I have a lot of costuming books, and
especially historical costuming books. So, choosing a favorite is pretty
difficult. However, Fitting and Properstands out to me, being one of my first costuming books, as well as the first
book I drafted a pattern from.
My parents got it for me as a reward
for finishing an extra online class ahead of schedule, as well as buying me my
first pair of 18th century shoes. I’ve sewn a gown, mitts,
shortgown, and a calash so far from the patterns in the book, and it couldn’t
have been easier to follow!
In a similar vein to The Cut of Women’s Clothes, the book
places traced patterns on a grid, so they’re easy to reproduce exactly as they
exist in real life, but they can also be sized up or down to fit each
individual. The book also provides the thread count for the materials, instructions for the construction, photos
of the original garments, and a written history of both the generic idea of the
type of garment as well as the extant piece itself.
I highly recommend this book,
especially for those costumers who are just entering the historical costuming
world, or anyone who is learning how to draft patterns. And, even if you don’t
make anything from it, it’s still a wonderful book to flip through and learn
from!
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