Welcome to the new website for James Williams, Historical Tailor, formerly known as Williams Clothiers, specializing in custom made 19th century historical reproductions. In the future, I plan to post about tailoring techniques, drafting, new projects, and other information that I feel will be of interest to you. The tailoring business today is nothing like it was in the past, with a tailor on every block. Many people now go their entire lives without visiting a tailor, and I feel it is important to help preserve the knowledge of the trade, before even more is lost.
Ninety percent of my work is commission based with an occasional pieces for sale, usually from my Historical Tailoring Masterclasses projects. My goal is to create a garment that can not be differentiated from an original. Each piece begins with a custom drafted pattern based on your own measurements and specifications, and sewn together using historical tailoring techniques.
I hope you will find something of value here, and do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Thank you,
James Williams,
Historical Tailor
hello I enjoy working with my hands as well I am waiting for my check From COVID 19 STIMISULS check I lost my job due to COVID 19 and I am going back to work I love 19th century clothing and the study of them will be traveling to the clothing museum to look at some antique clothing the first part of next year I get threads magazine and I saw you were part of it . where is Clinton Connecticut I live IN Norwalk Connecticut is Clinton interior Connecticut just curious I like Victorian and Edwardian clothing they are better constructed and are beautifully done would love to try my hand at making some wish they would have a workshop for watching them be constructed I have Victorian and some Edwardian sewing books that belonged in my family so I must get back to reading them some of them belonged to my grandmothers Mother the early one is 1890 first Edition and very rare as I have looked it up and it will remain in the family it has a wealth of information well stay safe and I will register when the STIMISULS check arrives or I will save for it Sincere wishes Wayne Kelley
Hello Wayne, thanks for your comment! I’m sorry you lost your job. I’m about an hour away from you. That’s great you have an interest in 19th century clothing, there are so few of us, it seems at times. I’ve got a bunch of clothing construction tutorials up on my site when you’re ready for them. In the meantime, you might enjoy trying out my free buttonhole class, which goes more in depth than the Threads article was able to and will give you a taste of my workshops. You can find it at https://www.historical-tailoring.com/the-art-of-the-buttonhole/ That first edition book sounds amazing! Do you know the title?