Reddit mentions: The best fashion books

I just started down this path myself. Luckily my mom has a sewing machine and some basic knowledge of how to use it, so that's been really helpful. It's an old-school fully mechanical Bernina, not sold any more but it looks to be similar to the 1008 model. Really nice machine, fast, quiet, has a ton of built-in stitches, a button-hole-maker, and easily interchangeable presser feet, but it's also way more expensive than I would spend if I had to buy my own. Unfortunately I don't have any recommendations for entry-level machines. But certainly it's worth it to do some research on what it needs to be capable of doing. For example,

• if you want to sew denim, or canvas, or anything with leather, you're going to need a beefy heavy-duty machine that can punch threw at least a few layers of thick fabric at low rpms.
  
• the two basic stitches are a straight stitch and a zig-zag. You want adjustable stitch-length, and adjustable zig-zag-width. With those two, you can do just about everything. But there are also fancier stitches that make it easier/more-professional-looking to, for example, overlap the raw edges of fabric (helpful when sewing knits, see the inside of a t-shirt or sweatshirt), or to join two pieces together fully encasing the seam allowance (check out some of the seams on a fleece).
  
• fancy presser feet: make sure you can get a zipper foot if you want to sew anything with zippers, an edge-stitching foot makes it really easy to sew a straight line really close to the edge, a button-hole foot is needed for sewing button holes (forget doing that shit by hand), and they also make feet that can automatically do a rolled-hem (see the bottom edge of your dress shirts). there are probably others too.
  
  

  basic equipment:
  

  
  

• get a rotary cutter and a rotary cutting mat. 24" x 36" minimum. Ideally it has a grid on it. And you also probably want to get a clear ruler, 24" x 6", which should also have a measuring grid on it. technically you can do with just scissors, but, it's a PITA
  
• pins. lots of pins. the good kind have a glass ball on one end, ideally colored so you can find them easily in your fabric. pins come in different sizes, silk-size (really skinny) is good for most fabrics, but you want something beefier for the thicker fabrics otherwise you'll bend the skinny ones. also, don't sew over pins. take them out just before they get to the presser foot. on that note, get (or make) a pin cushion.
  
• depending on what you're sewing, you'll need an ironing board and an iron. ideally one that doesn't auto-shut-off. also ideally the ironing board is a rectangle, but you can get away with the standard shaped ones too
  
• sewing machine needles. make sure they fit your machine; there are different styles, altho most home sewing machines take the same kind. size 12 or 14 is pretty fine, good for knits and dress-shirt-weight wovens, but you want size 16 or 18 for heavier fabrics. get a bunch (5-10 of each size); you will break them. they also dull out with use. usually you want ball-point, so it won't pierce the threads of the fabric, but sometimes you need the sharp kind meant to cut into the threads. your pattern should suggest which kind and size to use.
  
• a thread-ripper, a good pair of scissors (super sharp, only used for cutting fabric, and shaped so the bottom edge doesn't move when you snip), a little ruler with an adjustable edge guide for measuring folds, tons of thread (way more than you think you need. I would guess it took about 200 yards to do a single size-medium fleece, altho granted, there are a lot more zig zag stitches when you're sewing stretchy fabric)
  
• if you want to get into tailoring, there's a bunch more specialized stuff, but that should be enough to get started
  
  

  patterns:
  

  I was lucky and happened to want to get started at the same time as McCall's was having a huge sale, so I was able to get a bunch for $3 each. But usually they're more expensive. Do some research; there are good patterns, and shit patterns. Also, the instructions that come with patterns are universally crap. And by that I mean they're optimized for a combination of the lowest-common-denominator of sewing skills, and a minimal amount of print-space. Definitely read them front-to-back before you begin, but also supplement the included instructions with an ample dose of youtube videos.
  
  I tried starting with a dress shirt; that was a mistake. Very difficult. (It didn't help that the pattern I got for it fell into the shit category, and I ended up needing to make a ton of modifications. McCall's M6044. Do not recommend.). I'm currently in the middle of my third muslin and it's starting to come out okay, but I still don't feel comfortable giving it a go with the good fabric. Fleece is very easy to work with; I just finished one that come out actually pretty decent, using the Kwik Sew K4032 pattern. It's got some challenging parts, especially the directions for the zipper pockets weren't very good, but on the whole way more simple than a dress shirt.
  
  

  supplies:
  

  I had a really tough time finding good sources of by-the-yard fabric online. I ended up ordering from califabrics.com. I'm happy with everything I got, but it's kind of a crap-shoot if you don't order samples first. Would recommend sourcing fabric locally, if you can, or at least order samples before you commit to a bunch of yards.
  I got my zippers from sailrite.com. As you can guess from the name, they're very focused on nautical stuff, but they have a good assortment of YKK zippers that are way less expensive than anywhere else I could find. Good youtube instructional videos too.
  Otherwise, I got some stuff from Joann's (check online first, sometimes they have online-only sales but let you pick up in-store), and random sellers on amazon (muslin was cheapest there, but the stuff at Joann's was much nicer, almost good enough to actually wear if you wanted to).
  
  

  resources i've found helpful:
  

• Patternmaking for Menswear - can be found on libgen
  
• https://malepatternboldness.blogspot.com/ - especially the sew-along links in the sidebar
  
• https://off-the-cuff-style.blogspot.com/ - some good stuff on dress shirts
  
• Shirtmaking - the "bible" of sewing dress shirts
  

Hmm.. No replies? 8 days ago? Not sure how this snuck by me, I camp sewing/new like it's my job. Better late than never, and I'll be thorough to make up for it:

First, the bad news. There aren't any good men's wear patterns.
Just kidding. ;) I'm exaggerating, but unfortunately, not by much. Good men's patterns are few and far between, especially compared to the plethora of amazing women's patterns, and what's available is a bit limited. Judging from pattern company offerings, most men are either chefs or nurses, and they spend all their free time sleeping. There are a hundred patterns for scrubs, pajamas, and bathrobes. It's still a good idea to start off with commercial patterns though, if only to get a feel for how garments are made and how the pieces fit together. A lot of the basic shirts and pants are good starting points. Here's some of the better things available for men:

• Burdastyle - Two shirts, one interesting-looking pattern for what looks like cargo pants of some sort.
  
  
• Collette Patterns - One shirt pattern, "Negroni", in long and short sleeve variations.
  
  
• Kwik Sew - There are a few patterns that could work - just try to ignore their fabric choices. If you squint at them just right, you can see the shape of the garment and picture the modifications you'll make, and they look okay. Just pretend you can't see the hunter orange fleece and RealTree camo, and it's all good.
  
  
• Vogue - Vogue has a whopping 11 patterns for men. But they're all basics, and they look useful. Based on my experience making their advanced women's patterns, I'd guess that they have more details than other pattern companies. I would get some of these and then use David Page Coffin's Shirtmaking and Making Trousers books to upgrade them. (Both of his books have associated DVDs, and I'm a particular fan of Making Trousers. Easy to understand, lots of pictures, step-by-step hand-holding directions.)
  
  
• Green Pepper Patterns - lots of outdoorsy and athletic patterns. The Barn Jacket and Silver Falls Raincoat have potential; I think the second could be a good base for a classic trench coat.
  
  
• Butterick has the standard ugly bathrobe-and-scrubs men's offerings, with the notable exception of this interesting priest-looking robe pattern. I like it, especially with all the fitting options - look closely at the line drawing, and you can see it's got a multi-part sleeve to fit the arm really well and nicely fitted curved seams at the back/shoulders. Just not sure what to do with it, seeing as how I'm not a priest... I feel like it's got potential though.
  
  
• McCall's - Once again, ugly sleepwear and scrubs, but there's also a shirt with a western-style yoke variation, various tux accessories, simple shirt without a yoke, and this shirt, vest, and tie pattern with both a back pleat and yoke on the shirt.
  
  
• Simplicity has the same basic shirt and pants patterns, and is unique in having a pattern that includes suspenders. The Suede Says jacket looks like it has potential, if you look only at the line drawings and imagine it in other fabric, without the silly accent strips. I haven't added it to my library yet because I can't get past how much I hate his hair. ;)
  
  
• There are some very cool, non-commercial patterns floating around on the internet. You just have to find them. The Lastwear Hakama pants on deviantart are on my wish list. There's a pattern for a RAF Greatcoat out there someplace too, in case you love Captain Jack Harkness as much as I do, but I've lost it.
  
  
• I like the Victoria & Albert Museum for inspiration.
  
  
• Peter Lappin's blog, MalePatternBoldness, has a few sew-alongs, including boxers, that shirt from Collette Patterns, and jeans based on Kwik Sew 3504. (Which isn't the only men's jeans pattern in print, despite his comment -- Vogue makes one too.)
  
  A lot of people recommend patternreview.com, but I think the site is so hideous and hard to navigate that it's not worth the time.
  
  Now the good news! Drafting your own patterns for yourself is actually pretty easy. Start with ready-to-wear patterns so you can learn the basics of how you get from a piece of fabric to a completed, wearable garment. Then move up to taking a purchased garment you like, copying it to paper, adding seam allowances, and making your own version. And then from there, you should be ready to just draft your own.
  
  A couple random bits of advice:
  You need an iron and ironing board/surface too. It's just as important as your sewing machine. Press all your seams; pressing is what keeps garments from looking home-made in the not-so-nice Little House on the Prairie kind of way. Coffin recommends a dry iron in Making Trousers; I've got a steam iron. Whatever floats your boat.
  
  Make sure your presser foot is down before you start to sew. The feed dogs will eat your thread and make a snarly mess on your fabric if you don't. I had an unhappy start to sewing because I used to forget this. :)
  
  Don't worry about notions yet. To get started, you need your sewing machine, a good iron, good sharp shears for cutting fabric, machine and hand needles, thread to match your fabric, and pins. A seam ripper, seam guide, silicone thimble, and point-turner round out my basic kit and are nice to have, but you don't actually need them. You can ignore the bewildering array of extras for now and save your money. (I mark fabrics with a number 2 pencil and weight down the pattern pieces with heavy beanbags I made with fabric scraps. Heresy, I know, but I'm not made of money.)
  
  Don't use your sewing scissors for cutting anything other than fabric. I like to use a fine-point sharpie to write dire warnings for those who would even think about cutting paper with them. Skulls and crossbones and everything.
  
  Needles and pins get dull over time and aren't meant to last forever. The strawberry attached to the tomato pincushion is an emery/sharpener thing that'll keep them going a little longer, but you'll eventually need to replace them.
  
