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Maine Line
CRAFT COMMUNITIES ARE COMMONPLACE IN THE STATE OF MAINE
Rocky shorelines, evergreen forests, dramatic vistas: this is coastal Maine. A place where, for centuries, artists, visitors and residents have reveled in the landscape, palette and climate, soaking up all that the natural world has to offer. Not only do the colours, textures and patterns of the physical environment provide inspiration, but the state’s seasonal extremes invite a sense of community among those with a passion for textiles. Generations of knitters, weavers, textile artists and
This history stretches back to the mid 1800s, when textile mills and production thrived along the waterways to the sea. Centered around Biddeford, these early mills produced textiles on a large scale, but, sadly, many of them are now closed. On a smaller scale, Maine’s textile history was also rooted in the basic need for warm garments in the colder winter months, as well as in a yearning for indoor activities and community during this season.
A driving adventure along the coast provides thus Ramblers Way was born. They are proud that their garments are 100% made in America, from the yarns to the weaving to the sewing. Their commitment to these production values will be echoed time and time again in many other stops along our tour.
The next is the mill town of Biddeford. Once the center for textile production in Maine, Biddeford and Saco are home to a few places of note. The first, Quince and Company, began when three knitters from diverse backgrounds joined forces.
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Saco River Dye House yarn-lovers have long thrived in this environment, creating while communing.
The pull of such a place has always been strong for many who find themselves in other parts of America – eager for a career change or a simpler way of life. And those who gravitate to Maine discover the charm of its small communities, but also its sense of possibility. Whether “Mainers” or transplants, these creative entrepreneurs share a common goal to offer products of beauty, utility and substance, as well as to produce them by ethical and environmentallyfriendly means. These are businesses that owe much to the rich history of textiles and craft in Maine.
much delight for the textile enthusiast. Travelling along the famous Route 1, the road meanders in and out of small communities and larger towns, each one as charming as the next. A popular drive for many visitors, the often-busy road begs you to slow down and breathe in the salt air. Your journey begins in the south, not far from the border, at a young business founded by long-time Mainers Tom and Kate Chappell called Ramblers Way.
The Chappells are well-known entrepreneurs, having founded a line of health care products, ‘Tom’s of Maine’. But, as long-term residents of Maine, they also saw a need for well-made woollen clothing and
Similar to other textile companies along the coast, the owners were inspired by the love for and tradition of handcraft in Maine; in this case, knitting and yarn. They set out to provide an exceptional, beautiful and natural product, one with limited environmental-impact made through morally sound business practices.
Their offerings range from sustainably sourced and dyed yarns to classic knitting patterns, all available directly to the consumer. As co-founder Pam Allen states, “Selling directly to the knitter has made it possible to be the business we want to be.” Product inspiration comes from cold Maine4
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Golfing glamour FASHIONING AN IDENTITY ON THE FAIRWAY
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Working class TWENTIETH CENTURY MENSWEAR IN THE VINTAGE SHOWROOM
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Popular culture often pokes fun at golfing dress; the comic image of plus fours and diamond patterned sweaters is a common one. But why, when the golfing apparel business generates millions of pounds each year, does it have such a questionable reputation in the style stakes?
Living in St Andrews, we are surrounded by gangs of golfers throughout the year, and, despite an increase in established designers using cutting edge fabrics, there is definitely a clear look, perhaps even a uniform, for both men and women.
The pioneers of the game would have ventured onto the links wearing their everyday outdoor clothing; breeches, tailcoats and ruffled cravats. The one piece of clothing that became synonymous with golf was the tailored jacket; it was usually red but occasionally blue for some societies. The red coats were similar to those worn by noblemen for all outdoor pursuits and Captains of some of the earliest golf clubs and societies adopted the trend. Opinions differ on the reasons behind the colour, some writers believe it served as a warning to other people who were using the land for purposes other than golf. Others suggest that the style stemmed from the military red coats worn by men of this era. The jackets not only showed the wearer’s patriotism, but also their allegiance to a particular society or club. They were representative of the power and rank of the wearer and, on a practical note, kept early golfers warm whilst on the cold Scottish links.
