Men's Patterns

[Tes]

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Is it just me or are men sorely neglected as far as patterns go? There is great trendy fun stuff available for women, and a lot of it... but everything for men is so dowdy and old or so stuffy.
D wants me to make him clothing and I am more than happy to oblige but I am frustrated in trying to find patterns that don't make him look like he's 50 or a Ken Doll.

Does anyone have a great hidden resource for men's clothing patterns?
I am looking specifically for a modernized double breasted cargo jacket. I understand that I will probably have to alter the hell out of a pattern just to make it what I want but I can't even find a suitable jumping off point. Not to mention it would be great if I had trendy men's clothing to chose from anyways for the other inevitable things that will be in wont.

HELP I do not want to draft everything from scratch. I am LAZY. OK?! Also I broke my french curve, trying to draft without it would be like trying to walk without legs.

PS I work in a fabric store, every major pattern company has been poured over. If you have a suggestion it will probably have to be something less well known.
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[Smillaaraq]

By the majors I assume you just mean the usual Butterick/Vogue/McCalls/Simplicity, or do you work in one of those cool stores that actually goes beyond the big four? If not, Burda sometimes has stuff that's slightly funkier than the usual menswear, and for casual/outdoorsy stuff you might find a few more options by looking in the smaller specialty pattern companies like Kwik-Sew, Jalie, Green Pepper, etc.

(Other than checking all the more obscure companies, my usual resources for funkier-than-everyday menswear would be either historical ethnic stuff like Folkwear and Past Patterns, the Halloween costume section of the big guys which sometimes have surprisingly nifty things, or if you're feeling brave, hunting around through actual vintage patterns. But if you're more into up-to-the-minute rather than retro and vintage, that's probably not terribly useful...)  

[Story From The Stars]

My hidden resource is the most obivious one. Free internet patterns. They usually have more modern stuff, it's kind of a role of the dice though trying to find on specific thing, but you might get lucky. I always look through Knitting Pattern Central when I'm looking for something more out of the way or easily adjustable. And most of the patterns are easy to change.  

[I be me]

Most of the secret in creating good mens clothes is in the fabric not the patern if you ask me.
You can create a bunch of funky different looking shirts with different fabrics/screen prints/embelishments and all the same pattern.

Guys are big simple creatures, we can't confuse them with design.  

[Silver Mist]

I be me

Guys are big simple creatures, we can't confuse them with design.

I know a group of men or two who can stand there and argue which way the slashes ought to go in a dublet for high fashion... Down to the degree of the angle. Depends on the guy and the time period of the fahsion as to wether or not they care. xd  

[kochi~mochi]

Silver Mist

I be me

Guys are big simple creatures, we can't confuse them with design.

I know a group of men or two who can stand there and argue which way the slashes ought to go in a dublet for high fashion... Down to the degree of the angle. Depends on the guy and the time period of the fahsion as to wether or not they care. xd

I know plenty who you can confuse with design. I know more still who will wear essentially the same shirt in 7 different colors, one for each day of the week, and 2 pairs of pants, whatever was on sale. mad d

But still.... If you find anything good, let me know. sweatdrop I do have a couple of guys who actually sew and are always complaining about not being able to find good patterns.  

[Lee Kushrenada]

Wellcome to my world!
you should hear me when I go into sowing stores... "that's sexist!"
every thing in the sowing and crafting world is sexist. 3nodding stressed
most of the things I get are from the costume secshion, there is just as much mens stuff there as there is wimen's and with some tweeking they can look like real clothes. 3nodding  

[Tes]

I be me

Most of the secret in creating good mens clothes is in the fabric not the patern if you ask me.
You can create a bunch of funky different looking shirts with different fabrics/screen prints/embelishments and all the same pattern.

Guys are big simple creatures, we can't confuse them with design.

~
Men are more concerned about appearances then you may believe. Not to mention that even if no one else cares about keeping themselves well there is a matter of pride, D is a very proud man, I am very proud as well. Also the cut is everything, a sack of nice cloth is just a sack. A nice cut of average or even substandard cloth (if done well) can be neat, trendy and perhaps even avant guarde. A bad cut will make your body look grotesque and illshapen, a good cut will show your body to its best advantage.
And all from the same pattern would indecate there is some pattern to be working from in the first place, which there is not.

I think in the end I will go down to the thrift store or maybe the army/navy store, and find something that fits and has decent structure and go from there, tear it appart for the pattern and get altering.

Seriously though, it's shameful there isn't even one pattern company dedicated to really fun, trendy or utterly fabulous men's clothing.
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[I be me]

LOL you just reminded me, I saw my ex from like a year ago the other day, still wearing the same shirt he had when I was dating him. (It's his favourate) The buttons were straining and tatty when I was dating him but now they are a mess, I sooo wanted to tell him to take it off so I could put some backing behind the buttons and sew them back on again but that would have been bad. Besides, I didn't have my sewing stuff.

There probibly is a company dedicated to mens clothes somewhere, but damned if I know where.

And if you have trouble finding patterns that fit then you do have a problem. But I stil insist that when you walk through the mens section of any clothing store you see the same buisness shirt/tee in like twenty different fabrics and screenprints. And men are happy with this.
(except for the ones that aren't big stupid creatures like our lee)  

[Lee Kushrenada]

I be me

But I stil insist that when you walk through the mens section of any clothing store you see the same buisness shirt/tee in like twenty different fabrics and screenprints. And men are happy with this.
(except for the ones that aren't big stupid creatures like our lee)

I....I.... don't really know what to say to that. xd
what you say is 99% true, every now and then you find some thing that is nice, but its when your never looking for it.
this is why I HATE shopping! I'm allways buying things I don't really want cuss I can't find anything that I really want, but I need pants! gonk ho GOD... the PANTS! gonk  

[Tes]

I be me

There probibly is a company dedicated to mens clothes somewhere, but damned if I know where.

And if you have trouble finding patterns that fit then you do have a problem. But I stil insist that when you walk through the mens section of any clothing store you see the same buisness shirt/tee in like twenty different fabrics and screenprints. And men are happy with this.
(except for the ones that aren't big stupid creatures like our lee)

~
:3
Maybe if you go to Walmart or something, but then the same could be said for womens' wear as well. There are a lot of poor clothes out there. sweatdrop

I sure hope there is a company dedicated to mens' patterns out there, I mean honestly... lol and I hope I find it!
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[Tes]

YourAzureGoddess

well, if you can find one good pattern that fits you well, with a little bit of work you can make that same pattern go far.

There are quite a few books published on basic alterations, so if you find one solidly constructed men's (or women's) pattern, say for pants you can transfer the flimy tissue paper pattens on to Kraft paper and have templates. Then with some alteration guidelines you can experiement with making straight leg vs. tapered leg, boot cut vs. tight at the ankle, cuff vs. no cuff and so on. And then there are always choices of fabric and embellishment if you so desire.

The downside is it takes time, space and kraft paper, but it produces nice results that you can work from time and time again

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I am already good with alterations as it is smile the only issue is finding a half decent pattern in the first place. I mean I could start with a crappy pattern but then why start with a pattern at all?

I have a beef with patterns in general but I don't have trouble finding something that will work for me, being female and all... but making stuff for the old man is a different beast entirely.
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