  Be choosy about who you make things for. People will ask for things when they find out you know how to sew. Personally, I only sew for people on the Kidney List, which is to say, if I would give you one of my kidneys, I'll make something for you. People are so used to easily available cheap things that they don't understand how much time, effort, and money go into hand made items. If the person isn't on the kidney list, they should pay you for your efforts, or at least trade you something of equal value.

No problem friend, I basically only wrote this reply, after I saw the way you replied to the other comments - you seemed genuine about making a change to a better dressed man, and for me, dressing good is a form of good manners. Good job on the decision, it will be the one of the best you took in your life!

To your question: Yes, indeed. A business casual wardrobe is about versatility. If you purchase garments who can work together, you always have many more outfit potentials.

It is why I recommend most of all:
A few light blue shirts
A few white shirts
A black shirt
A button down oxford collar in white/pale blue
A striped shirt.
Grey chinos
Blue chinos (The ones you are wearing in the photo are a super well fit for you)
Dark blue jeans
A gray sweater
A navy sweater
A brown pair of oxfords
A black pair of oxfords

• When you have these items, and you continue to build on your wardrobe, these things are great to have:
  Brown pair of double monk strap shoes
  A navy blazer, I recommend hopsack weaving for casual style
  A navy/charcoal suit, slim fit, notched lapels - I recommend suitsupply
  Chinos in tan, olive, white
  
  
  Basically friend, you just need to make sure that things fit you. If you are not a perfect height for your trousers, get them altered. If your shirt sleeves are too long, get them altered. This will indeed cost you some extra bucks on all purchases, but it is the best investment any man can make in dressing.
  
  Another thing which is crucial to remember. Building a great wardrobe takes time. It is not something you just get in a minute, you need to work on it and get inspired. As you start wearing these clothes, and you get compliments leading to confidence, perhaps you start taking some more "risky" clothing choices. Personally, I wear a tie 5/7 days a week, even when I am not at work - For me, a tie is my art. I am very italian dressed, but it is a whole world different than typical American or British dress.
  
  Check out these channels:
  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmRfQHc3U4fV1-i8Ry1HmtA - Real Men Real Style. This guy is all about business casual. Many informative videos.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/user/AlphaMconsulting/featured - AlphaM. This guy has a channel which covers any "man" aspects, however, there are tons of good style videos aswell. This guy has a series where he turns people with "bad" style into great style. It is called "The Alpha M project" Watch those, as he take people shopping and talks about importance of fit and versatility.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/user/thegentlemansgazette
  Sven from Gentleman's Gazette, is deeply focused on men's style. Business casual is not his expertise, but he surely make some nice videos if you are into tailored construction, tie knotting etc.
  
  Lastly, I can recommend the book named "The art of permanent fashion" http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
  
  this is a wonderful book with many thoughts of style, with great photos of the style icons through the years. Much information on basically everything in men's style.
  
  

How much money do you have to spend on clothes right now? Take that money and spend half of it on a good, comfortable, nice-looking pair of shoes. If you don't have hundreds of dollars, go to a second-hand store or a vintage clothing store or something, but try to buy new shoes. You can buy cheap stuff for every other article of clothing if you like, but don't skimp on the shoes; they are the most important aspect of your wardrobe. A pair of black oxfords would be versatile.

Next, get a button-down shirt (or some shirts) which fit you well in the shoulders and waist. You want your shirt to fit like a second skin. Try to find something that is long enough that you can bring the front and back together at the crotch (more or less). Check the shirt(s) for mother-of-pearl buttons, good stitching, and, if patterned, check to see if the pattern lines up from shoulder to arm. Look up the word "gusset" and try to get shirts with gussets. These are some general marks of a quality shirt. You don't need all these things, but they are signs of quality.

Trousers: make sure they look good in the butt. No frumpy ass for you; no pucker either. Length: around the ankles...no flood, no bunch up at the bottom. Try to get something simple; some nice denim goes well with a dress shirt, a blazer or sport coat and a tie.

Check out the following books:

Dressing the Man

Gentleman: A Timeless Guide to Fashion

Esquire Handbook of Style

The Affected Provincial's Companion--this one is about fashion to an extent, but it transcends it and puts it into a decorum and lifestyle aspect. In fact, also check out Glen O'Brien's new book, How to be a Man if you're interested in a more lifestyle-oriented reason to look nice.

I honestly think the last two books would be a good start for you. Due to your description of yourself, I'd maybe start with How to be a Man. The first few paragraphs are shit, but it gets really good, especially by the time it gets to "How to be sexual". It seems like you need a much better reason to dress nicely than the reasons you've suggested. I think this book could really help you develop a better ethos regarding style, and maybe even help you with decorum (if you need help with that).

Check out this quick video for a great introduction to O'Brien.

Good luck.

edit: clarification

Alright some great brand recommendations on here, so I’ll jump in on the other questions (eg. color and style).

First of all check out Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser. It’s an absolute bible of men’s fashion, and it has fascinating and helpful advice for just about every aspect of style you’ve never thought of, with a focus on suits and formal/professional wear. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449

You mentioned 2-3 suits and that’s a perfect number to have for an all-purpose wardrobe. Navy, grey, black (edit: black is not as necessary as the others and could be swapped). Your choice whether “grey” means charcoal or light grey, they’re both great and versatile (if you feel like ever getting suit #4, get the one you didn’t get in this round). I personally recommend no pinstripes or other patterns until you’ve fully established your baseline wardrobe. If nothing else, patterns are more memorable so you can’t wear the same suit as frequently. Ditto with more interesting colors. Start with the core 3-4 colors above, then branch out.

Shirts can and should have more variety, and are obviously cheaper to buy in numerous options. While some brands have reliably higher quality shirts (ie. Brooks Bros), there’s nothing wrong with stocking up on cheap and interesting ones as well. Hell, half of my shirts were stumbled upon in thrift stores and sample sales for cheap and I get compliments all the time. Construction quality matters, but not nearly as much as for suits.

As for colors, get a set of standard single-colored shirts (white, black, blue, etc), because these will be easy to match with a wide variety of ties. Solid color shirt, solid color suit, flashy patterned tie is probably my go-to set up, and it’s very easy to rotate. As you get more comfortable with the basics, or find an item that strikes your fancy, you can play around with more complex combos. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with breaking the basic mold, and some of the best outfits happen that way, but it’s more difficult to know what works well at first, so that’s why I recommend starting with a more straightforward approach. Dressing the Man has multiple chapters on colors, patterns, and the mixing and matching thereof.

One fascinating point I remember from Dressing the Man is the idea of matching the clothes to your facial features. Not every color/pattern looks equally good/bad on different people. For example, notice the contrast of your features. If you have high contrast features (ex dark hair, light skin), you will probably look awesome with high contrast clothing (ex black suit, white shirt, striking pattern tie), and less so with low contrast clothing. However, the opposite holds true for low contrast faces (light hair, light skin, and/or light eyes). A low-contrast outfit (ex navy/grey/tan suit, blue shirt, yellow tie) will match your face well, but a high contrast outfit will make your face look washed out and bland in comparison. And in case anyone is wondering, people with dark skin fall under the “high contrast” category for these purposes, even if their skin and hair are similarly dark.

Shoes are another key element. Black pair, medium or dark brown pair, with a sleek, simple design (rather than lots of ornaments/flash) so that you can use them with all of your suits. From there feel free to experiment with some more awesome, flamboyant options that may or may not be as versatile (ex double monks or walnut Strands from Allen Edmonds). Dress boots are an interesting option too. I would much rather invest in high quality shoes and meh suit than the other way around. One, you’ll be walking on them all day so comfort matters. Two, they take a beating so durability equals money. Three, people are much more likely to notice how good/bad shoes you are than clothes in many cases, especially sartorially-minded folks. Four, the total cost of top quality shoes isn’t as high as it is for suits.

I’m sure there’s more and I may edit later, but that’s my brain dump off the top of my head! Cheers to you, snazzy future lawyer!

I can personally attest that it is certainly possible to go from zero sewing experience to making mens' garments in a few years, but there is a huge, yawning chasm between home sewing from patterns and becoming a good enough bespoke tailor to garner a brand/reputation. From a basic "where do I get started" standpoint, I recommend having a go at some vests; something super simple at first (Simplicity 2346 is a great starter pattern) and then you can move on to patterns that add details like facings, darts, lapels and/or actual pockets. You get the satisfaction of a functional garment without a lot of complex technique.

When I first started sewing and thinking about how cool it would be to eventually make old-fashioned mens' clothing, I did a lot of googling for books, web tutorials, etc. on the subject... and came away frustrated because the overwhelming message was (and still is) "Fine tailoring is a trade that is still handed down from master to apprentice, and there is really no other way to truly learn it."

Which sounds rather snobby on the one hand... but on the other I think the real issue is not that the knowledge can't be communicated by any other means than old-fashioned apprenticeship, but that it's just not really worth the time and effort it would take someone to write an extensive book/shoot a DVD containing it all; there's no way it would ever sell enough copies to be profitable, so nobody's ever bothered.^

I haven't gotten into production sewing garments yet, although I do make accessories; I don't think I'll ever make a living at it, but I've done OK on Etsy and at local shows. Over the last year or so I've been thought about targeting a niche market: vintage clothing enthusiasts, but come away discouraged. While I may know how to assemble a vintage style newsboy cap or flat cap, I really don't know anything about the historically accurate details (construction, materials, etc) that vintage people would be looking for; if I wanted to establish a strong vintage style brand I would need to invest a whole lot more energy in learning all about the market, which doesn't really interest me. Similarly, even if devoted the next 10 years teaching myself traditional tailoring (cutting, drafting, sewing, fitting) I would still be lacking so much general industry/marketplace knowledge that I'd be lost trying to compete at that level.

I don't actually mean to be discouraging - these are just my observations as someone who first touched a sewing machine five years ago with similar daydreams. You can certainly learn to sew and become very good at it, and even make some money if you can find that sweet spot where you can sell your products to enough people at enough of a profit to make it worth your time and materials. But establishing a fine fashion brand requires a whole other level of knowledge outside of the nuts and bolts of actual sewing, and without making the conscious effort to immerse myself in that world (and without having the background, connections, or money to afford my own products) it's not a realistic goal. So I spend a lot of time thinking about those niches where I do have both the sewing ability and domain knowledge to tap into a market. And I try to keep making new/more complex garments; that's the other thing about apprenticeship, you spent a lot of time doing basic, repetitive tasks over and over again, far more than most people would when sewing as a hobby. Hard to become a pro at something when you can only spend the occasional evening/weekend working at it on top of a full-time dayjob.

