---
product_id: 3674543
title: "Vintage Couture Tailoring"
price: "R1257"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/3674543-vintage-couture-tailoring
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# Vintage Couture Tailoring

**Price:** R1257
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Vintage Couture Tailoring
- **How much does it cost?** R1257 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/3674543-vintage-couture-tailoring)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Description

Vintage Couture Tailoring [Nordheim, Thomas von] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Vintage Couture Tailoring

Review: Better than expected! - WOW! Even better than I expected. Everything about the book is exceptional. The number of photographs, the full description of all the textiles and tools, and the speed at which the author proceeds is perfect! The construction detail is exactly what I’m trying to develop in my own work and I can see this book is going to stay VERY close to me!
Review: Great Instructions for Authentic Couture Tailoring - UPDATE: I would love to see this book added to the Kindle MatchBook program. The book is great, but I'm hesitant to carry it around for fear of losing or banging it up. I've been taking sewing and tailoring classes and am working up to making clothing for myself. I bought this book when it came out because it looked great online and upon receiving it I went through it and was very impressed by the photos and detailed description of techniques. I agree with at least one reviewer that the typeface could better, but it is not "almost impossible to read," as one reviewer said. Last week, I did my first serious pad stitching exercise and didn't like the results. I was frustrated because some people were telling me that it was just a diagonal stitch. I knew that couldn't be the case because a regular diagonal stitch leaves a big thread bar on the underside and with a permanent pad stitch the thread is not supposed to be visible. I couldn't figure out how to maneuver the needle through layers of canvas and fabric to create the half-chevron shape without exposing a sizeable stitch underneath. I looked at all the tailoring books I own, including Roberto Cabrera's "Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Men's Wear", Stanley Hostek's "Hand Stitches For The Fine Custom Tailored Garment", and "Tailoring: The Classic Guide for Sewing the Perfect Jacket." Only the last title gave me a partial answer. Then I looked at this book. It provided the most detailed instructions by far, including the best needle to use. There was also an interesting anecdote about a French woman who had taken a master tailoring exam in the 1930s, which illuminated the standard that could be reached for this technique. An hour later, I was doing much better. I was pleased that my initial instincts had been correct; but I needed the additional finesse provided by this book. Many books fail to include the small tricks that make all the difference.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #358,675 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #501 in Fashion Craft #626 in Sewing (Books) #708 in Fashion Design |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (292) |
| Dimensions  | 8.9 x 0.65 x 10.28 inches |
| Edition  | 4/21/12 |
| ISBN-10  | 1847973736 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1847973733 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 160 pages |
| Publication date  | June 8, 2012 |
| Publisher  | The Crowood Press |

## Images

![Vintage Couture Tailoring - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71-rp+DqWsL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Better than expected!
*by M***E on September 7, 2025*

WOW! Even better than I expected. Everything about the book is exceptional. The number of photographs, the full description of all the textiles and tools, and the speed at which the author proceeds is perfect! The construction detail is exactly what I’m trying to develop in my own work and I can see this book is going to stay VERY close to me!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Instructions for Authentic Couture Tailoring
*by N***R on November 11, 2013*

UPDATE: I would love to see this book added to the Kindle MatchBook program. The book is great, but I'm hesitant to carry it around for fear of losing or banging it up. I've been taking sewing and tailoring classes and am working up to making clothing for myself. I bought this book when it came out because it looked great online and upon receiving it I went through it and was very impressed by the photos and detailed description of techniques. I agree with at least one reviewer that the typeface could better, but it is not "almost impossible to read," as one reviewer said. Last week, I did my first serious pad stitching exercise and didn't like the results. I was frustrated because some people were telling me that it was just a diagonal stitch. I knew that couldn't be the case because a regular diagonal stitch leaves a big thread bar on the underside and with a permanent pad stitch the thread is not supposed to be visible. I couldn't figure out how to maneuver the needle through layers of canvas and fabric to create the half-chevron shape without exposing a sizeable stitch underneath. I looked at all the tailoring books I own, including Roberto Cabrera's "Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Men's Wear", Stanley Hostek's "Hand Stitches For The Fine Custom Tailored Garment", and "Tailoring: The Classic Guide for Sewing the Perfect Jacket." Only the last title gave me a partial answer. Then I looked at this book. It provided the most detailed instructions by far, including the best needle to use. There was also an interesting anecdote about a French woman who had taken a master tailoring exam in the 1930s, which illuminated the standard that could be reached for this technique. An hour later, I was doing much better. I was pleased that my initial instincts had been correct; but I needed the additional finesse provided by this book. Many books fail to include the small tricks that make all the difference.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing book. I have a carefully cultivated library of ...
*by S***T on October 21, 2016*

Amazing book. I have a carefully cultivated library of sewing books and this made the cut, despite the high price. Intended audience: In short, this book covers the construction of a blazer-type garment. I would say that this book is targeted those who are experienced enough with sewing to attempt some meticulous, old-fashioned techniques, such as handmade buttonholes, pad stitching, and shaping with an iron. It is not the sort of book to discuss things like fusible interfacing or other modern shortcuts. Content: I've read this book from cover to cover a few times, and while I have not tried every technique mentioned in the book, the instructions seem to be extremely clear. I found that both the chapters and sections are well-organized and well-defined. Visuals: This book has numerous color photographs, but nearly every single one is clear and informative (though not very enlarged. If you have trouble with things like newsprint, these may be troublesome). It does not spend resources on dramatic or artistic photography. What this book does NOT do: This book does not give you step-by-step instructions on how to drape a blazer, but it will teach you to do things like getting a collar to sit as intended. Also, while the advice about scissors is generally good, I would like to add that someone with smaller or weaker hands would want to go on the smaller end of the recommendation, or a different model that is more lightweight, but still high quality. My palm is three inches across, so attempting to use 12" shears of the all-metal varieties illustrated would be like attempting to wield a pair of hedge clippers with one hand. Instead I use a pair of 9" (very sharp) professional shears that are made to be lightweight, with the metal extending through the handle for strength, but plastic for the grips for comfort and a lighter weight.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Vintage Couture Tailoring
- New Complete Guide to Sewing: Step-by-Step Techniques for Making Clothes and Home Accessories
- Patternmaking for Fashion Design

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-03-05*