June, former mender at Sunny Bank Mills from 1949-1959, gives us her thoughts on a bygone staple – The Jacket
‘Jackets were very popular years ago. Being classed as leisure wear as t-shirts and jogging trousers were a thing yet to come. Everyone wore suits, even the poorer class though they maybe second or third hand. So a sports jacket, as they used to be called, worn with a pair of flannels, another name for a pair of light trousers, was considered more relaxed but still smart. They were made in various materials, hopsack, dogs tooth, hounds tooth; a larger version, stripes, checks and my favourites, tweeds.
Blazers also were popular especially with military and school organisations. They were more finer textured like Baratheas, twills and hopsacks and in navy and black.
Women too began wearing jackets in lighter colours and materials, and it was not unusual to visit a tailor to have your jackets handmade. There were lots of tailors working in small shops years ago, and you would enter and be shown samples of the cloths that were available. After choosing, out would come a tape measure and careful notes were made of length, width of back, arms allowing for movement. Would you want a back vent or two maybe? Double or single breasted, though most went for single breasted, but it was polite to ask!
Having all the immediate information you were given an appointment for a fitting in maybe two weeks time. Then back you would go to try on what was basically the inside of your jacket with shoulder pads in place to sit correctly. All the basting stitches would be holding everything in place. Then if there was any adjusting to be done it was made at this stage. Another appointment made, then you went for your final visit to try on and bring home a perfect jacket that sat well on you and would last for years. So easy to order online these days or off the peg now. The whole experience and thrill of having a jacket made is lost.’
Visit our Tailored exhibition in the Museum & Archive over the weekend of the Threads Textile Festival, 17th & 18th May 2025. Read more about Tailored on this link.
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