That being said, there are some books out there on the subject of tailoring... but all of the ones I've looked at assume a fair amount of sewing knowledge up front; I've never seen a book that starts with "This is how you use a sewing machine" and concludes with "Here is your custom-drafted three-piece suit." I'm trying to work my way towards drafting by way of sewing from commercial patterns, so I can get an overall sense of how garments are constructed before attempting it myself; once you have a grasp of both technique and construction, you can start to mix and match them to get the results you want. You should definitely check out three books by David Page Coffin:

• Shirtmaking - Developing fine skills for sewing
  
• Making Trousers for Men and Women
  
• The Shirtmaking Workbook: Pattern, Design, and Construction Resources - More than 100 Pattern Downloads for Collars, Cuffs & Plackets (I've only skimmed this one so far, but it looks just as good as the other two, and covers a wide range of shirt styles, crossing over into jacket territory as well. I have it on order and can't wait to get my copy.)
  
  David also learned to sew as an adult and in the introduction to Shirtmaking he explains that the book is an exploration of how to construct fine quality, bespoke shirts in a home-sewing context; that is, without a lot of the specialized equipment or assembly line techniques that a production shop would be likely to have. It's an astoundingly thorough book, but very accessible. Making Trousers for Men and Women takes a similar approach with pants, detailing the overall construction of trousers as well as the many variations and finishing touches that can be applied to them. And if nothing else it's encouraging to see how much a person can learn on a subject as an adult!

I'm back!

Usually the info about beauty, makeup, and hairstyles, are found in fashion history books, so here a couple of general fashion history:

• Auguste Racinet. Complete Costume History, is like THE fashion history book. Published in the 19th century, includes info not only about fashion, but beauty, hairstyles, interior design, fabrics, prints, etc. If you want to buy it, take the version of the link. There is a cheaper edition, but it is smaller, and the point of this book is the amount of detail in the illustrations, so go for the big one.
  
• Pictorial Encyclopedia of Historic Costume: 1200 Full-Color Figures, by Karl Rohrbach
  
• A Pictorial History of Costume From Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century: With Over 1900 Illustrated Costumes, Including 1000 in Full Color, by Wolfgang Bruhn & Max Tilke.
  
  Some books about beauty:
  
  
• The book Facing Beauty:  Painted Women and Cosmetic Art analyses the beauty and makeup through the eyes of art, from the Renaissance to the early 20th century.
  
• Face Paint: The History of Makeup by Lisa Eldridge, she is a makeup artists for celebrities and fashion editorials, and she has a YouTube channel with videos that are a nice complement to the book.
  
• Beauty and Cosmetics 1550–1950, by Sarah Jane Downing.
  
• If you're more like a experimentation person, take a look at The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Beauty, which ahs tutorials for hair and makeup.
  
• Classic Beauty: The History of Makeup, by Gabriela Hernández.
  
• This edition of Arqueología Mexicana (E37) is all about body modification in the prehispanic cultures: face an body paint, tattoos, ear, mouth, and nose piercings.... It is sadly not available to read online, BUT you can buy it and they send it anywhere in the world. It is a bilingual edition.
  
  Here some online resources:
  
  
• On this site there's a compilation of articles about makeup through the ages.
  
• Here's another cosmetics site with more resources from ancient times to the 2000s.
  
• A little bit about Victorian Makeup and beauty.
  
• A paper published on a dermatology journal, COSMETICS AND SKIN CARE PRODUCTS: A Historical Perspective, by ZoeDiana Draelos MD.
  
• Silvousplaits on YouTube reproduces historical hairstyles.
  
• Also on YouTube, Janet Stephens is my favourite with the most accurate historical hairstyles, and a ton of research behind. She does not upload so often, but you can follow her on Facebook too.
  
• If you're fluent in Spanish, you can download this paper about body modification in the prehispanic Mexico.
  
• A little bit about tattoos in Ancient Egypt.
  
• A LOT of downloadable papers about body modification in Ancient cultures.
  
  And finally, not a resource, but LBCC Historical sells beauty products from historical recipes of different centuries, but you know, without lead and stuff XD
  
  Yeah, I'm a fashion history nerd, in case you haven't noticed.

This is pretty good advice! I'd add a few tips to this:

1. If you're doing this with a knit (like t-shirt material) and you're using a machine, use the zigzag stitch instead of a straight stitch. The zigzag stretches with the fabric while a straight stitch doesn't. This could lead to the stitches breaking after a few wears.
   
   
2. Press your seams flat - either open or to the side. Press everything! Press your fabric before it's sewn. This all makes a HUGE impact on whether it looks like a shitty home attempt vs a professional alteration (or better yet, not altered at all).
   
   
3. If you're going to do this a lot (and you might, cause sewing is addictive!) invest in a good sewing machine. Some new ones are good, but some of my best sewing machines were old, sturdy yard sale finds that I had tuned up for $40 at the local repair shop. Those old machines were workhorses, that's for sure.
   
   
4. Seam ripper. Seriously, it will be your best friend. Have a few available in case you misplace one (or all of them, if you're me). You will curse the day you need to rip out a seam and only have a bulky pair of scissors.
   
   
5. Pins are your friends. I've been lazy and skipped pinning to many times to not mention this. Pin everything you'll be sewing together. I like to "splurge" and get the pins with the glass heads instead of the plain metal ones - they're easier to use.
   
   I've been sewing my whole life but I kind of ghetto-sewed; I was far too impatient when I was younger to learn the fundamentals. I found that the Sew U books are really beginner-friendly. Sewing isn't hard - but fundamentals are important and can make or break your project. Learn those first, and I promise you'll be less likely to get frustrated and give up or hate it.
   
   Good luck, and you should post your results! Maybe you'll have a knack for it and start sewing full garments. Yay!
   
   Edit: Here's a pretty good, basic tutorial on darts and how they work.

Altering the pattern before you cut will save you a ton of headache. This is the process I follow. I've figured this out through trial and error with a lot of help from Marci Tilton's Easy Guide to Sewing Knits and Tops which you should buy. You can get it for $4.20 used on Amazon.


Tools:

• Tape Measure
  
  
• Clear ruler
  
  
• Curved ruler
  
  
• Tracing paper. You can use tissue paper, butcher paper, Swedish tracing paper, or lightweight interfacing. There's a Pellon interface that has grid lines drawn in which I find helpful (don't trust the lines for measurement, though). I like using interfacing because it doesn't rip which makes it nice for storage and re-use.
  
  
• Different color pens and/or pencils. Markers rub off interfacing and make a mess.
  
  
  Steps:
  
  
• Measure your high bust, bust, natural waist, high hip, and full hip. For the bust, waist, and full hip, get the front and back halves of the measurements. Measure the vertical distance between the waist, high hip and full hip.
  
  
• Make a chart. It should have one line each for the following: High bust (divided by 2), Front bust, back bust, front waist, back waist, high hip (divided by 2), front full hip, and back full hip. For each measurement, add 1 1/4" if you're using a 5/8" seam allowance. Then add in the half of the ease from this ease chart. Divide that number by 2. This is the minimum width for your pattern at each point.
  
  
• Trace the pattern onto your tracing paper. If you are different sizes in different places, or you're not sure, trace all the sizes that you may need. Don't forget to trace the notches, darts, grain lines, and other markings.
  
  
• Cut out the copy of the pattern you've traced. Fold down the seam allowance at the shoulder. Wearing a good bra and a tight-fitting t-shirt, pin the shoulder of the pattern to line up with the shoulder seam of your t-shirt. Pin the center of the pattern to the center of your t-shirt. Mark your bust point (nipple) and natural waist on the pattern. It can help to put pins in your t-shirt at those spots to make them easier to find when you're marking.
  
  
• Lay out your pattern piece. Fold and tape any darts, pleats or tucks.
  
  
• With your ruler, draw a horizontal line, perpendicular to the grain line, through the bust point. Draw another one through the waist. Measure down the vertical distance to your high hip, and draw another horizontal line. Measure down the vertical distance to your full hip and draw another line.
  
  
• On the horizontal lines you've drawn, measuring from the fold, mark the measurements from your chart. You'll see if any spots are too big or too small.
  
  
• Use a ruler (curved or straight, depending on the pattern) to make a new outline.
  
  Once you've done all of this, you can tissue-fit the pattern. Pin together at the seam allowances (pins follow the direction of the seam). Try it on, making sure it's aligned with your shoulders and center front. Make sure you're wearing a good bra.
  
  
  One more thing: when you're printing a pattern from a PDF, the margins make it challenging to piece it together. A great trick I learned is to cut the corners (but don't cut through the border). That makes it much easier to line them up and is less work than cutting out the margins.
  
  Edit: When you alter a pattern, make sure that you account for the notches. Before you cut your fabric, piece the pattern pieces together to make sure they fit. Fix any spots where they don't match up properly. Altering the pattern and tissue fitting seem like a lot of work, and they are. But, these things are many times more work on the muslin.

It's been referenced before, but the book Dressing the Man has as chapter on this. Basically, it says that there are two options for color coordination which are known to work well. The first is mimicking the amount of contrast between your skin and hair tones with the contrast in your clothes. For example, if you have pale skin and dark hair you can go high contrast like this. You fall somewhere in either high contrast or medium contrast, so the you can have a lot of fun. On the other hand, if you're light skinned and blonde you'll look better in less contrasting colors, like this. If you're darker skinned (black, spanish, whatever) then you can usually get away with more variations than a lighter skinned person would.

The second method of looking good with color coordination is matching colors that are found in your face and hair with the colors in your clothing. The most important color that people notice is your hair color, followed by your skin complexion, and thirdly your eye color. Matching parts of your dress with these colors is usually a safe way to go. Here is a good example of how to pull this off.

These two methods tend to work well, but obviously once you understand the basics you can experiment. I used only pictures of suits, but these principles can be extended to casual dress as well.

Heather Ross's book Weekend Sewing was really inspirational/approachable for me when I started sewing, but some of the patterns are pretty poorly drafted, so approach with caution.

Built by Wendy's Sew U has lots of good basic sewing info, but I've only made one skirt from there.

