The art of tailoring, cutting, fitting, fabricating and sewing cloth - the basic aspects of constructing a garment from a simple pattern. Tailoring gradually developed across Europe between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. The word “tailor”, first appeared in the Oxford Dictionary in 1297 and originates from a French word “tailler” which means to cut. The Latin word for tailor refers to someone who patches or mends garments; the English word “sartorial”, is linked to something related to tailored garments.Today, the word “tailor” connotates to someone who creates custom made men’s clothing. 

Bespoke tailors are among the most respected people in the fashion industry. Bespoke, meaning custom, these are garments that have been made-to-measure for one specific client. The word “bespoke” indicates that the garment is “spoken for” therefore, not for sale to the public and a one off. England emerged as a the centre for bespoke tailors since the turn of the 18th century, Bond Street, Saville Row, and St. James Street in London’s West End have been known as places where you can find elite and traditional tailors. Though even traditional tailors continually update their looks to fit modern styles and trends, the oldest labels famously keep their signature elements that were originally developed by the original master tailor. 

 The art of tailoring dates back to the early Middle Ages, where clothing was thought to be a means for concealing the body. Some of the earliest tailors were linen armorers by trade. These tailors constructed custom, padded linen garments that were typically worn under chain mail to help protect the wearer from any chafing caused by any heavy armour worn. Tailoring first began to diversify in the 12th century in Western Europe. Previous to this, garments were generally made from a single piece of cloth and were created for the sole purpose of covering the human body; at this point individual style was of no particular interest to both the maker or wearer.

During the Renaissance period, the traditional style of garments started to change, the loose robes that were worn by both males and females began to be shortened, tightened, gathered and sewn together in shapes that explored and somewhat resembled the contours of the actual human frame. Years if not centuries before this, clothing was not purchased; everything was made at home, which meant that those individuals that had more knowledge and skill with a needle and thread were able to adapt well when it came to personal style. Once people began to desire clothing in certain styles and for different body types the demand for skilled tailors heightened. This meant fashion was developing from its considered “norm”and was being thought about a lot more than before. Clothes were now considered to be more than necessities and were thought to be a way for people to express themselves and project their status. Until this time the fabric was considered to be the main feature of a garment and as much as that is important it was also the design that should have played a higher role. However, this was soon to be a considered factor, with individuals taking it upon themselves to design and produce garments that they wanted to wear and believed to show off their best assets. Tailors also took on the same approach and started working alongside the customer to create garments that were specific to ones needs and wants. With the importance of tailors growing across Europe, they soon became responsible for the clothing needs of society and tailoring became a highly specialised craft.

With the demand in tailors, there was a widespread of tailor shops. Fabric cutters were wanted, hired and trained in the same way as the master tailor; these cutters fell below the master tailor in the staffing hierarchy. Beneath the cutters were journeyman tailors, who were responsible for some of the less exacting parts of garment construction such as; adding padding, sewing in the linings, adding pockets, sleeves and collars to the garments. At the bottom of the hierarchy there was apprentices, these apprentices were responsible for keeping the shop clean and running errands. If the tasks set for that working day had been completed, they were then allowed to take time to learn the basics of sewing. Before the use of the sewing machine in tailor shops, some garments may have required more than one tailor to work on a garment at one time.

As towns became cities, then city states, and finally empires of power, fashion followed. First it was Italy, Spain and then France became the capital of fashion. Italy reached its great power during the age of Michaelangelo, followed by Spain in the early 17th century. France then reached its fashion peak for tailoring during the long reign of Louis XIV (1643 - 1715), when foppish young men from all over Europe flocked to Paris for their wardrobes. By the time of the French king's death in 1715, there had already begun a shift in power, and a huge influence in fashion. Even during Louis' long lifetime a great shift in masculine costume was occurring. In the middle of the 17th century men began to give up the doublet, hose, and cloak that had been staple wardrobe pieces since the 16th century and began to wear coats, vests, and breeches, the three components we can now identify to be part of modern style. The English moved away from the highly decorative and delicate court style of clothing and took up a more practical approach. By the early decades of the 19th century english tailors, particularly those based in London, now came to dominate the fashion scene. They evolved a style for masculine clothing that was a subtle blend of landed gentry, sporting attire, and bourgeois business wear. Secondly, court clothing had not been constructed with any thought or concern to fit it was all about the decoration, fabric, and colour, this had started to change. When the shift away from decorative elements and ostentation began to occur, fit became the principle. The English tailor was trained to use woven cloth(particularly wool), and over the years tailors have experimented and practiced with developed techniques. New skills were founded and developed and the tailor could now design a new aesthetic of clothing by mimicking the real silhouette of the body. The changes over the years started to turn men into “gentlemen” just by appearance.

Overall, there has been a huge shift in the fashion industry and its innovations over the past hundred years especially in tailoring; sewing machines are now used and seams are done better than they could have ever been done by hand, new fabric technology has been introduced meaning more comfortable and wearable clothing can now be produced and worn. Fashion has adapted in all forms and is now inclusive to a more leisurely, climate-controlled lifestyle. Although, tailoring was and is closely associated with menswear more than it is with women’s wear a lot of fashion designers in the 21st century are now incorporating suits and elements of tailoring into their own catwalk collections. Tailoring is still believed to be the making of personalised and statement clothing.

Links - https://journal.alabamachanin.com/2016/05/the-history-of-tailoring/

• https://charlottestiffell.com/brief-history-of-tailoring/

• http://www.lnstar.com/mall/literature/tailor4.htm

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