know nothing about this. Let's say I prefer dress shirts with crisp collars/cuffs, with the rest of the shirt being soft but not too soft, not downy...does that help at all..?
I appreciate and look forward to your expert ideas and feedback =)
Best,
Tom
ANSWER: Hi, Tom,
Aren't all those patterns neato keeno? lol Sorry, being silly. I am such a sewing nut that I love all kinds of patterns, and a website like this is just up my alley. I have two favorite eras..the titanic (early 1900's) era and the 40's. Women's clothes were such statements, but saying that, you wouldn't catch me wearing a hat!
Yes, you could have one of these collars put on a shirt permanently. Like I said, the detachable collars were for looking a bit neater when the shirt wasn't all that fresh...which you or I wouldn't do now. If you will look at the shirt pattern again, you can see that one of the shirts has just a band at the neck instead of a collar. A tailor can interchange any type of collar onto that kind of shirt.
I am assuming you were wanting a solid color shirt so my first choice would be a broadcloth blend of polyester and cotton. The polyester for the shape and cotton for breathability. Collars and cuffs are interfaced which means there is a stiffening fabric inside to keep the crispness. Some shirts with pointed collars also have stays inserted to keep the points very stiff but you don't see that much anymore. I'm sure a tailor could put in stays if you like. There is also oxford cloth that would be a bit heavier but makes a very nice shirt. If you are into spending some extra money, silk blends make into beautiful shirts but are harder to care for. Linen blends grow softer with age but require a lot of starch for crispness and are still going to wrinkle. My all time favorite blend for softness includes rayon, but again, there is the "harder to care for" issue. I have not used any of the new fabrics that have bamboo fiber so I can't really comment on that.
So, if you are going to make a trip to the fabric store, ask the salesperson for shirting and mention broadcloth or oxford cloth. Then, actually touch the fabric yourself. The body of your shirt will feel pretty much like the fabric on the bolt, and the collar and cuffs will look the same but be stiffer with the addition of interfacing. And remember, all fabrics grow softer with wear because the fibers break down over time.
Now, I can end my textile lecture! I could go on and on but you probably don't care that much.
Thanks for your questions and feel free to write back anytime.
Sharon
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QUESTION: Haha Sharon, you ARE so silly ;) No really, I enjoyed your "lecture", and guess what, Professor? I already know what broadcloth is, believe it or not =) I have a few dress shirts made of broadcloth...from Kohl's or something...and they wear very well. It's doubtful whether I'll spend much time dry cleaning or taking special care of these items...but then, why go cheap for such attractive items...I don't know. I'll have to get the patterns and check out some of the textiles you listed. Truth be told, I must attend a wedding this winter. Such a shirt would look great at a wedding...
Hmm well, now that I have you fired up, maybe I should ask about suits. To complement such a shirt or shirts, one requires a proper suit. Now, I've never been one for white gloves, tops hats, and coat tails...I leave Phantom of the Opera outfits for the professionals...but again, pattern and cut and material of a suit. Flannel? Was that the look of the time (I think these shirts are from the 1910s or so)? Ugh, my ignorance of these things is embarrassing ;) Two years from becoming a college professor, but "broadcloth" is the only textile I know! Haha ;)
If digging into suit patterns and textiles/colors that YOU feel look excellent excites and interests you, I'm encouraging you with all energies =) It's likely hats and canes won't make it into my suit/shirt outfit...that's a bit extreme for my taste...but as always, your expertise is so very much welcomed and appreciated =)
Best,
Tom
Answer Dear Tom,
So now you're thinking about a suit...hmmm? Actually, menswear fabrics have not changed much. Wool is the fabric of choice and has now been blended with polyester, silk, you name it! The major difference in these fabrics will be the texture and weight and whether or not the fabric has a pattern of stripes, plaid, herringbone, etc. But, if attending a very formal wedding, a gentleman from the 1910 era would have worn a tuxedo. Most weddings in our day and time are not quite that formal and a suit would be dressy enough for guests. A dark colored fabric would be your choice for a winter wedding, and I would prefer dark grey, black or deep navy. A narrow pinstripe would be classy if it is a daytime wedding but generally a solid for night.
I am including a website that has good illustrations of fabric textures. You will be looking for gabardine, serge, twill, tropical wool, etc. http://www.nyfashioncenterfabrics.com (Type wool fabrics in the search box and a list will come up for you to choose from so you will be familiar with the different types.) Fabric stores generally have a section set aside with suiting fabrics. I would stay away from 100% polyester fabrics for suits because they tend to look cheap and do not drape well.
When I looked at suit styles, again there was not a lot of difference from what is available now. But I believe there were patterns on the website I sent you yesterday for men's suits so you can choose a pattern from there. There are also different types of neckwear patterns on the pattern website for you to choose from if you don't want a standard tie. I'm sure you know that most nice ties are made of silk for shine and general beauty of the accessory. Don't forget a matching pocket square when choosing neckwear.
Thanks again for writing, Tom. Now you have a few more new words for your vocabulary! I am sure you have heard them before but didn't know what they actually meant.
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