Yet physical comfort was a secondary consideration. The jackets were essentially a uniform which golfers were expected to wear. If not properly attired, they could face a f ine imposed by their club. Today such formal golfing dress is usually reserved for ceremonial occasions and serves as a link to the past.
Women golfers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries also disregarded practicality and comfort. They adopted the red jackets of their male counterparts but in addition a constant check on modesty was also stressed. A vital accessory for the golfing lady was a black elastic band used to control the skirt. Known as a ‘Miss Higgins Hoop’ it was worn around the waist and moved to the knees as the wind got up.
Full coverage was required – plenty of layers that must have impacted on the ladies’ swing. In an article for Golfing Magazine journalist Dermot Gilleece relates an anecdote about the English Championship of 1924 in which “the knitted skirt of one competitor became so saturated with rain that the wearer could no longer move. With her match all square at the 18th, she asked if she might go to the clubhouse and put her skirt through a mangle.” Gradually garments became more streamlined, but the women who chose golf as their sport battled not only the British weather in uncomfortable clothing, but also opposition and derision from some observers.
Men’s outfits became lighter but essentially remained a three piece suit with starched collars. The arrival of the 20th century heralded a few practical modifications. Norfolk jackets became acceptable attire for the gentleman golfer, and one of the most famous golfing garments, knickerbockers (plus fours and plus twos, as they would become known) made their appearance. The garment’s name derives from the extra inches of material that folded over the wearer’s knee-length stockings, plus fours being much baggier. One of the fans of this look was Harry Vardon; winner of a record six Open Championships. Vardon was often pictured wearing his knickerbockers whilst his contemporaries still favoured the trouser.
By the 1920s liberalisation of fashion for both genders had led to some changes in golf apparel.4
Medal Day at St Andrews, 1894, oil on canvas, Wardlow, Alexander 1870-1899
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Although today specialist workwear is increasingly only worn for specialist tasks – by those working in dangerous environments, or by the emergency services and so on – in the first half of the 20th century to wear such kit was the norm rather than the exception. One piece of what was originally workwear – five-pocket Western jeans, devised by Levi Strauss & Co for miners and gold panners in the American West – has become the default for all sorts of manual workers, but also as an almost universal piece of leisurewear. Once a profession as humble as a streetsweeper or dock-worker could be identified by the clothing the man put on for work – and he would wear it only for work. In the US train drivers wore locomotive jackets; in France a road-builder would wear the distinctive short, blue canvas jacket with the Peter Pan collar; in the UK a factory worker would wear similar, only his would be of a darker blue and have revers (turned-back edges) – smart even amid the smut.
The Vintage Showroom’s collection of workwear is as much an expression of the diversity of work – or, at least, of manual work – as it is of the clothes that were created to make that work safer and easier; be that through the level of protection it afforded or – something that is almost universal to workwear – the durability of the fabric and construction, which has meant much of it is still going strong today. Not that some of it hasn’t taken a battering: arguably a large part of the appeal of vintage clothing is best suggested by workwear; the lives of the clothing as expressed in the darns and patches, the alterations and home repairs. The idea of ‘Sunday best’, of keeping back a pristine outfit for more formal or public occasions, is surprisingly global, and with less need for work clothing to be presentable – in any conventional sense – it was worn until it fell apart. And was fixed and fixed again until it could take no more fixing.
Perhaps more so than sports and leisure, or military clothing then, the workwear selected by The Vintage Showroom has, down the decades, become more art works than workwear: each piece originally mass manufactured, and over time becoming more and more hand-made, albeit by hands more concerned with the practicality than the prettiness of the effect. It serves as a reminder that the rarity of a piece of vintage clothing is not always simply a question of it being one of a few remaining survivors. Sometimes it can become a true one-off only through the long use it has endured.
Vintage Menswear: A Collection from the Vintage Showroom, Josh Sims, Douglas Gunn and Roy Luckett, Laurence King Publishers, ISBN-10: 1856698831, £30, The Vintage Showroom, 14 Earlham Street, Seven Dials, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9LN, T: +44 (0)207-836-3964, www.thevintageshowroom.com
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PROMOTING THE PRINCIPLES OF PROPER DRESS FROM 1866 TO 1972 The Tailor & Cutter selv edge.org
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In 1903 The Tailor & Cutter was so well known that Beatrix Potter had a mouse reading it on the cover of The Tailor of Gloucester. In less than 40 years, this trade paper had acquired an international reputation as the authority on matters sartorial.
