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.

This well-researched guide traces the evolution of English fashion for men and women through hundreds of illustrations. More than a history of style, it's a dressmaker's delight, filled with scaled-down patterns for 67 authentic costumes.

This practical guide to historical costume is essential for anyone planning to create accurate period costumes for theatrical productions or historical reenactments. From the short tunics of Saxon men of the fifth century to a lady's bustle dress of the late nineteenth century, this richly illustrated work offers an abundance of authentic patterns. Details of pattern sizes, required materials, and sewing methods accompany simple diagrams for Elizabethan doublets, capes, and trunks; a coat and vest from the Restoration; a bell-shaped gown of the eighteenth century; an early nineteenth-century empire gown; a crinoline; and many other items. Diagrams are accurately drawn to scale from working patterns, and there are suggestions for the most suitable colors and textures for costumes of different historical periods. Students of costume design, tailors, and community theater groups will welcome this carefully researched guidebook to fifteen centuries of English costume.

"This Dover edition, first published in 2010, is an unabridged republication of How to Make Historic American Costumes, originally published by A. S. Barnes and Company, New York, in 1942."

As an early-20th-century English artist with an interest in historical subjects, Talbot Hughes began collecting clothing for accuracy in his paintings - and the pursuit grew into a labor of love. His magnificent costume collection was eventually displayed in Harrod's and has become a permanent part of the collection of the venerable Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In this well-researched guide, Hughes traces the evolution of English fashions from the grass-cloth wraps of prehistoric times to the luxurious gowns of the Victorian era. Arranged chronologically and by British reigns, this splendid compilation includes over 300 illustrations of period fashions for men and women and 94 photos of historic garments. Pictured are tunics and tights from the thirteenth century, Elizabethan gowns with starched ruff collars, Charles I cavaliers with lace-collared jackets and breeches, a five-century array of boots and shoes, an assortment of elaborate wigs, embroidered waistcoats, quilted petticoats, plumed headdresses, and other dashing designs of the past. More than a history of British style, it's also a dressmaker's delight, with scaled-down patterns for 67 authentic costumes - and a perfect reference for fashion designers, stylists, and historians.

Well-known, richly illustrated reference work, consulted by generations of collectors, curators, dealers, historians, and craftsmen. Each of 101 furniture masterpieces is characterized by a photograph, descriptive text, and several measured drawings.

Miss Brooke is a well known as an authority on historical costume. In this single volume she covers a history of dress in England from earliest times. The book contains an ample text, four coloured plates, and nearly three hundred drawings in line. This book will prove to be a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in the subject, providing a vast amount of information and detail that will be of use to theatrical designers, both professional and amateur. Contents Include: William The Conqueror to Edward III 1066-1327; Edward III to Henry VII 1327-1485; Early Tudors, Henry VII to Elizabeth 1485-1558; Elizabeth to James I 1558-1625; Charles I to James II 1625-84; James II to George III 1685-1760; George III to George IV 1760-1820; George IV, William IV and Victoria 1820-50; Victoria 1850-80; Victoria 1880-1900.

This is a new release of the original 1942 edition.