Centuries-Sewing

Category: Book Review

  • Book Series Review: Historical Clothing From the Inside Out

    Book Series Review: Historical Clothing From the Inside Out

    Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of these books for review purposes. However, all thoughts, opinions, and criticisms are my own.

    The late 15th century is not my area of expertise even after making a few kirtles that I consider “in the style of”.

    So when I was asked to review a new series of books on the late 15th century I was very very eager. I love sinking my teeth into new research and learning techniques, especially for an era I have only passing knowledge in.

    The Books

    The two books in this series (one for men and one for women) are slim volumes each coming in at only 48 pages each, but the pages are well used.

    The introduction explains the scope of the handbook, its focus on Scandinavian source material with some allowances being made for northern German influence.

    This made me very happy. There is often a strong temptation to cherry pick from several different sources across an era due to lack of extant garments or access to new information.

    The next few pages cover the historical context of the period which I will be reading more up on just from the short introduction. I had not run across the Kalmar Union before this and lost a few hours reading various Wikipedia articles.

    There is a nice collection of images giving an overview of the general aesthetic of the era along with an explanation of the fashionable silhouette. The rest of this section also covers dyes, with a very nice natural dye color chart, fabrics, some hand sewing techniques, and where to use which type of stitch.

    At this point the books diverge and we get into the contents of the wardrobe.

    Women’s Clothing

    This section covers smocks (including the sleeveless smock), kirtles, surcoats, hose, headdresses, shoes, hairstyles, and dress accessories.
    Each layer of clothing is accompanied by clear illustrations and period images. The text addresses the fit, function and offers construction suggestions. There are also cropped images of the recreated clothing to highlight different details like lacing, sleeve gussets, and pinned on sleeves.

    One thing that is missing are any full body photos of the recreated garment being worn. I think being able to see the way a recreated garment falls compared to the manuscript would be a useful visual aid for anyone setting out to make a kirtle or gown.

    There are no patterns in the book, only shaded diagrams to suggest the shape of the pattern pieces. This would be enough of a guide for someone already skilled in draping or flat patterning use as a base.


    Men’s Clothing

    The wardrobe in the men’s book starts out braies, noting that the fit of them plays an important role in the fit of the hose. From there we are on to shirts and doublet and hose. Men’s gowns shows the largest section of styles showing a few different necklines and pleating option depending on your materials and station.

    Looking at the lush pleats I can’t help but wonder if this is the 15th century equivalent of throwing on a stylish coat that pulls your look together.

    From gowns we move on to cloaks, hoods and headware with instructions on how to wear your hood in the trendy chaperon style. Shoes, belts, and purses are covered, jewelry and one page is devoted to men’s hairstyles.

    What I’d like to see more of

    I’d like to see the hand sewing section expanded on just all little, the basic stitches are shown but there is no mention of how to sew eyelets or lacing rings.

    While I approve of the tight scope of the book I think it could be expanded upon. If I was an absolute novice to historical dress this book would be useful, but I’d have no context for the styles. Why did men wear tight hose and doublet and then cover it up with large flowing gowns? What did they wear before that came into fashion?

    I’d love to see more photographs of the recreated garments being worn, used, and how the wearers feel about them. Do pin on sleeves stay in place when cooking over a fire? Does wearing a veil change the way you walk? Does it make someone feel closed in?

    The index includes a number of books and websites for further study but I do not see any mention of wills or inventories. I do not know if the habit of passing down clothing was being done yet as it was in the 16th century.

    Are these Books for You?

    I would recommend these books if you are a reenactor who is changing eras and needs a solid quick overview of the late 15th century. These books would also be useful to writers of historical fiction, filmmakers and others in creative fields that overlap with fashion history.

    From a sewing perspective I would recommend these to a beginner only if they had a friend or mentor who knows how to pattern or drape. The handbooks are just that, handbooks of the era and do not go stitch by stitch into recreating the garments. Anyone looking to use these books to recreate a full wardrobe needs to have a solid understanding of how wools and linens behave, how to pattern them, and fit them to shape the body.

