Reddit reviews The Shirtmaking Workbook: Pattern, Design, and Construction Resources - More than 100 Pattern Downloads for Collars, Cuffs & Plackets
We found 4 Reddit comments about The Shirtmaking Workbook: Pattern, Design, and Construction Resources - More than 100 Pattern Downloads for Collars, Cuffs & Plackets. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Creative Publishing International
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
Books
Some Japanese men's pattern books can be found here and here.
For Inspiration
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.
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:
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!
Judging by your posting history in this sub, I highly recommend you invest in a shirt-making textbook, like The Shirtmaking Workbook by David Coffin.
I recommend David Page Coffin's shirtmaking or trousers books. Plenty of helpful tips, equipment suggestions, guides on how to do small things, and you'll be able to wear what you make.
Shirts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1589238265/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VafJDbJPXMT7P
Pants: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1589234499/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HbfJDbGG1FTAA