Colette Patterns puts out an online magazine called Seamwork (PM me if you want a referral code, not sure what you get for it) that I would recommend if you are up for printing/assembling your own PDFs. Again, Google the patterns before choosing to make one, because they also vary a lot in quality. It's $6 a month and you get 2 credits per month that you can use to download any of their patterns. The patterns are drafted to be really simple and quick projects, allegedly under 2 hours to sew, but that will probably realistically be longer, especially if you count all the time it takes to print/assemble/cut out the pattern PDFs. I've made the Hayden woven t-shirt, Savannah camisole, and a couple of the Mesa knit dresses that I love. I have my eye on the Moji woven joggers and Adelaide dress next-ish.

The GOMI craft forums are a good but very snarky read.

BurdaStyle is super awesome (each issue includes dozens of patterns) but you might need a bit more practice with sewing basics before embarking into the world of Burda because the instructions are usually pretty sparse or cryptic.

My several month old list: Fashion Podcasts and Interviews

-----------------

I've been collecting a few podcasts to listen to in my spare time and came across an enormous amount when searching both on /r/malefashionadvice, /r/malefashion and /r/femalefashionadvice.

I thought it'd be nice to share a few I've found which were interesting and which other people can enjoy.

I know my fashion interests can definitely skew to the boring, so if you have any more suggestions please comment below!

Podcasts & Youtube:

• Dressed podcast run by two fashion historians this weekly podcast explores the incredibly rich and complex history behind the clothes we wear.
  
  
• Stuff you Missed in History Class which is part of the HowStuffWorks podcast network has some great episodes on fashion history, Marie-Antoinette and the first fashion designer Rose Betin. Search 'fashion' for some good hits.
  
  
• The Ultimate Fashion History is run by another fashion historian who produces great original content.
  
  
• Loose Threads this fashion intelligence and analyst company also has a nice podcast which talks about power suiting to product manufacturer.
  
  
• Unravel is done by three alumni of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) graduate program who take a fresh and more modern approach to their topics. They go in-depth with their podcasts and have nice light hearted tone.
  
  
• The Talks has a wealth of good interviews with people in all walks of life, and there’s a good chunk of interviews of people in fashion. Here are a few selected ones: Tom Ford, Rick Owens, Thom Browne and Craig Green.
  
  
• Blamo! is a podcast by Jeremy Kirkland who talks to various people in the fashion world, from designers to GQ editors to street photographers. Notable episodes include: Robert Geller and Lawrence Schlossman of Four Pins fame.
  
  
• Business of Fashion has their own podcast section which takes fashion from a business perspective. The website as a whole is great. Original articles are informative and they have an indispensible Daily Digest worth going through. Site has a soft paywall.
  
  

  Others:
  

  
  

• Racked even though they have a lot of fluff articles and have to pull a lot of clickbait stunts the writers over at Racked occasionally write some really insightful articles on topics about garments, the industry or the politics of clothing and fashion.
  
  
• Google: We Wear Culture has a project centered around 'Fashion' titled "the stories behind what we wear". It has a lot of fascinating text and articles accompanied with beautiful images. They collaborate with notable several museums and brands.
  
  -----------
  
  Sources and thanks to:
  
  
• Early Morning Thursdays: Podcasts and Interviews by /u/setfiretoflames
  
• /r/AskHistorians flaired users' pages and sidebar
  
• An amazing amount of discussions and recommendations on /r/malefashionadvice, /r/malefashion and /r/femalefashionadvice
  
  -----------------------
  
  /u/setfiretoflames booklist Well Regarded Fashion Books: A Community List
  
  ----------------------
  
  Hey, want to get a nice coffee table book? Let’s make a list of some of our favorites.
  
  Note: I don’t own all of these, some are off friends’ recommendations, and some are for books that haven’t even come out yet. They are mostly in Amazon links for ease of use, but none of the links are affiliate ones (and any that are found in the thread will be removed).
  
  Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
  
  Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style
  
  Ann Demeulemeester
  
  Blue Blooded
  
  BEAMS: Beyond Tokyo
  
  The Carhartt WIP Archives
  
  Dries Van Noten 1-100
  
  Hiroshi Fujiwara: Fragment
  
  Maison Martin Margiela
  
  Margiela: The Hermès Years
  
  Martin Margiela: The Women’s Collections 1989-2009
  
  Rei Kawakubo
  
  Rick Owens
  
  Rick Owens: Furniture
  
  Take Ivy
  
  Undercover
  
  Vintage Menswear
  
  Yamamoto & Yohji
  
  Yohji Yamamoto

No problem mate, glad you're enjoying it.

Books I could recommend: Esquire released a great book called The Handbook of Style that I think offers some really solid advice. Alan Flusser's "Dressing the Man" is a great resource if you're interested in suits/dressing with a more refined, classier style.

Otherwise, fashion forms and blogs are a great resource as well. Lookbook.nu is good for street and casual fashion, The Sartorialist is great for inspiration on suiting. I also really like Street Etiquette as well.

Definitely. Pressing is part of the process and some of the problem may be that you haven't pressed so you can't see everything that's happening.

I know of many resources. Some of the books are expensive or hard to find. You may be able to borrow them from a library.

Online

• Cutter and Tailor: Forum created by a professional tailor. Read the section for people who are teaching themselves. There is a bibliography.
  
  
• The University of Fashion. Right now, only women's wear, but it has good tutorials prepared by professionals.
  
  
• Bob Maldonado's online shirtmaking class. I like the video on sewing a shirt sleeve placket which is free. I haven't done the course, but have an internet acquaintance who has and his work looks great. You can download the video lessons.
  
  
  
  Books
  
  
• Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket (geared to women's wear, but it has very good general instructions on different tailoring styles and nice photos)
  
  
• Classic Tailoring Techniques for Menswear: A Construction Guide 2nd Edition
  
  
• Hand stitches for the fine custom tailored garment
  
  
  
• Shirtmaking: Developing Skills For Fine Sewing
  
  
• The Shirtmaking Workbook: Pattern, Design, and Construction Resources
  Some Japanese men's pattern books can be found here and here.
  
  For Inspiration
  
  
• Tailor Rory Duffy's videos on making a suit.
  
• The Notebook, a blog by the apprentices at Anderson and Sheppard, an esteemed Savile Row tailor.
  
  I can't make a recommendation for menswear patternmaking books. I plan to take a class this spring and the teacher told me he was going to follow the basic format of a particular book, but he noted that the book had mistakes.

Excellent, let me nerd out for a second about suits. Also, that documentary is a GREAT starting point. Personally, it makes me want to become a tailor, and it makes me sad that tailoring is becoming a dying breed of old people who have no younger people to take up their mantle.

---

So, before you get into the process of suit making and all of that, and the art that is tailoring. I encourage you to read up on what makes a suit, a suit. But, I'll cut it down real simply for you and leave some links so that you can read up on in depth if it suits you (hodor).

Let's start with the most basic question. What is the foundation of the suit? Strangely, the foundation of the suit, is the shoulder. The drape of your suit and the cut of your suit starts from the shoulder and moves downward. So like we always say, if it doesn't fit on the shoulder, put it back on the rack. There are tons of different types of cuts for shoulders, and how it's padding, and how the sleeve is attached to the shoulder that is all unique to each cut, although it is becoming more homogenized (Personally, I'm an italian cut kinda guy, Neapolitan in specific). How do you like your shoulders? Straight across? Narrower? No padding at all? Extreme sloping? These are the questions you should consider when bespoking your suit, or purchasing your suit in general. How do you like your shoulder to sing?

Next, lets move onto the beauty that is the lapel roll, the flower of the suit, the thing that blooms, the detail that gives your suit depth. A detail that simply resonates with the rest of your suit, don't be flat (jos. a bank), the lapel roll is a piece of art of itself, and a good dry cleaner will not press the life out of the lapel. Of course, you could just do it yourself.

So now that we have touched the outside of the suit. Let's dig a little deeper, how about the inside of the suit? Perhaps as important as the shoulder, is your canvassing. Why is it important? Because canvas is what gives your suit a shape, it's the thing that slowly molds to your body, a quality suit will slowly mold to your body and drape better and better with each wear. A suit with the proper insides need's no hanger to give it shape (put it on a hanger). It almost wears itself (ignore the fact that they are trying to sell something).

Here is some more reading on canvassing

In closing, how about some master tailors talking about their art?

Rudolph Popradi

Martin Greenfield

Multiple tailors from naples discuss their life of tailoring

And now, some books.

A menswear book, a little more for the older gents and those more intersted in history. But very much a classic book that is highly praised for being all encompassing.

How about a book that teaches you to make your own garments?


And a machiavallian approach to the suit. Maybe not as highly praised, but more reading can't hurt that much.

Let's ask some people about their thoughts on the suit and it's changes through the years.

1, 2, 3, 4.

And let's touch on the tuxedo for a bit, probably a little pretentious (especially that esquire guy), but for some reason I like watching people dress up while giving their thoughts..

And finally, a series of videos on a class about suit construction (mainly for women).

Probably doesn't entirely answer your questions, but hey, suits are awesome. If I had enough money to wear a suit everyday for every situation (james bond) I would. If you have the opportunity to apprentice under a tailor, I highly suggest it, maybe you won't become a master tailor, and you most likely will not get paid, but it would be an awesome experience to be under a master craftsman.

Casual:
Jeans: Jacob Cohen
Shirts: Emmanuel Berg, Hugo Boss
Blazers: Paul Smith, Hugo Boss
Sweaters: Emmanuel Berg (cashmere), Ralph Lauren (merino)
Pants: Hugo Boss
Jackets: Joop, Hugo Boss, Barbour, Burberry
Shoes: crocket & jones

Office/Work:
Shirts: Emmanuel Berg, Hugo Boss, but considering bespoke options
Blazers: Paul Smith, Hugo Boss
Suits: Corneliani M2M, but considering bespoke options
Pants: Hugo Boss
Coats: Joop, Burberry
Shoes: Crocket & Jones, Hugo Boss

Other stuff, like ties (rarely use them), or handkerchiefs, pretty much anything good, emmanuel berg, armani, boss, hermes.

cuff links: anything good.

Hair style: Fairly short, but with an old school cut (think Gatsby).

Note: I am 40,in decent physical shape, and due to the nature of my work, dressing well is kind of a requirement (consulting), so this looks natural on me. Oh, and live in Europe.

