PUBLISHERS' PREFACE
In placing in the hands of the Trade yet another addition to that encyclopaedic work, THE CUTTERS' PRACTICAL GUIDE, we realize the vast extent of ground that is covered by the comprehensive term, British Tailoring; to enable the present-day tailor to fulfil the manifold requirements of his calling. The two latest volumes of the C.P.G. have dealt with what are known as speciality garments, and it is now our privilege to introduce another part, which treats of a branch of the trade that some may consider outside the beaten track, but which is one of considerable and growing importance, and one which offers splendid scope to the cutter who desires to be at once an artist and a through master of his profession.
In a work on Military Garments so much depends on absolute accuracy of detail and conformity with the not easily understandable official regulations, that it is essential, not only that a thoroughly reliable system should be used, but that the information conveyed should be verified and confirmed from all the best available sources.
We have no hesitation, in either of these respects, in commending this book as being, as near possible, everything that such a book should be. The system is the now universally approved Cutters' Practical Guide System, and the author, Mr. W.D.F.Vincent, has spared no effort to make it fit to take rank with the most successful of his previous productions. The Cutters' Practical Guide method has been adopted in the Army Clothing Depot at Pimlico, it is used by many of the leading Master Tailors in the Service, and by quite a large number of cutters in the high-class tailoring firms in the West End.
In addition to this, Mr. Vincent has had access to the official regulations, has obtained his information even in matters of the minutest of detail, at the fountain head, and has consulted several of the most expert cutters in the trades where this branch is made a speciality—whose very cordial assistance he has here much pleasure in acknowledging.
In the arrangement of this book, every care has been taken to make it both trustworthy and convenient in use. The letterpress has been carefully compared with the diagrams, and the illustrations are in all cases so placed in context with descriptions as to be perfectly easy of reference and in a measure self explanatory.
In stating, with confidence, that no such valuable work on the subject has ever before been published, we are reminded of some lines of Tennyson which seem particularly appropriate to the tailoring literature of our time, especially when we think of the difficulties which the former generations of cutters experiences in the pursuit of trade knowledge. We quote from memory, but the line are something like this:—
"Read my little fable,
He who runs may read
All Can grow the flower,
Now all can get the seed."
Here we have seed of a very special character, gathered by one whose ripe experience makes the selection sure. It places in the hand of the student a means of self-cultivation, which, rightly used, cannot fail to bring the flowers of success in due season and will be equally valuable to the more mature professors of the art and science of cutting no matter whether this particular branch of his craft may be an occasional or a regular part of his work,
