On the first Thursday back after Easter, Dr Sterno made arrangements for Mr Roland Bowditch, a tailor from Savile Row, to come in and give a masterclass on the art of tailoring suit jackets to interested pupils in Years 10 to 13 studying Textiles, DT and Maths.

This was part of a cross-curricular project organised by Dr Sterno linking the Maths, DT and Textiles departments with a real world scenario. The tailor explained his life journey, from his early apprenticeship days to how he managed to become a tailor at such a reputable company; much of it driven by his passion for the rapidly changing fashions of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

In the session, he showed us how he would measure a client, in order to create a bespoke suit for them. He used Daniel S as a model, showing features on the jacket such as a notch, peak or shawl lapel, jetted or flap pockets, depending on the use of the suit by the client. After that, he showed how he would take those measurements and draw out the suit on double sided material using a rough template, a tape measure and chalk. We were enthralled by his quick working and swift mental arithmetic when aligning the elements of the patterns, all the while telling us stories of his endeavours and the famous clients he has worked with over the years.

Later he used thread in order to transfer this design onto the second layer of fabric, allowing for him to have two halves of the suit that he’d later stitch together thus after creating a lining that would be ready for his customer for a secondary fitting. He demonstrated the varying styles of stitch that he uses to create a desired curvature and structure to the garments, giving up a few tricks-of-the trade in the process!

Mr Bowditch is also an Old Ipswichian and a grandparent of a current pupil and we are extremely grateful to him for giving up his time to come in and showcase his talents in bespoke tailoring to inspire our pupils.

Nicholas J, Year 10 and Dr Sterno, Maths Teacher