Edit:
I should perhaps add that I actually like male fashion in a timeless sense, and take a very hard look at the look I want to achieve (timelessness, natual, refined). For any man who wants to take their wardrobe to the "next level", I'd strongly recommend two books:

http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449

and

http://www.amazon.com/The-Suit-Machiavellian-Approach-Style/dp/0060891866

They will both give you the basics of suits, materials, etc, with references to old-school male icons... think mad men on steroids... in the style department...

but never forget, style without substance is worthless.. fashion/style is not necessarily "peacocking", but it does help in attraction of course ;)

Is there anything you do consistently without thinking about it?

Is there anything you do enjoy, that you do occasionally, but you just enjoy it for the sake of doing it?

Lastly, is there something you are really attracted to, but don't do because people will judge you?

> Honestly the only way I can find enjoyment in anything is to drink a lot while I am doing it. It's the only thing I have found that turns off the constant thoughts of: "why do you even bother, you are just embarassing yourself."

Be productive when you're drinking then. I've experienced the same thing. I started drawing a little time after I tried marijuana. I tried drawing before, but that negative voice would creep into my head and I would just quit. Marijuana gave me the ability to lose my fucks. (I'm not condoning it, but it was the initial spark that got me through my post-military depression and start doing things again.)

I started out with terrible shit, but after just the ACT of putting shit out there without care for what people would think, it got easier. I kept with it, now I can draw just through the inebriated brazenness that alcohol gives me. I'm still not good, but I have a couple things that I have a tiny bit of self-pride in.

I do it for friends, I do it for a hobby. It will never be a career...but it keeps me happy. I've started a bunch of new interests since I realized I can do whatever the fuck I want: I started reading books I like, instead of the ones I think will get me a job. Early 1900s NatGeos, John Muir, classics like Aristotle, Plato...St. Thomas Aquinas, a book on the Japanese government, lol. I recently bought two books, a sewing book, and a book on fashion. I'm a guy, and very few in America expect a guy to take up sewing and fashion as a hobby...but I want to give it a try. I've always been interested in the functionality v. fashionality of the way people dress. I find a lot of fashion ridiculous, so I want to try to offer my own stuff. The books are a start.

In high school, a wise old black woman told me, "Just do it." Shortly after I got out of the military, an alcoholic sociology major with multiple businesses told me, "Just do it." After that, a deceptively smart stripper in Florida told me, "Just do it." ...sure, it might be a Nike slogan, but their advice came straight from them and they were honest about it.

Don't give a fuck whether you think you can or can't...just do it.

For young people, certain things just look like you’re trying too damn hard: bowties, pocket squares, French cuffs, white collars on a colored shirt, suspenders, wide-spread collars, vested suit (sometimes), etc.

It’s easy to blame other people, but your clothes are prompting their reaction. I don’t know you and I don’t know the way you dress. But perhaps you should think about trying to be more subtle: buying nice clothes that aren’t at all ostentatious. Don’t wear bowties if, when you wear one, people make comments.

In my opinion, the majority of advice on MFA will make a high school or college students look good for other high school or college students. If I wore my pants below my natural waste or if I wore wingtips or a bow tie, the men at my work would think I was an immature, insecure, hipster douche bag. There is nothing wrong with those things, but dress to your audience. Being stylish, being able to express your own, personal style, within the bounds of what’s acceptable to your peers is a true and worthy challenge. An artist is limited by the artistic media he chooses to work with. So to, you are limited by your lifestyle, income, peer group, profession, region, etc. Strive to be stylish and express yourself within you lifestyle’s bounds. Then you will look good without looking like you’re wearing a costume to try to look good.

If following the advice on this forum is getting criticism, I’d like to suggest some alternative sources for advice:

http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344004043&sr=8-1&keywords=allan+flusser

http://www.amazon.com/Clothes-Man-Principles-Fine-Dress/dp/0394546237/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1344004043&sr=8-2&keywords=allan+flusser

http://www.amazon.com/GENTLEMAN-TIMELESS-GUIDE-FASHION-Ullmann/dp/3833152702/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

http://www.amazon.com/The-Suit-Machiavellian-Approach-Style/dp/0060891866/ref=pd_sim_b_7 (especially the chapter for “young” persons)

http://www.amazon.com/Elegance-Menswear-G-Bruce-Boyer/dp/0393304388/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344004086&sr=1-1&keywords=bruce+boyer

http://www.amazon.com/Eminently-Suitable-G-Bruce-Boyer/dp/0393028771/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344004086&sr=1-3&keywords=bruce+boyer

Your library should have these, as they are menswear “classics.” The books are well-written and, though older than something like “Esquire The Handbook of Style,” the advice is better. How to dress well is a timeless art.

New Complete Guide to Sewing for general sewing techniques.

For tailoring men's clothes, Classic Tailoring Techniques (and women's.)

For pattern drafting, Winnifred Aldrich has a great line of books.
There's also Fundamentals of Men's Fashion Design, casual and tailored. As well as Patternmaking for Fashion Design.

For corsets, Waisted Efforts and The Basics of Corset Building are good.

For making shirts, Shirtmaking.

For learning to sew stretch/knit fabrics, Sew U: Home Stretch is pretty good.

And for just having a bunch of fun with patterns, the Pattern Magic series is plain awesome. I think there's three of them out now.

Edit: thought of more!

The Art of Manipulating Fabric is great. And www.threadsmagazine.com as well as the corresponding print publication.

AOTD: Cost-wise, probably too much. My focus has been on shoes but I'll sometimes purchase some more expensive pieces of clothing.

GD: Found Handmade Shoes for Men at Half Price Books so I went ahead and bought it. Should be a fun reader for those easy days! Also just received the Viberg x Notre Coffee Pack boots that I ordered from the 25% off sale. The cxl is beautiful and the finishing is on point except for a little bit of weird stitching connecting the tongue to the vamp. They fill the brown boot niche of my wardrobe but I'm not sure if they're special enough (to me) to keep so I'll be consulting the SO in the next few days. My body is telling me yes but my brain is telling me to save some $$$.

There is only one legitimate Supreme piece on Amazon: the Supreme Hardcover Book by James Jebbia. 35% Off Too. Got mine a while back; highly recommend it, definitely an interesting book that provides a lot of Supreme history and definitely worth your money. Keep This Lowkey haha

Don't buy anything else off of amazon in relation to Supreme. They even have fake stickers there lol.

I'm sure everyone here will try to help you as much as s/he can. The best advice I can give you is to get help, as you want a professional-looking dress in a reasonable amount of time.

• Select a pattern or style you love that can be made up in different fabrics and/or easily modified.
  
  
• Make a muslin of the pattern or have a pattern made.
  
  
• Get it fitted.
  
  
• Make up the dress.
  
  
• Transfer the final pattern to a firm medium like oak tag so you can quickly trace the pattern for future dresses.
  
  
• Make notes of your experiences with fabric, thread, interfacing, thread tension, finishes, etc., so you will learn for the next dress.
  
  EDITED TO ADD:
  
  Here are some books that might provide some inspiration:
  
  http://www.amazon.com/The-Little-Black-Dress-Perfect/dp/1861086237
  
  http://www.amazon.com/The-Little-Black-Dress-Perfect/dp/1861086237
  
  For business, I think a sheath dress would be a good pattern to develop.

I think this book on interior design could be cool, or even this book, which details the history of makeup. I'm sure she'd love that one.

I think having an interest in makeup is fine, and as long as she feels confident and isn't hurting anyone, I don't think you need to worry :)

Since she's studying interior design, I'm sure she needs a portfolio. She might really like a nice portfolio book for showing off her work.

I couldn't find my old posts (weird), but here's a progression. Do not jump to the next step until you can do a really good job at your current level.

I realize it may not be possible, but look for classes or seminars.



Man's cotton shirt with collarband, collar, tower sleeve placket, curved hem.

Man's trousers in wool.

Man's vest in wool and lining fabric.

Skills related to a man's jacket (double piped pocket samples, pocket flaps, vents, pad stitched lapel sample).

Jacket.

Books:

Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (general sewing)

Classic Tailoring Techniques for Men: A Construction Guide

Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket

Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing

Online:

Mike Maldonado's shirt making videos and his video courses

The Cutter and Tailor forum (Read the section on how to teach yourself tailoring)

The Bespoke Cutter and Tailor forum (less strict than the forum above)

Rory Duffy's online videos (They are beautiful, but not in-depth enough to teach yourself).

The Notebook, a blog by Anderson & Sheppard, a Savile Row firm.

Made by Hand, a blog by Jeffery Diduch.

There are two different options for you. For minor adjustments like adjusting the bust, moving the waist or hipline in or out a bit, etc. you can just do a regular pattern adjustment. Fit for Real People (http://www.amazon.com/Fit-Real-People-Clothes-Pattern/dp/0935278656) is a really great how-to on adjusting tissue patterns for fit issues.

For anything more than minor adjustments (say more than 1-2 sizes different) you're going to need to grade the pattern. If you use the minor adjustment method above you'll lose the structure and proportion of the pattern. Here are two online tutorials on grading, I'm sure there are more. http://www.craftsy.com/article/pattern-grading http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/4368/making-sense-of-pattern-grading/page/all

Since these are vintage patterns you'll probably want to trace them out (you can get good tracing paper at most craft, office supply, and art stores) and then use the tracings to make any adjustments. I've also had good results using wrapping paper since its cheap and available in large sizes. As an added bonus it makes my patterns look really festive.

I have a few suggestions that may put your mind at ease.

First, measure the actual pattern or look for the amount of ease built into the pattern, I find that using the envelope measurements are often misleading and I've sewn many too-big garments in the past.

second, the hip measurement is not something to really worry about since you should easily be able to grade the side seams 1" wider each to make up the difference.

Third, look up Full Bust Adjustment . That is where the sizing discrepancy comes in. You may even find that a much smaller size will fit her back and shoulders much better that going with the biggest envelope size. AND its much easier to fit a larger bust than it is to take in a floppy back. I'd recommend doing a tissue-fit using the Palmer / Pletch method (your library may even have the book.

Finally, You may find using a fabric with a slight stretch or heavy weight knit may be all you need to get a good fit.

Good luck!

The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie M. Wiseman (US Amazon link) really helped me figure out seams. All the pictures are clear, and the text isn't too wordy.

Elsewise, locking stitch markers are your friend! Amy Herzog has a good tutorial on sleeve cap seaming using locking stitch markers. I use the same concept on every seam I sew, and it really helps keep things from bunching up.

Knitty's super fantastic Techniques with Theresa column has a sleeve cap seaming tutorial and a general seaming tutorial, both with very clear pictures.