Appearing almost always as a weekly, The Tailor & Cutter (the T&C) flourished from 1866 until 1972. It was the creation of an obsessive Scotsman, John Williamson. In January 1866 he produced The Tailor, which supported social reform to improve working conditions for journeymen tailors. Hand-tailoring was the most common form of clothing manufacture – the industrial sewing machine had appeared only in the late 1840s.
During 1866 Williamson relocated to London and in September that year, backed by one Angelica Patience Fraser, he launched two titles, The Tailor and The Cutter: but these were soon merged into one journal which provided regular communication and technical information to the thousands in the trade.
Williamson was obsessed with tailors bettering themselves and improving their craft. He wrote in 1869: “Our mission is to put a superior class of literature dealing with the science and art of the trade into the hands of every tailor.” In the densely packed pages of the early magazines, education and information were key ingredients, supported by detailed patterns for cutters and discussions about the merits of particular cutting systems and techniques. Readers’ opinionated letters criticised other tailors’ approaches.
In 1866 Williamson and Fraser established The Tailor’s School of Art at 93-94 Drury Lane, London. The Tailor & Cutter promoted the school and its correspondence courses, which were sold globally. The T&C courses became renowned for setting the highest standards for the bespoke trade. Clothing patterns, manuals, shears and other equipment were also sold through the magazine.
The Tailor & Cutter promoted the view that London gentlemen were the best-dressed in the world. Womenswear was included although a separate journal for women’s tailoring was produced from 1884. Illustrations of the latest fashionable styles were featured and from its inception Williamson sold these handsome engravings so that tailors beyond the capital could show what London trend-setters were wearing.
From its earliest editions, the T&C spoke with confidence and authority on dressing correctly.
For more than 100 years, the magazine was a fascinating amalgam of a technical journal, an industry news magazine, a style publication and a gossip sheet of the well-dressed of high society. In 1902 the tailoring academy and magazine relocated to its celebrated 42-43 Gerrard Street address. Outside the five-storey building hung a sign showing The Tailor by Renaissance artist Giovanni Battista Moroni, an image that was adopted as the T&C’s logo. In 1884 the magazine was “A Journal of Art, Science and Trade”. By 1930 it claimed “The Largest Circulation of Any Trade Journal In The World Issued For The Tailoring, Clothing and Allied Trades.” In 1932 it added that it was “The Leading Authority On Clothes”. By 1945 this had been significantly amended to be “The Authority on Style and Clothes”.
After WW2 the title was given fresh impetus by a new editor, John Taylor, who embraced the cause of correct dressing and style with singular enthusiasm. In the 1950s and 1960s, the magazine flourished. A prolific writer with a national reputation, Taylor looked after the editorial while the advertising was handled by Keith Fraser, who persuaded dozens of suppliers to support the title. Of the advertisers of the post-1945 era, many cloth merchants still flourish in some form, such as Dormeuil, Harrison’s of Edinburgh, Lear, Brown & Dunsford, H Lesser, Porter & Harding, and Dugdales of Huddersfield.
Despite the unstoppable rise of ready-mades after World War II, the T&C still championed the bespoke trade and classically smart dressing. It had around 20,000 subscribers and in the 50s and 60s it organised a tailoring competition and exhibition. The 14 awards for various tailored garments were topped by the gold “Dandy” award for the tailor of the year.