    Where to Buy

    On Amazon:
    Historical Clothing From the Inside Out: Men’s Clothing of the Late 15th Century by Anna Malmborg (Author), Willhelm Schütz (Author)

    Historical Clothing From the Inside Out: Women’s Clothing of the Late 15th Century by Anna Malmborg (Author), Wilhelm Schütz (Author)

    Through the publisher Chronocopia Publishing

  • Book Review: The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking

    Book Review: The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking

    Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of this book for review purposes. However all thoughts, opinions, and criticisms are my own.

    A long time ago…

    Back when the internet was young, there was only a handful of books and websites to turn to if you had an interest in sewing 18th century clothing. Janet Arnold and Norah Waugh were hard to come by. I waited weeks for a costume book to arrive by an interlibrary loan only to be intimidated when I finally had it in hand.

    They were not beginner friendly books — and I was very much a beginner.

    Lauren Stowell and Abby Cox’s book would have helped me make sense of the diagrams and grids much sooner.

    The Book

    The book is robust, clocking in at 240 pages but also lean, there is no filler or fluff. It is laid out in a logical order starting with how to use the lining patterns and a list of the steps to fit your mockup. That is quickly followed by easy to understand diagrams of all the hand sewing stitches you will need, along with some extra information on where they were used and why.

    From there it jumps right into the 1740’s starting with petticoats and building up to the gown.  The photos which are well lit (even when working on pure white or black fabric) speak for themselves:

     

    Materials and Construction

    The section for each gown starts with a short paragraph on the style of gown, under that is a highlighted list of materials. Fabric amount, fabric type and fabric thread and weight. What follows are instructions for the pieces of each gown, be it petticoat or stomacher, hoops or rump (The book does not cover stays –which could be a seven-volume book, nor does it cover shifts. ) before getting to the gown itself.

    This is a wise choice, giving the sewer a chance to build up their hand sewing practice a little at a time as there may be new techniques and stitch choices.

    My favorite part, which sends my textile geek heart aflutter is the suggestion of how many stitches per inch to aim for. Thank you for including that, it is something I’ve long wished for in Arnold’s books.

    The instructions themselves are clear. I have yet to work through the book making a gown but in my reading, I was able to follow most of what was going on. Sometimes no matter how good the photos and detailed the text you just need to have the fabric in front of you.

    The patterns are on a gridded background with a scale block included, so you can size the image up using photoshop or a copier with ease.

    Frills and Furbelows also known as do you want to be a cupcake?

    The 4 gowns aside the book also covers the most important aspect of 18th century costume: Trim and accessories. Within each gown “decade” There are instructions and more lovely photos on what type of cap, hat, apron, mitt, purse, bow or trim to make to complete your outfit. It offers a plethora of items that you can use to dress things up or down and includes sewing with lace and fine organza fabrics. I do not doubt the skills shown in these sections are transferable to other areas of costuming as well.

    There are also detailed sections on getting dressed. Step by step, layer by layer of stays petticoats hoops and more. I’ve made costumes for friends and often have gotten texts asking “How do I put this on again?” The visual reference is a great guide to someone new to the 18th century.

    Finally, near the end of the book there is a section on troubleshooting. It is made up of illustrations highlighting fitting issues and an explanation on how to fix them. Throughout the book I keep looking for this section and was happy to see it, but there is a part of me that wants to put it in the front where it is easier to find.

    I do wish the book went into more depth on appropriate colors and fabric patterns. I understand this is a wide pool that shifted and changed throughout the era. But having a page or two of fabric examples would help train the eye.

    Is this book for you?

    I would set this book at a skill level of intermediate to advanced. A beginner could use this book with some extra guidance from an experienced sewing buddy, some may find the hand sewing focus intimidating.

    I have poked my toes into the 18th century dress making a few times, once as a beginner sewer and a few times later which resulted in a pile of unfinished projects. The 18th century is not my usual area, but this book makes me want to turn the pile of striped silk I’ve been hoarding into something fabulous.

    Buy The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking: How to Hand Sew Georgian Gowns and Wear Them With Style by Lauren Stowell and Abby Cox from Amazon.