Publisher Description

This book presents full step-by-step instructions for the making of early 17th-century men's clothes and accessories in a technically accurate, visually exciting and easy-to-follow format. Twelve garments - all historical pieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum's collections - are featured: a suit, three doublets and a cloak, as well as a felt hat, an embroidered nightcap and a plain nightcap liner, a pasteboard picadil, a sword girdle and hangers, a pair of mittens and a linen stocking. They have been analysed so that every aspect of the pattern is exact. Scale patterns and precise construction diagrams are accompanied by colour photography of the whole garment as well as an abundance of informative details and X-ray photographs that reveal the hidden structure of each piece, showing the precise number of layers and the types of stitches used inside. The methods and techniques of historical tailoring and plain sewing are shown in detail. The authors have some of the best historical tailoring skills in the world and have worked with world-renowned institutions such as the Globe Theatre in London, creating award-winning costumes for film, stage and television. This book is a unique resource for costume and fashion designers, fashion historians and students.

Author Biography

Anne Kjellberg is curator of Queen Maud's collection at the National Museum of Art/Museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Oslo. Susan North is curator in the Department of Furniture, Textiles and Dress at the V&A and author of "Historical Fashion in Detail".

Table of Contents

Foreword * Men's wardrobes, 1600-30 * Clothing terms * Dressing men, c. 1600-30 * Tailoring the doublet * Sewing stitches * Embroidery stitches * How to use this book * The patterns * 1. Green silk velvet doublet * 2a. Doublet of slashed silk satin * 2b. Slashed silk satin trunk hose with canions * 3. Sword girdle and hangers * 4. Crimson silk grosgrain doublet * 5. Slashed doublet of stamped ivory silk satin * 6. Embroidered silk damask cloak * 7. Felt hat * 8. Silk satin picadil * 9. Embroidered linen nightcap * 10. Linen nightcap liner * 11. Crimson silk velvet mittens with embroidered tops * 12. Embroidered linen stocking * Select bibliography * Acknowledgments

Promotional "Headline"

A definitive resource on 17th-century men's dress patterns, presenting a wealth of new, bespoke imagery and building on the authors' unrivalled level of expertise

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