Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good patterns and photos, non-academic layout, June 7, 2000
By A Customer
The patterns in the book are drawn clearly and show the distortion of the fabric through wear rather than being idealized patterns. Sometimes an ideal pattern is also shown alongside a drawing of the actual garment on the same scale.The descriptions of the garments are detailed and include information about the fabric, sewing techniques and alterations that the garment underwent. They are accompanied by black-and-white photographs showing the whole garment and various details. These seem to be geared towards a an experienced costumer, whereas at least a part of the additional topics seem to be written more for a costuming novice or even a juvenile person. This makes for somewhat uneven reading. The general layout with many illustrations, line drawings and fancy borders aroud some texts, the lack of proper footnotes (there are some endnotes but these are not indicated in the text) and the absence of a bibliography also contributed to my impression that the authors deliberately avoided an academic or professional look. That said, the scope of the patterns presented is excellent, there are patterns to make up three women's gowns from different decades, a jacket, a shortgown and petticoats so that clothes for women from different social strata are presented. The number of men's clothes is somewhat more restricted but includes one unusual item, the stock (a predecessor of the modern necktie). Undergarments and cloaks are also included so that one see what a complete outfit would have consisted of. I also liked the idea of including quilting patterns for the petticoats and a design for the knitted pattern on the stockings. Altogether a good book both for beginning and experienced costumers and for everybody who just wants to see "what people wore back then".
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Have for 18th Century Costume Construction, October 25, 2000
Having recently entered into the realm of 18th Century costuming, I stumbled on this book "by accident". It is now the cornerstone of a burgeoning library. A must-have for anyone interested in the period - gives excellent details on fabrics, construction techniques, patterns. Superb photographs. Details on stitching, seams, etc. Since it deals with only a 40-year period, it can zero-in on various garments, for both men and women, and describe these garments in detail.Patterns would need to be altered for 20th/21st century figures (our posture is all wrong!), but in general they give the general size/shape/shaping required to achieve the desired result. Couple this book with Avril Hart's "Fashion in Detail" (now being published in paperback) and you have an excellent start on how to look authentic for the period.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Need This Book...., December 7, 2004
Fortunately, I was able to get it from our library. I guess I'll have to be patient about actually owning it, but anyway....
This book contains excellent information, not only on pattern, but on the textiles used and construction methods on actual garments. I am fascinated with how these period items were put together and amazed at the detail the researchers were able to identify - so much better than iffy descriptions of fashion plates and contemporary paintings. It is also interesting to learn how patterns would've been used with particular textiles, given cost of fabric at the time. (Interesting to me, anyway, I'm a little obsessed.)
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about re-enactment costume, or who just wants to learn more history about how things were made.
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