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Art du Tailleur (Ed.1769)

The Humbly Attempted Translation of the Art du Tailleur (Ed.1769)

by Francois-Alexandre-Pierre de Garsault

First off we’d like to say that we don’t speak french. This is a terrible faux-pas and something we need to take a bit more seriously as our research continuously leads us into french. It’s a terrible affliction for we do not even know how to pronounce some of the words let alone know what they mean. So, all ye french speakers out there – please be lenient on us – our heart is there but just not our knowledge!

So, into dark waters we go….

(Oh and N.B we don’t actually have a french key board so also forgive the massive grammatical mistakes!)

Le Tailleur de Corps de Femmes

Et Enfants

On nomme corps, un vetement qui se pose immediatement par-dessus la chemise, et qui embrasse seulement le tronc, depuis les apaules jusqu-aux hanches; c’est, pour ainsi dire, une cuirasse civile; car il ne doit pas plier, mais cependant avoir affex de liant pour se preter aux mouvements du corps qu’il ren-ferme, fans alterer sa forme, et en meme tems le soutenir et l’empecher de contracter de mauvaises situations, principalement dnas l’enfance, age foible et delicat, dans lequel les refforts ne font pas encore a un objet aussi interessant, celui de conserver la beaute de la taille des femmes, agrement qu’il joint a tous ceux qu’elles ont en partage.

Le Maitre Tailleur, qui a choisi cette branche de son Art, se nomme Tailleur de Corps de robe et Corsets; et quoique sa science soit moins etendue pour le travail, que celle du Tailleurs pour homme, il a cependant plus d’instrument, et une manutention, plus detaillee et plus savante, attendu que cet Art exige beaucoup de precaution d’adresse et de precision.

(And that’s just the first sentence!!!)

So, into English (ish…)

The Tailor of Stays for Women

and Children

Called Stays (or bodies), a garment that immediately arises over the shirt (shift) and that only embraces the trunk from the shoulders to hips; that is, so to speak, a civil breastplate because it does not bend but, however, can lend to the body movement that’s contained without altering it’s shape and at the same time supporting it, training it, and to keep it from bad posture, especially in childhood and in the weak and delicate ages; in which springs not yet a subject as interesting, that of preserving the beauty of the waist of the women, which joins all her other charms together. (or something like that!)

The next section:….

Materiaux

-Baleine: ce qui se nomme ainsi, prenant le tout la partie, provient du plus enorme de tous les poissons connus, appelle la grand baleine; ce poisson se tient dans les mers du Nord, ou on va la pecher; les parties dont on se sert ici sont des lames dures, et cependant flexibles, attachees par des pellicules, l’une a cote de l’autre, le long des cotes de la machoire superieure, qui pendent vers l’inferieure lorsque la baleine ouvre sa bouche, et se replient comme un eventail dans un canal creuse vers les bords de la machoire inferieure lorsqu’elle la ferme.
– Bougran ou Treillis: toile de chanvre gommee et calandree. On prend communement, pour faire le bougran, de vieille toile de draps ou voiles; quelquefois on en emploi de nueve; c’est pourquoi il n’a aucune largeur determinee, et il est plus gros ou plus fin fuivant les toiles dont on s’est servi.
Canevas, est une toile forte, ecure de trois quarts de large.
Toile jaune de Cholet ne Anjou: elle est de line et de deux tiers de large.
Toile de Lyon blanche: elle est fabrique a Laval dans le Maine; elle a trois quartsde large.
Lacet de tresse ed soie.
Lacet a la Duchesse:
espece de galon fil et soie d’un demi-pouce de large.

 

Materials

Whale(whalebone): which is so named, taking it’s parts from the most enormous of all known fish called the great whale; this fish which is usually fished in the North seas : the part of the fish used here abaleine pellicules - handbound costumesre tough blades, yet flexible, fastened with a film of dead skin (kind of as pictured!), one next to the other, along the sides of the upper jaw, hanging to the lower jaw when the whale opens it’s mouth and that fold like a fan in a hollow channel to the edges of the lower jaw when the mouth is closed.
Buckram or Mesh. Gummed or calendered hemp cloth. To make the buckram, old sheets or sails can be used but sometimes new cloths can be also used , which is why there is no determined width and depends on the canvases used.
Canvas: is a strong fabric, off-white, three quarters wide/thick. (It’s unclear if this is referring to the thickness or the width of the cloth)
Yellow Canvas: from Cholet in Anjou: it is a linen and two thirds thick/wide.
Lyon White Canvas: it is manufactured in Laval in Maine and is three quarters wide/thick.
– Silk Braid Lace.
– Duchess Lace (Tying): A braid made of a plait of silk and wire of a half inch width.

 

 

 

 

 

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