Men's coats were braided according to their position in life. Because so much gold and silver was used, tailors went out of business during that time. Today, we think of braid and binding as a decorative touch to our garments. Binding comes in many colors and widths. Most of them are already folded and ready to apply.
Machine stitching saves time and also is a more secure way of applying the braid or binding.
Binding has never been difficult to apply, but one usually runs into trouble on the corners. Mitering is necessary. A miter is when you turn a corner on a straight run of fabric. Let's use a neckline as an example. Sew the binding to the end of the front edge.