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The Tailors' Guide

The Merchant Tailor Museum is pleased to bring to the public, for the first time in 167 years, a faithful re-printing of Louis Devere and Charles Compaing's 1856 masterwork: The Tailors' Guide.

remains one of the most important and influential drafting and cutting guides of the 19th century, setting the standard for tailoring guides for years to come. Fewer than ten original copies are known to exist, and we are excited to be able to off er a two-volume set copied directly from an original in The Merchant Tailor Museum's collection.

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The Tailors' Guide...

"...Containing upwards of Five Hundred Diagrams."

First published by Simkin, Marshall, & Co. in 1856, The Tailors' Guide was the first manual written by Louis Devere and Charles Compaing. Devere, at the time, was the editor of the Gentleman's Magazine of Fashion and Costume, and The Tailors' Guide combined and expanded upon various articles that he authored during his first several years as the Magazine's editor. 

 

The Tailors' Guide contains instructions and diagrams for the patterning, adjusting, and subsequent transfer to cloth, of a wide array of garments for men, women, and children; from frock coats to riding capes, trousers to uniform jackets. This set is a must-have for those interested in the reproduction and study of mid-nineteenth century clothing.

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"The Graduated Measures."

The Tailors' Guide built its foundation on the use of the graduated ruler, a system of rulers in varying sizes which help eliminate complicated calculations during the drafting process. Devere and Compaing did not invent the graduated ruler, but their system is responsible for its widespread popularity. Just like the copies first sold by Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. we have included a set of 17 graduated rulers, scaled to the sizes found in the original pressing. Additionally a PDF of these rulers can be downloaded for free by clicking the image at right.

 

*Must be printed at 100% on 11x17 paper.

Click the image Above To Download.

All Sales Closed

Thanks for your overwhelming support in our first fundraising initiative! The 1856 Guides did way better than we expected, and we plan to release more guides in various formats in the future.

If you missed out on this specific run, sign up for our email list at the bottom of the page to be notified about future releases!

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