Vogue Knitting also has a very extensive seaming tutorial, but with illustrations rather than pictures, if that is more useful to you.

I find the biggest thing is to be patient and go slowly. It's a pain, because you just want your FO to be finished already, but slow, careful, neat seaming really adds polish to an FO.

(As an aside, I've heard that seams add extra structure to garments so they fit better, but does anyone have examples to show that? I've made both seamed and seamless sweaters and don't really notice a difference...)

PSA: you can get better information about color, proportionality and exceptions to rules like this in Alan Flusser's Dressing The Man. The content of this article is nearly identical, but adds the "contrast scale" as a number concept, but the book adds a lot of detail the article lacks. I read this recently and enjoyed it.

Emphasizing the face, color contrast, and shirts and suits to compliment body size and shape are better covered there. Link if you're interested: http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449

First, Make her a free site with wordpress that you can port over to her chosen domain name and spruce up as she likes. Put some pictures up of things she's made that she's proud of, and make a nice landing page for it. Make it explicitly clear that she can have you change anything. For example, dummy text that says, "This is just waiting for tdwtya'swife's orders"

Next, you make a sandwich out of white bread and cucumbers with the seeds cut out (you can pick anything for the sandwich I just picked cucumbers because they are relatively clean and you can wrap it day of without them getting too gross as long as the seeds aren't there to make it soggy).

Then you wrap a note in tin foil inside the sandwich with the domain name of the site you built that says "I'm better at blogs than sandwiches, but I'll be able to help with both once you teach me how"

Wrap the whole sandwich in tin foil. then wrap it with a bow voila

---

or if you want something more tradition and you know her taste get her a few yards of fabric and a book with ideas/inspiration. Something like; https://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Definitive-History-Costume-Style/dp/0756698359/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482277969&sr=8-1&keywords=fashion but that sort of thing depends a lot on what she likes.

http://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Shoes-Men-L%C3%81zl%C3%93-Vass/dp/3848003686

It kind of looks like your typical coffee table book, but it's amazing. Super well-researched information on nearly every aspect of shoes and shoemaking, with beautiful pictures.

Good first effort! Knits are tough.

So can I make a few suggestions? First, I think this pattern is too large for you. I am not looking at the coverage over all. I am looking at that fold between your breasts and the way the straps lay. I think you need to choose your patterns by your upper chest measurement.

For anyone making knit tops I always recommend Marcy Tilton's Easy Guide to Sewing Tops & T-Shirts It's selling for about $2 used. She covers fit, and patterns. Also creative altering and at least four different ways to deal with those pesky bindings.

Keep up the good work. Knit shirts are hard, but once you get the hang of it you can make much nicer tops then you can buy.

Well, I knew about three, but since no one recommended any, here they are!

• Classic Beauty: The History of Makeup by Gabriela Hernandez
  
  
• HISTORY OF COMPACTS AND COSMETICS: From Victorian Times to the Present Day by Madeleine Marsh - the author of this book talked about the history of makeup in two of Lisa Eldridge's videos, and it was incredibly interesting! ( Video1 Video 2 )
  
  
• Fashions in Makeup: From Ancient to Modern Times
  by Richard Corson
  
  All of these are on my wishlist, but I hoped to add some cool other books that I hadn't heard of. :)

Generally, most pattern drafting books tell you how to draft a sloper (or template of your body,) and then tells you how to manipulate the sloper to get finished designs. You can start with any sloper (from any book or website) that fits you well and jump right to the sloper manipulation part from any book you like.

For womenswear I recommend “Pattern Drafting and Dressmaking” by Dorothy Moore . It’s much, much cheaper than other books, and offers a really good, simplified set of slopers despite the book being so old. When I started drafting, four years ago, I used this book to create a dress shirt with princess seams, as well as trousers, for my wife and her co-workers assumed that they were from Banana Republic. Don’t worry though, the book also has sections on dresses, coats, jackets and even a bonus formula for a contemporary man’s dress shirt.

On a side note, you can draft anything you want, but you have to know how to put it together and most of these books do not give you construction advice. I like Kwik Sew’s instructions because they use simple construction techniques, ¼” seams and teach good habits. If you don’t know how to assemble something you’ve drafted, borrow the instruction booklet from a KwikSew pattern that is similar to what you are trying to make and write down the construction steps. In addition, you’ll see it mentioned here a lot, but "Shirtmaking" by David Coffin offered invaluable tips on how to get the collar, cuffs and yoke assembled in a non-conventional way.

Some of the other books I recommend:
“Patternmaking for Fashion Design” by Helen Armstrong, is an odd book. As a pattern drafting book, I feel that it fails, as it is too big and tries to cover too many bases. But as a reference book, those qualities make it exceptional. This is not something you’ll ever read straight through… you’ll start at the index and jump to the morsel of information that you need, e.g. dart manipulation, or collar variations. Really expensive though.

“The Practical Guide to Patternmaking” by Lori Knowles and “The Practical Guide to Patternmaking for Meanswear” by Lori Knowles are both great. Where Moore’s book looked a little dated, this one has contemporary designs.

Here are some fashion references that I used and helped. It was also the style bible not fashion bible. lol

http://www.amazon.com/AskMen-com-Presents-The-Style-Bible/dp/0061208507/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1372205417&sr=8-3&keywords=details+men%27s+style+manual

http://www.amazon.com/Details-Mens-Style-Manual-Ultimate/dp/159240328X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372205417&sr=8-1&keywords=details+men%27s+style+manual

http://www.amazon.com/Esquire-The-Handbook-Style-Looking/dp/1588167461/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372205417&sr=8-2&keywords=details+men%27s+style+manual

Dealing with conflict and having long relationships was something I had to build over time, and most of that will come with just working toward being the ultimate man woman desire. Having confidence, good direction in your life, lots of friends, good hobbies, good manners, being gentleman, having boundaries and standards. Don't be insecure or clingy. I didn't just read one or two books I read about 40 and at one point it became an obsession to be this ideal man woman desire.

Just bought and started reading Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style. Previously, I read (and enjoyed) Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion.

I'm an American businessman in my late 20's. I want to be creative and forward-thinking but also professional with my fashion choices. I like to have fun with my clothes while still being respectable.

Any book recommendations?

You're welcome. You can find garment diagrams on a lot of knitting patterns, and studying those can help you understand how they're constructed. You might also find a basic "sweater recipe" book helpful as you go along creating patterns. I have Ann Budd's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, which provides a good foundation that you can then modify to fit your particular body type as necessary.

A book I just got for my birthday talks about how to dress very well. Even though the author uses formal attire for explaining how to dress, he also talks about how shirt shape, color and pattern create a favorable or unfavorable look for someone. The same goes for pants and even hats. So I would say that you should study your body type and skin tone before you go out buying expensive clothing.

Also, if you know someone with an eye for good fashion and is supportive, get them to come out to the stores with you and give their honest opinions.

Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion

As a menswear student, the best fitting pants and shirts that I have made have been from flat pattern making books. Although it uses centimeters this book is by far the best I have used with the clearest instructions. Also, this book is great for learning to make classic collared shirts...

I saw Women in Clothes recommended in this sub, so I checked it out from my local library. I loved it so much I bought it! It's really fun to hear very different perspectives on how other women think about and wear clothes, and the format is super fun--short essays, photo galleries, interviews, even a few poems.

A great book you might be interested in is - Shirtmaking by David Coffin. Started to read it myself. It's really well written. He's great at explaining things.

Nothin wrong with how you look, man. But I would suggest workin on your style. I would recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/AskMen-com-Presents-The-Style-Bible/dp/0061208507/ref=pd_sim_14_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0K3SNGZ77Y465XNJH3H0

Or you could just start checking out some mens style website like AskMen.com, Mens Health or something. Ladies love a guy that dresses well. I also think its easier to be confident when your outfit is on point.

http://www.amazon.ca/Fashions-Makeup-Ancient-Modern-Times/dp/0720611954/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411425865&sr=1-1&keywords=history+of+makeup http://www.amazon.ca/History-Make-up-Maggie-Angeloglou/dp/0289796970/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411425865&sr=1-3&keywords=history+of+makeup http://www.amazon.ca/Fashionable-History-Make-up-Body-Decoration/dp/0431183384/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411425865&sr=1-5&keywords=history+of+makeup

http://www.amazon.ca/Classic-Beauty-Hernandez-Gabriela-November/dp/B00C7GBEMS/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411425865&sr=1-2&keywords=history+of+makeup

I found these searching 'history of makeup' and look like the could help. There were several others as well which might be better. If amazon.com doesn't have them like amazon.can does you could check bookstores or eBay by searching for their actual titles instead. Looking closer I realize they're not exactly cheap, checking for cheaper ones on eBay might help with that, I find eBay can be a lot cheaper than amazon sometimes

On another note, there is a fascinating book called [Women in Clothes] (http://www.amazon.com/Women-Clothes-Sheila-Heti/dp/0399166564) that tackles a lot of similar questions.

Onward!

>>What do you remember your family wearing during your childhood? Did this change into your teenage years?

>>How did your family feel about the way you dressed as a child or teen? Were your clothing choices ever a source of tension?

As a child, I didn't have much say in what I wore. But through middle school/high school, I remember there being a lot of tension about wanting to buy/wear the same branded clothing as everyone else and not getting to do so. I grew up in a suburb in the late 90s/early 2000s, so it was all about the obnoxiously branded clothing from Limited Too, AF, American Eagle, etc.

A lot of these brands were extremely expensive, and my family never wanted to buy that stuff for obvious reasons. When I went off to college, I lost quite a bit of weight, started taking care of my appearance, and started dressing in a more "provocative" fashion (at least by the standards of my immigrant Indian family), and there were always (and continue to be!) arguments about my dresses being too short or me revealing too much cleavage (even when it really wasn't that bad by my own standards.) I think they get nervous when I look overly done up or overtly attractive. I find their fixation on me looking as frumpy as is socially acceptable quite strange.

>>Where did your family buy most of their clothing? Did you go on shopping trips with them?

My parents are Indian immigrants, which influenced a lot of their ideas about "Western" clothing. My mother isn't necessarily the most fashionable woman when it comes to American/Western-style clothing. She's very conservative and set in her ways when it comes to fashion, so she always bought conservative clothes for me from large department stores or from mall stores, even as a kid. Indian fashion is a totally different story, though - her eye for color, cut, and overall style in a Indian clothing is fantastic. If I go shopping for Indian clothes, I always take her with me, because she knows exactly what to get. Western clothing was another story, especially when I was younger. Mall trips were always difficult because I didn't have the frame needed to wear a lot of the clothes that the so-called "popular" kids were wearing, and my Mom was absolutely not in favor of me dressing that way.