Taylor made the T&C less focused on patterns and technical features and more about matters of style and social life. As a complement to the T&C, in 1950 Taylor conceived and launched Man About Town, an early example of a modern men's style magazine. The end for the T&C came in 1972, a few years after Taylor departed. (He died in 2004, aged 82.) The drastic reduction of the UK tailoring trade meant there was no commercially-sized audience for a regular publication. The famous academy closed its doors; the building at 42-43 Gerrard Street is now occupied by a Chinese supermarket. Eric Musgrave In 2010 financial contributions by Savile Row Bespoke, Scabal, Dormeuil and the UK Fashion & Textile Association enabled The Gallery of Costume in Manchester to complete the binding of its archive of The Tailor and Cutter. This superb collection comprises 116 volumes from 1868 to 1969. Platt Hall, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M14 5LL, T: +44 (0)161 245 7245, www.manchestergalleries.org s e l v e d g e . o r g
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It’s official; the Queen buys her ‘fine knitwear’ from John Smedley. The company has received their first Royal Warrant in a 229 year history and really the only question is why did the acknowledgement take quite so long? John Smedley has a proud history of manufacturing the finest Merino wool and Sea Island cotton garments, both underwear and outerwear, in Great Britain and employs 390 people, each of whom has “contributed to the application for The Royal Warrant” says Managing Director Ian Maclean. www.johnsmedley.com
Quarry Bank was once part of one of the largest cotton spinning businesses in the UK and The National Trust are determined to restore it to its former glory. The 18th century industrial site at Styal is at the start of an ambitious four year project which will cost in the region of six million pounds to complete. Project Manager Catherine Prasad, explains: “Quarry Bank is a rare early industrial community. Founded by Samuel Greg in 1784, it helped put Britain and Manchester (AKA Cottonopolis) at the leading edge of the Industrial Revolution. Although the majority of the Quarry Bank estate has been in the Trust’s care since 1939, it has recently acquired the remaining parts of the site. Now they want to weave all the ‘threads’ together and bring Quarry Bank to life.” The fundraising target is £1.4 million to enable work to begin. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/quarrybankappeal selv edge.org
Fashion does not only exist hanging in a shop, on a catwalk or red carpet. Georgian Bath’s stylish society knew only too well that fashion was not just what you wore but how you wore it. To celebrate the city’s fashionable legacy as a place to be seen, Bath in Fashion looks behind the ‘seams’ at how fashion is presented and created. The festival will include a series of workshops and The Norman Parkinson Archive will stage a centenary exhibition to celebrate one of the 20th century’s most innovative and influential fashion photographers. Bath in Fashion 2013, 15-21 April, www.bathinfashion.co.uk
The select few
According to American organisation experts, who specialise in “Closet Realignment”, we wear 20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time and that small percentage reflects our true personality. Spare some sympathy then for the curators who, to mark the Fashion Museum’s 50th anniversary in Bath, had to reduce a collection of national significance to a mere 50 fabulous frocks.
The exhibition has taken two years to plan and each of the chosen garments has their own story to tell in the history of fashion. The curators admit that “there were pieces that came, and then went, and then came back again into the final exhibition object list.”
The final roll call of 50 frocks embraces the best of fashion’s Hall of Fame from Poiret, Vionnet and Schiaparelli to Ossie Clark, Vivienne Westwood and Comme des Garcons. www.museumofcostume.co.uk
Costume party
Would Daisy Buchanan wear Prada? Probably – any woman that weeps at the sight of “sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel” would surely appreciate one of fashion’s most iconic brands.
Sketches of four of the dresses that appear in director Baz Luhrmann's long awaited screen adaptation of The Great Gatsby offer a small glimpse of Miuccia Prada’s collaboration with Luhrmann and Academy Award-winning costume designer Catherine Martin.
The sketches include an orange organza dress with fish scale sequin embroidery which, like the other 39 featured dresses, was inspired by the Prada and Miu Miu archives. They indicate that cinema goers can expect a sea of "shimmering silk gowns; velvets, furs and dancing fringing; flickering shades of emerald, jade, topaz and gold" when Gatsby’s legendary parties come to life on screen. The Great Gatsby, UK cinema release Friday 17 May 2013, thegreatgatsby.warnerbros.com
It sounds like the Crafts Council is taking its lead from ‘tiger moms’ everywhere and has decided to ‘Hothouse’ its rising stars.
