More examinations

This was also another very interesting tunic to examine. This was because it’s the only one that I had found to far that didn’t have any canvas around the chest. This tunic only had wadding, and a substantial amount of it. Rather than padding just around the lower back it was the full length and all over. The wadding used was polyester rather than cotton, which I would consider to be a more modern type of material used for padding and quilting.

The wadding itself was very thick and layered especially at the jacket front; it almost seemed like a ridiculous amount of padding. I don’t think this method would be something that I would personally do as I don’t feel that the wadding holds a good enough structure on its own – canvas should definitely be an essential element to a tailored military jacket.

You could say that polyester wadding is much more durable than the cotton wadding, as I have seen in the other tunics; the cotton wadding tends to fall apart after time. Perhaps using cotton wadding for padding is a more authentic approach, however it is the most practical? Is it what traditional military tailors still use? These are questions that I hope to get answered.

Another interesting point for me to consider is that when getting a closer look under the sleeve lining. I noticed that there is canvas attached to the sleeve behind where the decorative braid is positioned. This must be because of the heavy nature of the braid; it needs a bit of support and structure in order for it to not misshape the sleeve. This is a very piece of knowledge to have come across as I wouldn’t have thought of this before.

There are obviously different ways that you can construct the foundation materials, there is no right and wrong way of doing it as long as the right affect is achieved. Tailors and costume makers all must have their own way of putting together these foundation materials, or possibly there is a reason that not one of them was completely the same. Maybe it is due to the style of the jacket that has its own individual shape and structure that needs to be achieved. It is a difficult point to consider as I do not yet have access to this specific knowledge, as I have found out that military tailoring is a bit of a hidden/secret trade, and  I think that these tailoring skills techniques get passed down to his apprentice.