My dad is drawn to nice, tailored shirts and business wear for the daytime. When he's not at work, he's also pretty standard "Dad"-like in his fashion choices -- his standard non-work uniform is a Hawaiian shirt with khakis. (LOL) Interestingly, he has very good taste in jewelry.

>>Did you wear hand-me-downs from older relatives? Did you get to choose which hand-me-downs?
How did/does your family dress relative to their community? Was your family's clothing or style ever a source of embarrassment for you?

My sister and I steal each other's jewelry/clothes/etc all the time. Growing up, I would feel self-conscious and shy if we were wearing Indian clothes in public, but these days, my mom loves wearing long Indian tunics and pants underneath. It suits her, and as an adult, I'm less pushy/concerned about what other people are wearing. My grandmother pretty much lives in Kanchipuram silk sarees, which I think are beautiful.

Overall, as a child/teen, I never enjoyed shopping because I had little control over what I could wear, and I had well-intentioned but not-so-savvy parents who didn't really get the point of being fashionable by American cultural standards or what that meant. Now that I'm slightly older, I can wear what I like, but whenever I go home, my clothing choices are a constant source of tension and consternation, so I try to dress a little more modestly in front of my family to avoid that tension (which still comes up since it's never really modest enough).

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Tailoring-Techniques-Construction-Collection/dp/0870054317

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Book-Mens-Tailoring-Producing/dp/0914046306

Your best bet, if you want to break in on your own, rather than going in under someone or under a tailoring house is to produce one garment, perfect it, keep yourself ahead of the curve, and use the internet to retail it. Take a look at tie makers Pierrepont Hicks. They managed to get ahead of the curve on the whole tweed, herringbone, and slub wool tie trend, and are currently just about sold out. Its just a matter of doing your research and having the right contacts. The internet has allowed smaller companies to break out like that, where previously an enormously classical company like say Drakes or press would dominate.

You're criticism isn't wrong. But there's a definite thinking behind it.

It;s about them trying to promote an intentional "otherness" to white people. It's meant to feel exotic. There's an extremely good book about this that gives WAY more context if you are interested: https://www.amazon.com/Ametora-Japan-Saved-American-Style/dp/0465059732

For what it's worth, the models on their site are Japanese, and they also are big on "Staff Snaps" which involves photos of store staff (who are almost all Japanese) wearing the same clothes that are in the look book. Every item of clothing on their site is accompanied by Staff Snaps.


I hope you bother reading this comment. I know it's buried pretty far down the thread.

Pinning is generally done by pinning the pattern pieces to either a dress form or to the client's clothing. You can alter the pattern pieces to fit them faster and easier that way. If you want to try pattern alteration again, I'd recommend either Fit for Real People by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto and/or How to Use, Adapt, and Design Sewing Patterns by Lee Hollahan.

That being said, I've taken apart clothes and made patterns from them before. It's more of a pain (for beginners to intermediate sewing) than altering existing patterns for a couple of reasons.
You have to add seam allowances-nitpicky reason, but when you're in a hurry it's easy to forget. Failing to do this means you have no seam allowances or a garment smaller than you intended.
Making sure you can find fabrics that are suitable for recreating the garment. i.e. You don't want to make a pattern off of a knit shirt and then use a woven fabric unless you're prepared for a several fittings and altering the heck out of a muslin mock-up. Failing to do this leads to the garment just not fitting.
Related to the above reason, different fabrics drape differently. That's why commercial patterns have fabric suggestions printed on them. You wouldn't want to use corduroy where a cotton broadcloth would work better.
Knowing how the grain of the fabric needs to relate to the pattern pieces. Will they need to be cut on the bias? Etc. Failing to do this correctly makes the garment not hang right on the body.

I will be happy to help you any way I can via Reddit, email, etc. Depending on where you live, I might be able to find you someone who could teach you (hands on, in person) how to alter patterns/create patterns. Please feel free to PM me. :-)

I've always known my primary goal as a knitter would be to make sweaters, and I'm absolutely obsessive about how my seams look. This book, The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques was a lifesaver when I was first starting out. I make sweaters all the time now, and I still find myself occasionally referring back to it. Books always seem to gloss over seaming, and yet good seams are so essential to having a good finished product, and this book shows you the techniques in great detail.

Looks good! You mention that English is not your first language, but if you feel confident in tackling a book in English, this book on shirtmaking is a fantastic resource.

I did a search in my local library system's catalog, and found that they have a couple copies of this book, which is Western focused but claims to have some info about other countries as well. Since it's expensive, I would suggest seeing if your library has any copies, or ask your library's reference desk where to find books on beauty and makeup so you can browse that section. If you're a university student, you'll probably have access to more options with an academic focus. Fashion books might have information as well and seem to be more abundant.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/185149829X is the one I got. It has a wealth of beautiful high res pictures and goes into great detail about the history and mechanics of watches.

The Wristwatch Handbook : A Comprehensive guide to wristwatches.

By a well known watch expert, bit of a labour of love for him. Very detailed and wide ranging, and high quality photos too.

Link here , I'm sure yiu can find it on US Amazon too. Recommended.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wristwatch-Handbook-Comprehensive-Mechanical-Wristwatches/dp/185149829X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499804322&sr=1-2&keywords=wristwatch+book

If your goal is to look fashionable, then just wear what colors are in.

If your goal is to look good, then you absolutely want to coordinate your outfit around the colors and shapes that flatter you. Just like a jacket in the wrong fit can make you look fat, a shirt in the wrong color can make you look pale. If you care about fit, you should care about color.

Entire books have been written on the subject.

Last winter I bought Icons of Men's Style by Josh Sims, who is a freelance style blogger who has written for several big magazines. It's more of a coffee table book, but it's absolutely fantastic. Note that it's not so much about the gradual change of fashion as it is looking at the popularization of pieces that we consider to be timeless.

I read a lot of fiction, mostly sci-fi/fantasy. I also enjoy reading about menswear/fashion. Books by Bruce Boyer, Alan Flusser, etc.

I mentioned it below, but I just finished reading Ametora. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Japanese culture and fashion.

This is more than I could have ever asked for. Thank you very much. By the way, any good books which you would recommend to learn more about shoes?

I was planning on checking this book out.

(You're actually the most comprehensive post I've found so far, StyleForum and all other sites don't really pull up anything on them.)

That's pretty sweet.

I have a French book about cats in Japan on my coffee table.

Laszlo Vass' book could be another good one.

hypebeast did some decent articles uraharajuku Japanese retail expierience
David Marx of the Site [Neojapanisme] (http://neojaponisme.com/) has some good articles on his site probably more archival as well as a great book on Japanese americana Ametora

Personally, I would use a pattern that came in the size you want, and then add in the details.

Here's a free drop-shoulder baby sweater, one for knitted pants, a long, pointy hat and socks.

You'll need to do a bit of modification to the sweater pattern, using a provisional cast on and knitting to a shorter length before dividing for the armholes, adding in the front triangular detail, and potentially adding a button placket at the back if that's a detail you really like.

If converting sizes is something you plan to do a lot of, you will probably find Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns useful. It teaches you how to combine different sleeve/collar shapes for all sizes (kids, women and men), gives the different measurements for length/circumference and gives you yarn estimates.

A dressmaker in town was offering sewing lessons, at $50 a lesson. She didn't have male patterns so she asked me to bring in one of mine to make a pattern from.

There are not that many practicing tailors anymore. One of them might be happy to walk you through understanding clothing just for the chance to use their knowledge. If you're ok with learning from books, I've had these two books recommended to me.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Book-Mens-Tailoring-Producing/dp/0914046306/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458447964&sr=8-1&keywords=the+blue+book+of+mens+tailoring

http://www.amazon.com/Trousers-Multimedia-Workshop-TROUSERS-Paperback/dp/B00QN9V4CK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458447939&sr=8-2&keywords=making+trousers

I just finished reading the book "Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style" Link

Also watched "Dior and I" for the second time the other day. It's on netflix, pretty good.

I haven't finished it, but I got a copy of Ametora from my sister, and I really like it. It sheds light on the role of Japanese fashion in the world today, which I think is quite interesting.

Women in Clothes is great for reading about different women's styles and fashion journeys. A lot of the book is in interview format with really interesting questions about personal style.

Real fashion is timeless, just like when you see a man wearing a nice fitted suit in the 1950s he looks baller. Get a real book on fashion and learn it, like "Dressing The Man" https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449

All this streetwear stuff is a gimmick. Gimmicks and fads are short lived, REAL fashion is timeless.

I've heard this book is good but have yet to buy it.

I just hand templated mine from an existing shirt

I got Women in Clothes as a Christmas, gift, and have enjoyed it so far. It gives a lot of different perspectives on fashion and style, more lifestyle-related than specific fashion advice.

This is a good coffee table book, I enjoyed it


Fashion

For books?

The Wristwatch Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Mechanical Wristwatches https://www.amazon.com/dp/185149829X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cfYvyb57KNM20

Probably the best reference for understand watches.

For watchmaking and understanding the art...

Watchmaking https://www.amazon.com/dp/0856677043/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FmYvybRK27DGS

waves Hello!

Adding darts in a t-shirt pattern

Adding darts in a pre-purchased blouse

From what i can tell if you pull it apart at the seams, then add the dart you must adjust the length at the bottom in both front and back. Easiest way is to turn the shirt inside out, pinch/pin your darts then do a basting stitch. That way you can see how it fits in front. sew then re-hem the shirt. At least that's what I'm getting from the links i posted.

Here's the book they mentioned in one of the links. Hope this helps. :D

oh and a bit of extra reading that may be interesting

Dressing the Man actually has a good section on how colors complement or hide your complexion. For some (myself, for example), bold and contrasting colors work out really well. Like you, I prefer blue suits (though I have several suits).

Depending on the OP's complexion, charcoal might be a better look but it's really just a preference thing, as you alluded to.

This might interest you. It has more of a historic approach to fashion but it's a good starting point.

I asked for a copy of Dressing The Man. I heard about it here and hope it's good.

