Making Working Women's Costume gives a unique account of the clothes of ordinary women from the mid-fifteenth century to the early twentieth century. As well as introducing the historical periods, it gives patterns for a range of typical garments that women of the poorer classes would have worn. Organized by century, it draws on historical sources and finds, paintings and photographs to recreate the clothes of these under-celebrated women. It includes useful information about equipment for present-day use, calculting curves, taking measurements and sewing techniques not in current use, and patterns for late medieval clothes, such as smocks and gowns, are developed from ancient T-shaped garments and can be marked out on the fabric with given measurements. Garments for the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, including bodices, waistcoats and skirts, are drawn on grids. Proportionate cutting is used for the clothes of the later nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such as nurse's uniforms and cotton frocks, with options to add a range of features. Written for costume students, teachers and re-enactors, this book will be an invaluable source for everyone seeking to recreate and wear the clothes of these under-celebrated women. Illustrated with 43 colour illustrations and 81 patterns.

Subtitle on cover: Pattern cutting from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

Vintage guide offered turn-of-the-century seamstresses clear instructions for altering patterns and creating shirt-blouses, skirts, wedding gowns, coats, maternity wear, children's clothing, and other apparel.

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.

Practical, informative guidebook shows how to create everything from short tunics worn by Saxon men in the fifth century to a lady's bustle dress of the late 1800s. 81 illustrations.

Costume designer Alison Freer’s styling kit is a magical bag of tricks, built to solve every single wardrobe malfunction on earth. TV and film productions wait for nothing, so her solutions have to work fast. In How to Get Dressed, Alison distills her secrets into a fun, comprehensive style guide focused on rethinking your wardrobe like a fashion expert and making what’s in your closet work for you. She provides real-world advice about everything style-related, including: • Making every garment you own fit better • Mastering closet organization • The undergarments you actually need • The scoop on tailors and which alterations are worth it • Shopping thrift and vintage like a rockstar Instead of repeating boring style “rules,” Alison breaks the rules and gets real about everything from bras to how to deal with inevitable fashion disasters. Including helpful information such as how to skip ironing and the dry cleaners, remove every stain under the sun, and help clueless men get their sartorial acts together, How to Get Dressed has hundreds of insider tips from Alison’s arsenal of tools and expertise.

This book contains three 16th century Austrian tailors' guild masterbook manuscripts, or schnittbuch, Nidermayr (1560), Enns and Leonfeldner (1590). These manuscripts were created to help journeyman tailors study and pass the master tailor exam. The original manuscripts have been transcribed and translated into English.