Illustrated with photographs and diagrams by the author.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an excellent source to get the flavor of clothing construction and how it changed from earliest times to the 1600. My only regret is that it shifts rather suddenly from 1200 to 1600 with no details in between and it spends a substantial portion of the book discussing early 19th century ethnic garments.
This book offers a good basis for someone looking to do more accurate historical re-creation. It doesn't necessarily offer patterns for clothes.. but it does offer a mindset that allows you to make more authentic choices when buying or constructing garments.
More than anything else, this book led me to the conclusion that the standard T-tunic (1 cut, 2 seams) only gives a convincing outline to early medieval clothes but was only rarely used in period(1 extant garment). The book gives convincing argument to the "rectangles, squares and triangles" construction method that seems to have persisted until the early 1300's when more fitted garments came into vogue.
This is a wonderful source to support historical supposition in your documentation and although it's not the first costuming book I would buy, I would definately recommend it as a fantastic resource.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I treasure this little pamphlet on dressmaking and have used it many times to make my own clothes. Each garment description, which includes the kind of fabric used and any trim, is accompanied by a simple line drawing of the garment and a drawing of the layout of fabric showing the cut and/or fold lines. Each piece is then labeled to show where it goes in the garment. Essentially, Dorothy Burnham has taken apart these "coats" and made pattern guides, and it is quite amazing to see how each culture has adapted their cloth width to the cut and design of their clothes.
Other than the practicality of the patterns, there is an elegance about each garment. Simple, conservative of labor and cloth, and beautiful in their cuts and added trim, each coat is remarkable. By and large, the author describes clothing made from the WHOLE fabric, which in the past was done to conserve cloth as it was hand woven, a long, expensive and labor-intensive process.
If you are comfortable with making your own patterns, and if you are dealing with narrow width yardage, ex. Japanese kasuri, or expensive fabric that you just can't waste, then this guide book will help you to create some beautiful coats. There are 29 in all, from a Japanese kimono to a Macedonian long woman's shirt, from a man's English smock to a woman's chemise. The cover, a Hungarian cattleman's coat from the nineteenth century, with it's black broadcloth appliqué over white wool, is one of the most exquisite.
Other than the practicality of the patterns, there is an elegance about each garment. Simple, conservative of labor and cloth, and beautiful in their cuts and added trim, each coat is remarkable. By and large, the author describes clothing made from the WHOLE fabric, which in the past was done to conserve cloth as it was hand woven, a long, expensive and labor-intensive process.
If you are comfortable with making your own patterns, and if you are dealing with narrow width yardage, ex. Japanese kasuri, or expensive fabric that you just can't waste, then this guide book will help you to create some beautiful coats. There are 29 in all, from a Japanese kimono to a Macedonian long woman's shirt, from a man's English smock to a woman's chemise. The cover, a Hungarian cattleman's coat from the nineteenth century, with it's black broadcloth appliqué over white wool, is one of the most exquisite.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Paige Turner
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've had this book since first printed -- bought it in Canada at a museum -- and it was quite the epiphany producer. Before seeing this, had never appreciated that, because cloth was so labor intensive to create, every square inch that could be used was used. That, and the width of the cloth that could be produced based on local technology, put limits on design that were ingeniously worked around. Made a "use every square inch of cloth" challenge on Project Runway a few years ago particularly enjoyable -- especially when I saw the ridiculous things contestants did to meet the requirement. (One hid the trimmings in a purse.) I am not sympathetic to complaints that this is not the easiest book for pattern cutting, or putdowns that it's a like a thesis, because it WAS written as a scholarly work...an insightful one with illustrations so unusually good that a fairly skilled seamster could translate them into actual garments. Over 35 years later, I am still consulting this extraordinary pamphlet and buying copies for other regional textile and "ethnic" clothing freaks.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic for Costume, Weaving, and Sewing history
This little book has more interesting information and inspiration than volumes five times its size. Traces the history of clothing design and links the various traditions to the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by anonymous
5.0 out of 5 stars
Contents
Cut My Cote
Dorothy Burnham
Ontario Royal Museum
1973
Softcover ~ 36 pages
"Each garment description includes the kind of... Read more
Dorothy Burnham
Ontario Royal Museum
1973
Softcover ~ 36 pages
"Each garment description includes the kind of... Read more
Published 7 months ago by 2crazy4books2
5.0 out of 5 stars
Such a classic
Contains detailed diagrams and pictures of garments in the museum. These are mostly simple garments whose fashion is controlled more by the width of the loom than the original... Read more
Published on March 26, 2010 by sdbev
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tilke + this = bliss
I bought this book years ago from a museum. It helped me understand the costumes and drawings in the Tilke books and freed me from total dependence on Folkwear patterns. Read more
Published on December 31, 2009 by Maura Enright
4.0 out of 5 stars
Extent Resource
This is a short book with a wide range of interests. I got it for its extent Renaissance shirts, but this details a very specific collection and not a specific interest. Read more
Published on November 30, 2007 by J. Bahrs
2.0 out of 5 stars
Cut my Cote
This book is good from a historical perspective but as I was looking for simple garment patterns most of the ones in this book are too complicated for my purpose. Read more
Published on August 5, 2007 by S. Tredwell
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wonderful Overview
This is one of my favorites and much cherished. It is a replacement copy. It is a wonderfully insightful look at traditional or "ethnic" cutting techniques. Read more
Published on January 9, 2007 by W. Brandt
3.0 out of 5 stars
More of a Master's Thesis
While this book provides an excellent general overview and evolution of worldwide coat/shirt/kimono construction, it is hardly a detailed description of any one period or nation. Read more
Published on March 14, 2003 by E. Atkinson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book, hardcover is preferred though for details
This book is excellent for reproduction of medieval clothing such as the Elizabethan Doublet patterns. My only regret is that it's out of print. Read more
Published on November 24, 1998
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