Patterns of Fashion: 1660-1860

Rating:
Summary: A great resource!
Review: All three of Janet Arnold's books are a really good resource for people who want to make a period gown/outfit from the late 1500s through the 1940s! The person should, however, have a fairly decent knowledge of how to put these garments together an how to resize the patterns to scale and for the person wearing them. These all include a description of the original garment, but all of the patterns could be used to create something original. If you sew a lot of costumes, or are researching to make your own, this is a great book!

Rating:
Summary: A great resource!
Review: All three of Janet Arnold's books are a really good resource for people who want to make a period gown/outfit from the late 1500s through the 1940s! The person should, however, have a fairly decent knowledge of how to put these garments together an how to resize the patterns to scale and for the person wearing them. These all include a description of the original garment, but all of the patterns could be used to create something original. If you sew a lot of costumes, or are researching to make your own, this is a great book!

Rating:
Summary: Sewing, or how I learned to be orginal...
Review: Janet Arnold's books are great contributions to society. All historic costumers should consider her nothing short of required reading. All of the patterns are easy to use by comparison of non-commerical patterns; however, not for the novice. I personally have a failing in math, yet had no difficulty. To ease it a bit, use an overhead projecter, as I did, to enlarge the patterns. Even if you are not into the re-creation of these gowns, The book still has great information on historical sewing techniques, and certain styles and how/why they were worn. I poured over this book for hours. If you are in to re-creation however, you could create a complete 18th cenurty, Regency, or early Victorian wardrobe from this book. (and a late Victorian, Elizabethian, Barquoe, or early 20th century one from her other books). Bravo.

Rating:
Summary: No historic costumer's bookshelf should lack this volume!
Review: The late Janet Arnold can certainly be called the mother of historical accuracy in costume research. Her meticulous sketches of extant garments, coupled with her carefully drawn graphed patterns, make her books indispensible both for students of historical costumes and for those who wish to reproduce them. Each drawing includes a brief description of the garment, including which materials were used and any types of embellishment. I found it very easy to scale up the patterns I wanted to use with one-inch pattern graphing paper (available through most fabric outlets). This particular volume in the _Patterns of Fashion_ series includes my favorite era -- the English Regency. The patterns provided include long gowns, a crossover bodice shortgown (a version of which was made for Kate Winslet in "Sense and Sensibility"), a riding habit and a 1790s pelisse (overdress). This book is worth every penny and will become a dog-eared favorite on your costuming shelf!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Details.
Review: This book goes into details that others leave out. What type of lining was used, how the embrodery was done, drawings of the hooks and eyes used to hold some garmets closed. Where many books on historical dress will tell you a garmet was laced closed up the back Janet Arnold will expand and tell you that the holes were reinforced with metal rings sewn on with thread and what color and type of thread. In addition, the clothing of the men of the time is not just given a passing nod, but every bit as important. Her attention to detail extends to giving the information on where she obtained her information, allowing yet more research to be done on your own. Not for anyone new to sewing but a must for the person who wants to understand the details of historical garmet construction.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Details.
Review: This book goes into details that others leave out. What type of lining was used, how the embrodery was done, drawings of the hooks and eyes used to hold some garmets closed. Where many books on historical dress will tell you a garmet was laced closed up the back Janet Arnold will expand and tell you that the holes were reinforced with metal rings sewn on with thread and what color and type of thread. In addition, the clothing of the men of the time is not just given a passing nod, but every bit as important. Her attention to detail extends to giving the information on where she obtained her information, allowing yet more research to be done on your own. Not for anyone new to sewing but a must for the person who wants to understand the details of historical garmet construction.