In women's wear, we see a lot of stay stitching around necklines, armholes, etc. so the fabric doesn't stretch. It's done very soon after the fabric is cut. Given tailoring doesn't attach the collar and sleeves until near the end, and there is so much handling of the fabric before then, I wonder why stay stitching (even by hand) isn't done in these areas. I can see it not being done in heavier, firmer fabric, but tailoring is done in all kinds of fabric - the very lightweight Super Wools up to 250!, silks, light linens, etc. Looking forward to your feedback.
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Is it true that bespoke tailors never use fused interlinings?
Great question!
Here is the answer:
This has to do with the specific construction of the garment and the intention and prefered method of the tailor.
Sometimes, a curve needs to be stretched and so no reinforcement is needed. Other times it is taped at a later stage. The stretching of fabric is not permanent and the stretched area can be ironed back in place.
Materials like felt however will stretch permanently. These must be reinforced in areas where stretching is undesirable.
I'd like to highlight: stretching is not a bad thing in many cases. It's not some "problem" that should be prevented at all times. It is in fact one of the most important factors of a good fit around the neck and shoulders, given that the neck circle is not too wide.
Reza.