I would recommend getting "the knitter's handy book of sweater patterns" by Ann Budd. It is a treasure trove of sweater patterns. You can measure his sweater and then use the multiple types/styles of sweaters to make an exact replica. I use it to create my own sweaters all the time. I can vary yarn weight, stitches, sleeve type etc. I found my copy at a used book store for about $5 dollars, one of the best knitting investments I ever made.
Sorry it is an amazon link, but you can peak inside. http://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Handy-Book-Sweater-Patterns/dp/1931499438

Edit for link

My mom's in a different timezone. I'll be giving her a call later today.

GD: My copy of Handmade Shoes For Men arrived. The essential coffee table book for fine footwear enthusiasts.

Flip through GQ and Esquire at the bookstore sometime. They tend to have good advice each month.

Also, try a book like The Style Bible. There's also one by Details.

If you liked that article, you may want to pick up the book Shirtmaking. While it's not solely focused on men's shirts, it has a lot of interesting tips for upping the quality from your standard pattern instructions or RTW.

Different books have different uses.

The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques is an invaluable little reference for making your knitting look handmade rather than homemade. It comes in a spiral-bound version, which is very nice to have.

For sweater design & customizing, you can't beat Sweater Design in Plain English. Again, it's all about the difference between homemade and handmade. Righetti also wrote Knitting in Plain English, which is a more general book and just as invaluable.

My favourite stitch dictionaries are the Walker Treasuries - I use Volume 1 most often.

You'll love this one (:
https://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Definitive-History-Costume-Style/dp/0756698359/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481972547&sr=8-2&keywords=history+of+clothing

This is more about fitting and tailoring than pattern making, but it's been really helpful to me.

My style definitely could not be described as "preppy" but I have a copy of Take Ivy on my coffee table, because it's just cool.

If you can find it, the book Take Ivy (http://www.amazon.com/Take-Ivy-Shosuke-Ishizu/dp/1576875504) has lots photos of amazing 1960s Ivy League style.

Not sure if you'd still consider this streetwear, but Take Ivy is a very interesting Japanese photo book of 1960's Ivy League style.

https://www.amazon.com/Take-Ivy-Shosuke-Ishizu/dp/1576875504

I'm in a similar situation. I ended up purchasing a few fashion design textbooks.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875967175/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609010019/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576875504/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

actually only the center one is a textbook, the other two are construction techniques and basically an Ivy inspo. I own all of these and enjoy them all in different ways.

It’s not comprehensive, and I can’t think of one real consistent option, but the Rizzoli book might be a good place to start.

If you're Canadian, out of stock though
Supreme https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0847833119/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_PDcEwb0NT64D9

This book is fantastic.

This isn't makeup itself, but the book Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge is absolutely phenomenal. It's a very thorough and highly visual history of makeup, from medieval times through the present day. Sounds like it's right up your Secret Santa's alley!

Just got this book a few weeks ago. Haven't had a chance to go through it much yet but from the reviews and first glance it looks solid

The Wristwatch Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Mechanical Wristwatches https://www.amazon.com/dp/185149829X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nyJSCb6EGRSH6

You need to learn how to do a full bust adjustment. You'll be able to make anything fit. There's a couple of different methods and lots of information online. Fit for Real People is the most popular book and worth having. Your library may have it or you can pick up an older copy for a few dollars. I don't use the tissue fitting advice, but those few pages on the fba have paid for themselves over and over.

http://www.amazon.com/Shirtmaking-Developing-Skills-Fine-Sewing/dp/1561582646

I cannot recommend this book enough as a very well illustrated and straightforward guide to shirt making/ adjustments. It's very easy to understand, even for someone with little to no experience.

Maybe http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449/

thesartorialist is good for inspiration, they cover NY, Paris & Milan.

Also try styleforum, they are all over this. There are members there that seem to wear nothing but Kiton & Boroni.

Flusser's books have long been respected.

Here's 2 more sources that might help.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Book-Mens-Tailoring-Producing/dp/0914046306/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458447964&sr=8-1&keywords=the+blue+book+of+mens+tailoring

http://www.amazon.com/Trousers-Multimedia-Workshop-TROUSERS-Paperback/dp/B00QN9V4CK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458447939&sr=8-2&keywords=making+trousers

Man, I know, I run into some problems too - I've got weird proportions as well. I'm 6'1", let's just put it that way. Ain't no pattern out there made for me, hahaha.

I personally have used the book Sew U a whole bunch (I got it from ModCloth over a year ago) as it's great for beginners.

And I think the number one thing that's helped me out the most is finding clothes that I have no problem parting with, or buying cheap ones (that fit the way I want them to) from thrift stores, and then ripping them at the seams with a stitch ripper. Use those to practise and make your first patterns by yourself; it won't be super glam the first time around but you'll get the hang of it!

This guy I used to kinda know "wrote the book" on this phenomenon.

Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style

http://www.amazon.com/Ametora-Japan-Saved-American-Style/dp/0465059732 (not an affiliate link)

I googled "Fit For Real People," is that that this book?

I think this post's title was just kind of misleading—the article's actual title doesn't specify anything about jeans/denim. And it seems like the article is basically a quick summary of the book that's listed on the side of the page.

There's that book everyone got off to like a month ago. Don't remember the name though.

Edit: Here it is

Check out Shirtmaking Essentials. I just got it because I took 12 shirts to a tailor and decided I should just try to make my own that fit right in the first place.

if you say so just because of the t-shirt you might be mistaken.
EDIT: You0re definitely right about the continent though: http://www.amazon.com/Take-Ivy-Shosuke-Ishizu/dp/1576875504

It looks incredibly similar to Cambridge, UK, nut it may well be Princeton.

Dressing the Man is quite comprehensive.

Just to have a real comment in here, Lapham's is often borderline academic in their research policies and you would do well to read this article. You can only learn so much from reading Reddit.

Also, its author literally wrote the book on the penetration of Ivy League Style into Japanese culture.

Actually, according to the rules of men's fashion as propounded by Alan Flusser, mixing stripes of different directions is fine if the widths of the stripes are significantly different, which is the case here.


Still, I think he could use a splash of color.

I see this one recommended all the time.

Amazon for you prime boys: https://www.amazon.com/Supreme-James-Jebbia/dp/0847833119/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478738623&sr=8-1&keywords=rizzoli+supreme

Dressing the man? see https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485821062&sr=8-1&keywords=dressing+the+man

https://www.amazon.com/Supreme-James-Jebbia/dp/0847833119

Check it out, been my coffee table staple for a minute.

books:

http://www.amazon.com/Details-Mens-Style-Manual-Ultimate/dp/159240328X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318604822&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/AskMen-com-Presents-Style-Bible-Building/dp/0061208507/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1318604822&sr=8-6

Take Ivy

Also, Michael Fassbender in X-men: First Class is really sharply dressed.

Also, I'm assuming you've seen this book? http://www.amazon.com/Shirtmaking-Developing-Skills-Fine-Sewing/dp/1561582646/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IK71TVPT97LQV&colid=19HI58IWE9MFY

Icons of Men's Style

In stock on Amazon for $30.

Here it is for $16 cheaper

/u/thebrandonbond found it on amazon for 16 dollars cheaper

$31.52

I’ve been doing this a while. Check out a book the little black dress and build by Wendy dresses. They really expanded my skills

https://www.amazon.com/Built-Wendy-Dresses-Guide-Making/dp/0307461335/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539774463&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=built+by+wendy&dpPl=1&dpID=51arjNZRa%2BL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Black-Dress-Make-Perfect/dp/1861086237/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1539774530&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=the+little+black+dress+book&dpPl=1&dpID=51Dtgi1b-sL&ref=plSrch

How many of you here have read or own 'Handmade Shoes For Men by Lazlo Vass? I find myself going through it every few months.

Not a rep but yea https://www.amazon.com/Supreme-James-Jebbia/dp/0847833119

Cars

Photography

Comic Books 1, 2

Apple

LEGO's

American Football

PostSecret

Video Games

Vinyl

Warhol

Outdoors

Star Wars

Motorcycles

The Dark Knight

Paris

Interior Design

World Atlas

Banksy

Wes Anderson

Tribal Cultures

Playboy

Girls

Libraries

The Cosmos

The Beetles

Travel

Preppy

Steve McQueen

The Moon

Handmade Shoes for Men goes through all that.

Apparently it was featured in Take Ivy, which was published in 1965 in Japan as a fashion guide for "Ivy Style"

You should buy this book - https://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Shoes-Men-L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3-Vass/dp/3848003686

It will answer all of your questions to start.

Take Ivy. A look at the preppy image of the 1960s.

Buy yourself a copy of Dressing the Man: The Art of Permanent Style

Using bedsheet as a backdrop. This guys is a keeper. Go get him girls.

Hope this helps

http://www.amazon.com/Supreme-James-Jebbia/dp/0847833119

You can read this - https://www.amazon.com/Ametora-Japan-Saved-American-Style/dp/0465059732

Reading "Handmade Shoes for Men" should be a start, at least to know the shoe making process.

Take Ivy is classic.

Have you seen this book?
It's very informative and was really handy for the men's shirt I made recently. It is quite old though and I think the author is releasing a new book this year.

You can't type "Supreme Book" into Amazon?

http://www.amazon.com/Supreme-James-Jebbia/dp/0847833119/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462745589&sr=8-1&keywords=supreme+book

Dressing the Man

No, really. Buy it.

> Any idea the price range on Alan flusser?

I have no clue however he is an authority on how to choose clothing based on your individual characteristics. This book of his explains what he means:

https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449

> Also, any thoughts on balani custom clothiers?

I am not familiar with them.

No black. Black is only for funerals. He needs charcoal or navy blue.

I recommend this book to every man:

https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449

Shirtmaking is harder than it looks. If she wants to take a stab at it, here's a book on copying the pattern without taking it apart:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0823026663/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_Qq7cAb3V68CVV


This is THE best resource on shirtmaking:

Shirtmaking by David Page Coffin

Both of these authors also have courses on Craftsy.com.

Is this the type of shirt we're talking about?



wrangler retro shirt

It may be tricky to find the right thin but soft and sturdy denim. It's a whole thing that high end Japanese manufacturers are buying old US looms to try to replicate the fabric weave of vintage US workwear.

Maybe the linked shirt is close?

I'm glad you appreciated it! I have one more for you, the cover of this book, Fit for Real People, is horrible but I swear the info inside is totally worth it. It teaches tissue fitting patterns so that you can solve fitting problems BEFORE you've spent a bunch of time making a garment to find that it fits all wrong. I freaking love that book.

Ninja edit because I screwed up my link.