Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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67 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Deceptively simple, infinitely functional, December 18, 1999
At first glance, a costume historian would not be impressed by this book's oversimplified patterns and lack of detail. Its renderings of the human figure are cartoonish, and no instructions for esoteric closures and construction are provided.However, the Holkeboer directed her opus toward the theatrical costumer: an individual who must cobble together a volunteer staff, construct garments for modern bodies, and adapt to quick-changes between scenes. The patterns are necessarily basic; the cuts are nearly authentic; and the suggestions of embellishment design save the costumer much time. This book is not some tome to be displayed on a shelf; it belongs in the studio, its spine creased, its cover dog-eared, and its pages scribbled with measurements and notes. This book is a workhorse. An added bonus is its illustrative use of labels for describing many weird terms, among them: simar, barbette, picadils. I have found in no other book of scaled patterns but this one, the instructions for THREE methods of enlargement: optical projection, grid method, and radial projection. This book also includes headgear, specialty costumes like kimono, ecclesiastical garb, and a LION! This book also prevides a wonderful equity of both men's and women's clothing which is unfortunately not represented in the body of dramatic literature. (Why are there so few women's roles? But I digress.) The introduction and final chapter contain essential information on fitting and draping (remember: you must add your own seam allowances) and millinery and corsetry. I'd have given this book another star if I felt that it did justice to constructing corsets -- these items are too complex to build from Holkeboer's 1/8" = 1" scale. But she is absolutely correct in providing undergarment patterns if only to emphasize that they are necessary for achieving a true period look. Also, this book needs either a durable sewn or spiral binding to lie flat for usage. The glued softcover is impractical. This book cannot function as the only book in a costumer's library; supplement your collection with costume books on period styles to achieve variety in design. As far as PfTC being indispensible to a costume shop, I don't recommend buying a copy of this book; buy TWO!
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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding patterns that really work., October 3, 2000
I have made many costumes from this book (for Camelot, Hello Dolly, Oklahoma, as well as "Ren Fair" costumes) and am amazed how reliable they are. This book is especially easy to use if you have a scanner and a plotter. Just scan in the patterns and plot them at 800%. While the construction method and cut may not be historically accurate, the lines of the resulting costumes are always evocative of their intended era. The book also has an excellent section on hats and masks.
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33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An invaluable resource., June 9, 2004
This book is the most comprehensive, single-volume collection of historical patterns (from Ancient Egypt through 1915) available today for men's and women's costumes. While the pattern designs are very simplistic, present little detail on closures or embellishments and present only general instructions on construction, they are functional and very easy to make, represent nearly authentic cuts and effectively achieve the intended essential look for their specific period.
Each pattern in the book is presented in three sizes, and for each individual piece of a complete garment a label is often attached, giving its historical name and a brief description of its appearance or use. As a bonus, patterns for specialty costumes (fantasy, religious, Chinese, Japanese, and animals), undergarments, hats, wigs and masks are included, and its Introduction explains, in a step-by-step format, costuming techniques such as enlarging patterns, fitting designs, and draping.
This book can also serve, with just a little imagination, as an infinite source of ideas to help you create your own patterns, although you will have to refer to other books on period specific costumes to give your work finishing details like ornaments, trims, and other accessories.
The only weak point of the book is its glued soft-cover binding, which is completely inadequate for the spine-creasing use to which it's sure to be subjected.
If you either work for the theater or just enjoy making your own costumes, you will find this book to be an indispensable part of your library.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar
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