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The work we have now completed, which will be placed before the members of an intelligent profession, is essentially the outcome of practical experience in the high-class livery trade. But as the experience of one on so wide a topic as all kinds of Liveries must, of necessity, be of a limited nature, we have gladly availed ourselves of a large circle of trade friends, many of whom are engaged in some of the most noted Livery trades in this great City of London.
Many of these have materially helped in the preparation of this work, for which we extend to them our hearty thanks, feeling assured that the ideas and hints gained from such sources have such a practical bearing on the subject of Liveries, that the value of the work has been largely enhanced thereby.
We have spared neither trouble nor pains to make this work as complete as possible, and trust it will supply a feeling of want in tailoring establishments.
About the author
W.D.F. Vincent began his career as an apprentice with Frederick Cooper in Yeovil. After completing his training, he briefly established his own businesses in Oxford and later in Maidenhead as a clothier and tailor, though neither venture was financially successful.
While in Maidenhead, Vincent won an essay competition on tailoring, which was open to all members of the National Federation of Foremen Tailors, titled "The Great National Work on Trouser Cutting, or Defects in Trousers." He submitted his entry under the pseudonym "Oxonian" and won the first prize. This success led him to secure a position with The Tailor and Cutter magazine.
In the early years, Vincent contributed numerous articles on tailoring methods and techniques to the magazine. However, due to the terms of his employment, these articles were published without attribution to him.
By the 1890s, Vincent became a leading tailoring authority. His books, such as The Cutter's Practical Guide to the Cutting & Making of All Kinds of Trousers, became standard reference work.
By 1917, Vincent referred to himself as a journalist.
The Tailor and Cutter magazine and academy were operated by John Williamson & Co Ltd.
In the 1950s and 1960s, many tailors displayed their Tailor & Cutter Academy Diplomas, signed by W.D.F. Vincent, as the Chairman of Examiners, as a centerpiece in their shop windows. One such example can still be seen on display at the Museum of Welsh Life at St. Fagans in South Wales.
Website: https://www.becomeatailor.com
