Reddit mentions of CLOVER 432/W Triangle Tailors Chalk, White

Basically, you'd need pattern paper. And a plectrum of tailors chalk. You lay your garment over top of the pattern paper and you trace it with said-chalk. From there, you need to cut it out with scissors. I believe there are two types -- one for patterns and one for actually cloth. After you cut out the pattern, you can obviously alter it to be thinner throughout the body, the sleeves, etc. You know, you can change things.

Once you have the pattern, you need fabric. And you need to know how it'll hang on the body. And this is going to take a lot of work to see the drape of your actual made garments. But first, you have to assemble the garments -- so you're going to need a back pattern, front, sleeves, etc. You need to have it detailed. Because your next step is to lay that fabric with the pattern and cut. You cut your front, back, sleeves. Then you have to sew it together. Which is easier said than done. I assume (someone correct me if I'm wrong, please?) that you'll need all kinds of stitches to make a sweater or a dress shirt like an OCBD. A straight stitch just won't do? And then, you have your actual fitting.

Granted, bespoke places generally have bastings where they sort of hastily make the jacket to certain specifications. It's not complete, but it shows how it'd fit and what it'd be like.

Try it. I'm curious to see how it goes.

Have you tried tailors chalk, like these? I never have much luck with pencils, but these triangles (or squares if you get the Dritz version) are really amazing ^^ Pretty easy to sharpen the edges up once they start to dull, too.

Back darts won't solve every fitting problem, but if you want to try, here's how to do it. You will need:

• Pins
  
  
• Tailor's chalk (clay, not wax) and do a test first to make sure it comes off. Use white: darker colors may not come out. Here's one brand.
  
  
• A French Curve
  
  
• A ruler, preferrably, a clear one.
  
  
• A needle with white thread
  
  
• A sewing machine with thread matching the fabric
  
  
• An iron
  
  
  Put the shirt on the person. On one side, locate the area beneath the shoulder blade (look at the photos you posted). Pinch. That will be the end or "vanishing point" of the dart. Move down about 1/2" and pin. Keep pinning, creating a fold that contours to the body and removes the excess fabric.
  
  Some darts are "diamond" or "fish-eye" darts. They are double-pointed. If that looks good, begin to taper the fold back into another point. This vertical dart is usually somewhat symmetrical. Another choice is to continue the straight fold down to the end. You will have to pick out the hem.
  
  If the person is pretty symmetrical, you only need to do one side, but you can do both.
  
  With the chalk, lightly trace in between the track of pins.
  
  Remove the pins, take the chalk and connect the dots into a neat, sewable line using the curve and ruler.
  
  Repin, baste the dart and check the fit.
  
  If it looks good, transfer the dart to the other side with tailor tacks, or you might be able to fold the unpinned part of the shirt over the basted dart and trace over the stitches with chalk.
  
  Baste the other dart and check the fit. If adjustments are needed, take out the stitches and follow the steps described above until the fit is good. You may need to do this several times.
  
  If you've picked diagonal darts, sew the dart by starting in the center and sewing to one end. Then return to the center, overlap the stitches or make them adjacent by a stitch or two and sew to the other end. Press.
  
  If you've pick a dart with one point, sew from the bottom of the shirt to the point and tie off the dart. Press, then resew the hem.
  
  
  
  If darts don't work, you might try single or double pleats. Remember that not every fitting problem is solvable by adding darts or pleats. Sometimes they can throw other things off.

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