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A note of practicality

Posted by R. Berg on December 24, 2004

In Reply to: A note of practicality posted by Bob on December 24, 2004

: : : : My great grandfather told me years ago the origins of the "whole nine yards" He said around WWII when he was around 18 and in service, alot of men wore suits and hats. Most were custom made from 9 Yards of fabric. You could get a suit made with 6 yards but it would be a cheaper suit and would not be "folded over" to make a thicker more expensive looking suit. 6 yards was half the price as 9. When people got thnine they were proud of it and said the whole nine yards. After the wore till he passed away wore custom fitted and tailored 9 yards

: : : Your great-grandfather didn't deliberately deceive you. No. He was a fine fellow.

: : Though not yet a member of the seamstress guild, I do sew now and then and it struck me this morning that nine yards of fabric is enough to upholster a small sofa, let alone make a suit - even if the fabric were folded over. A bespoke suit with extra trousers requires only about six yards. A normal suit requires four yards.

: : Folding the fabric over to make it thicker also seems dubious. Even if the fabric were whisper-thin the suit in question would probably be a bit unwieldy.

: :
: : Respectfully,

: : Sew Camel

: That was the worsted explanation.

With the five yards left over from the suit, one can make a kilt, an ammo belt, and a football uniform.

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