Page:The Cutter's Practical Guide 1898 Edition Part 1.djvu/66

Rh results, and if done to any extent, are only of service to produce misfits and alterations, hence we are constrained to say that this is false straightness and crookedness, and is only a complication of disorders upsetting the balance, the shoulder slope, and the length of front-edge in such a way as will destroy the fit of any garment. The crooked shoulder shortens the distance from nape of neck to bottom of scye in front as covered by the front shoulder. It lengthens the distance from the shoulder point to front of scye, or that part covered by the over-shoulder measure. It also lengthens the front edge. If the front edge is drawn in sufficiently to make it it snug to the figure in front the result will be creases on the front shoulder, as the neck-end of front shoulder has been shortened, and the scye end lengthened; this will at once be seen by referring to diagram 149. It is a very erroneous notion to fancy that straightening the shoulder in this way produces ease in the scye, for it actually reduces its circumference. The best way to do that is as we have pointed out in diagram 148, and is the same in result as if the front shoulder and over shoulder measure had been increased, the latter in greater ratio than the former, whilst $1/2$ an inch will be plenty to add to the front shoulder when sweeping from front of breast, but people who adopt this method must not expect their garments to fit as clean and smart as when produced to the customer's measures, We have seldom found it necessary to resort to such an alteration as this, having always been able to give quite sufficient ease by giving a proper shape to the scye, and cutting it to the customer's measures. As we call the alterations shown on 149 false, it will be necessary for us to show what in our judgment is

This is nothing to do with the shoulders, the front edge being the only part affected, for although it apparently alters the location of the neck point to others, yet the shoulders in all the three shown in diagram 150 are identical, the variations introduced being nothing more or less than a wedge inserted or taken from the front edge, the former producing a rounder and so a crookeder front edge, and the latter a straighter one. Now let us examine the requirements of any figure there and what do we find but that every figure is hollow down the middle of front, and as the proper way to fit a hollow is by the shortest distance between two points, and as any one with the least knowledge of geometry knows that is found in the perfectly straight line. Now this is what is required in the front, and if the garment is to fit satisfactorily, the centre must either be cut straight or manipulated straight, drawing any round there may be in till the straight is produced. But a feature comes in which must be studied in successful cutting, viz.: providing a proper receptacle for the breasts in just the same way that we provide room for the blades. This is done in the system laid down in this volume by adding to the front shoulder measure 1 inch, which extra 1 inch of length should always be drawn in, and the fulness worked back over the breast, so that if we have a prominent breast to provide for as is often found in the erect, we should add $1 1/2$, and in the flat-chested or stooping, $1/2$ inch only, always drawing in the forepart to the straight line, for no matter whether the figure be stooping, normal, or erect, the straight front edge will fit him, provided there is a sufficient receptacle for the breast. To assert that a wedge inserted in the side of forepart at waist to nothing at bottom of scye is identical with cutting the forepert across and lengthening the front edge as shown by dot and dash lines, is one of the most ridiculous. short-sighted assertions that could possibly be made, for surely in the one case the forepart is made wider and in the other longer, the forepart would produce room over the sides, and has nothing whatever to do with straightness and crookedness, whilst the latter has all to do with it, and if properly manipulated would produce room for the breast, and add greatly to the form and style of the garment. We trust this will be clear to our readers. but as it is is subject that requires an elaborate treatment we are only able to touch on the principal features, and hope it will set our readers when we doubt not they will soon form a definite conclusion as to what is true and what is false. We leave this subject by briefly referring to diagram 151, which was recently