Thankfully it entails “a tailormade programme of creative and business support” rather than a rigidly enforced regime of daily piano practice and french lessons. Nevertheless expectations are high as this is the third year of Hothouse – 45 makers have successfully completed the scheme since 2010. The programme is run in partnership across four regions and among those selected are Catherine Carr (north cohort) who knits or crochets fibreglass to create formed glass vessels and Claire-Anne O’Brien (south west) who makes furniture and interior accessories combining oversized vibrant hand-knit forms using British wool. www.craftscouncil.org.uk
Need to know 23: The Carlo Goldoni Puppet Theatre Who was Carlo Goldoni? Carlo Goldoni was one of Italy’s greatest playwrights who altered the direction of Italian theatre in the early 18th century. Moving away from the stock characters and set pieces of Commedia dell’ arte, he wrote a series of 137 comedies, five tragedies and numerous other pieces that reflected the lives of the Italian nobility and the burgeoning bourgeoisie. What was the purpose of the puppet theatre? Goldoni wrote his first play aged 8. He found the puppet theatre invaluable to plan every detail of each scene from the stage direction to the costume and movements of each character. When was it made? According to Goldoni’s autobiography, his father Giulio Goldoni had the puppet theatre made for him when he was a child as it was valued as a training method in Venetian theatre. What scene does it depict? It depicts Scenes XIII and XIV from The Servant of Two Masters written in 1745: the pink silk mantua of one of the puppets is remarkably similar to a full-size gown of pink silk and fine silver thread embroidery of the same date in the collection at the V&A. What is the importance of the puppet theatre? Although puppetry was an important aspect of popular entertainment in the 18th century, they were mostly tawdry Punch and Judy style shows. This puppet theatre and 18th century puppets from the Grimani ai Servi family collection are remarkable for their attempt at realism and their gorgeous costumes cut from contemporary high fashion fabrics. SJD Carlo Goldoni’s House, San Polo 2794, 30125 Venice, T +39 041 2759325, http://carlogoldoni.visitmuve.it
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39 COVER STORY Working Class The menswear collection in the Vintage Showroom offer a lesson in the diversity of manual work in the 20th century – and they look great too. 26 COVER STORY Endless cycle The Tweed Run is the latest way to honour a historic fabric Amy Fleuriot, founder of cyclodelic, discovers the craft at the centre of a truely uplifting festival. Illustrated byLeniKauffman
INDULGE textiles to buy, collect or simply admire 13 First gear Beautiful attire and the best accessories for fashion-conscious cyclists everywhere.
EVENTS 14 The Selvedge Spring Fair Spring treats and Easter gifts at The Chelsea Old Town Hall. Following the success of our Winter Fair we are adding an extra day and evening reception: so add 22nd and 23rd March to your diaries and we’ll look forward to seeing you there...
WIN 83 Prizes this issue Win one of 10 pairs of tickets to the Spring Knitting & Stitching Show worth £15 each. The Spring version of one of our favourite shows will be opening its doors for the first time this March. Newly founded company South Street Linen are offering Selvedge readers the chance to win one of their ‘Workhorse’ linen aprons worth $159.
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INFORM the latest news, reviews and exhibition listings
803 Bias /Contributors A letter from the founder Polly Leonard and comments from our contributors 07 News The Wool House, John Smedley, Quarry Bank Mill, Hot Housing by the Crafts Council, Prada costumes for the Great Gatsby, Norman Parkinson and 50 Fabulous Dresses at the Fashion Museum, Bath. 09 Need to know The Carlo Goldoni Puppet Theatre 14 How to make a bow tie by Fox and Brie 80 Subscription offers This issue every new subscriber and renewal will receive a pack of pretty Fog Linen tapes worth £9 84 Listings Exhibitions, fairs and events taking place around the world in April and May 84 Books The Collier Campbell Archive: 50 Years of Passion in Pattern by Emma Shackleton and Sarah Campbell, Textiles: The Art of Mankind by Mary Schoeser 88 View Micheal Brennand Wood: Forever Changes, Polly Binns and Anne Morrell: Light and Line, Marimekko with Love,
Painted Pomp: Art and Fashion in the Age of Shakespeare 93 Resources Websites, reading lists and sources for those who would like further information about The Dependable Issue 95 Coming next The Botanical Issue: Bast fibres and beautiful florals. Including Portugal, Provençal prints, Cameron Short, Textile graduates 2013, The Language of Flowers, TM Collection, Clothing for Madonnas, Bast and leaf fibres around the world
SELVEDGE ('selnid3 ) n. 1. finished di fferently 2. the non-fraying edge of a length of woven fabric. [: from SELF + EDGE]
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