The methodology of construction: the gentleman's tailor and the home sewer

A process or methodology of designing and production is common to any creative practice. The result of which is an article that is often inhabited, experienced and used without reference to how it was made. Once the article has been made and exists as an object it is easy to perceive the production process purely as a direct transfer from the initial design into a physical object. This perception would require complete control over the material world and in reality the manner in which the initial design is developed into a physical article is controlled by material and economic limitations as well as cultural and personal persuasions. Production of a particular article could occur in variety of ways and because the production process influences the very existence and nature of the articles made the choice of a production route is not neutral. Bespoke tailoring makes articles of clothing for specific clients who provide unique sites for these fabric constructions. Relationships between a garment and the body are very intimate and the shapes and forms of an individual's figure are a unique part of the client's identity which the garment adds to once it is worn. Therefore the production of bespoke garments requires the client's body to be mapped, sometimes in extraordinary ways. By presenting technical texts and first hand experiences of two techniques of bespoke sewing a comparison can be made between different methodologies of construction. The two systems examined here; the Gentleman's Tailor sewing for the male figure and the Home Sewer sewing for herself, act as examples of the manner in which construction processes in all creative practices greatly influence an articles outcome.