No one interested in the history of dress, from art historians to stage designers, from museum curators to teachers of fashion and costume, can function effectively without Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion series, published by Macmillan since 1964. Since her untimely death in 1998, admirers of her work have been waiting, with increasing impatience, for the promised volume devoted to the linen clothes of the Elizabethan and early Stuart periods, a companion to her previous volume on tailored clothes of the same era. Planned and partly prepared by Janet herself, and completed by Jenny Tiramani, Janet's last pupil, no other book exists that is dedicated to the linen clothes that covered the body from the skin outwards. It contains full colour portraits and photographs of details of garments in the explanatory section as well as patterns for 86 items of linen clothing which range from men's shirts and women's smocks, from superb ruffs and collars to boot hose and children's stomachers. Beautifully produced, it is an invaluable guide to both the history and the recreation of these wonderful garments.

Originally published: London: MacMillan, 1985.

The distinctive style of the Regency period is a source of endless fascination for fashion academics and historians, living historians, re-enactors and costume designers for stage and screen. Author and fashion historian Cassidy Percoco has delved into little-known museum hoards to create a stunning collection of 26 garments, many with clear provenance tied to a specific location, which have never before been published and never – or very rarely – displayed. Most of the garments have an aspect in their construction that has not been previously documented, from a style of skirt trim to the method of gown closure. This practical guide begins with a general history of the early 19th-century women's dress. This is followed by 26 patterns of gowns, spencers, chemises, and corsets, each with an illustration of the finished piece and description of its construction. This must-have guide is an essential reference for anyone interested in the fashions or the history of the period, or for anyone wishing to recreate their own beautiful Regency clothing.

The most popular 1940s clothing styles were available in patterns for the home seamstress. Companies like Advance, Butterick, McCall and others marketed their patterns to housewives with beautifully illustrated envelopes featuring everything from couture to everyday workclothes, ensembles, sportswear, lingerie, and more. Collectible in themselves, these illustrations also document an era of fashion design.

Assembled from vintage issues of Peterson's Magazine, a popular 19th-century "ladies" periodical, these patterns include dresses, pants, jackets, and other apparel for women and children. Historians, collectors of antiques, and costume designers will appreciate this original collection, which features suggestions for re-creating the garments with modern tools and techniques.

Over 575 illustrations detailing 59 different garments, mainly for women. Introduction and brief instructions.

The shaping of the body through clothing has always played a major role over the centuries, as fashion change in Europe has always been accompanied by a change in the dress cut and thus the body silhouette. This volume illustrates numerous historical items of clothing and includes well-founded essays. Most restricting garments, for example, enabled the characteristic expression of fashion during a certain epoch; because only if the 'underneath' was right could the desired silhouettes and postures be achieved. The narrow waist created by lace-up corsets and corsets and the expansive shapes of the hoop skirts also caused criticism from contemporaries. Internationally renowned costume historians present their latest research on the subject.