The Cut of Women's Clothes, 1600-1930

Rating:
Summary: If I had to rescue one book...
Review: ...from my library if my house were on fire, it would be this one.

I didn't know what "bombazine" was until I read its Glossary; I had never heard of Lucile until I turned to Diagram 67; I had never seen the accounts of Poiret and Lucile claiming to have both abolished the corset until I read the Quotations from Contemporary sources. Reading Jane Austen's descriptions of what her modiste planned for her next gown is amusing, as well as the anecdotes involving long trains.

This book is about more than the cut of women's clothes; it is an exegesis of costume history as seen through the eyes of its wearers and makers. It exalts the humble professions of seamstresses and patternmakers, and inspires modern designers through a scholarly reverence for technique.

I have graded up several of the patterns to usable working specs, but I don't recommend this to the casual sewer; one must have a solid background in pattern drafting to attempt this. (Although the Vionnet "flapper" dress is a good project for the beginner.) If you're a hard-core pattern collector and enthusiast, you need this book. If you're looking for EZ instructions for a period costume, buy a Folkwear pattern.

Rating:
Summary: If I had to rescue one book...
Review: ...from my library if my house were on fire, it would be this one.

I didn't know what "bombazine" was until I read its Glossary; I had never heard of Lucile until I turned to Diagram 67; I had never seen the accounts of Poiret and Lucile claiming to have both abolished the corset until I read the Quotations from Contemporary sources. Reading Jane Austen's descriptions of what her modiste planned for her next gown is amusing, as well as the anecdotes involving long trains.

This book is about more than the cut of women's clothes; it is an exegesis of costume history as seen through the eyes of its wearers and makers. It exalts the humble professions of seamstresses and patternmakers, and inspires modern designers through a scholarly reverence for technique.

I have graded up several of the patterns to usable working specs, but I don't recommend this to the casual sewer; one must have a solid background in pattern drafting to attempt this. (Although the Vionnet "flapper" dress is a good project for the beginner.) If you're a hard-core pattern collector and enthusiast, you need this book. If you're looking for EZ instructions for a period costume, buy a Folkwear pattern.

Rating:
Summary: This books is for advanced sewer
Review: Hi!

I have been sewing for 10 years and I finshed My college in costumes, and this book is not for the starter. you have to draft the patterns to todays scale. The patterns are drafted to fit the actually item that she got the pattern from. So many of the patterns draft up a size 34 men, or 36 maybe.

It is a very tricky book, that without careful work you can easily get lost. It is a VERY HELPFUL book for costumers or people who sew and make a lot of costumes. But just be careful to double check your work!

:)

Rating:
Summary: Mouthwatering!!!
Review: I received this book for Christmas and couldn't be happier with it! I have not as yet attempted to draft one of the patterns, so I can't give my impression of that. However, I am impressed with the detail and extent of knowledge the author is able to share through the text! There is much more text than I had thought, and the detail is such that you can picture the garment, seam lines, trim, and all, from her descriptions! It is by no means a light read, but well worth the money to anyone interested in costuming, fashion design, or just clothing. The pages are filled with old fashion plates, paintings, and tailors' notes, along with sections of patterns relating to the time period discussed.
I highly recommend this book- an amazing read! After finishing it, you'll be an expert on women's clothing!

Rating:
Summary: Mouthwatering!!!
Review: I received this book for Christmas and couldn't be happier with it! I have not as yet attempted to draft one of the patterns, so I can't give my impression of that. However, I am impressed with the detail and extent of knowledge the author is able to share through the text! There is much more text than I had thought, and the detail is such that you can picture the garment, seam lines, trim, and all, from her descriptions! It is by no means a light read, but well worth the money to anyone interested in costuming, fashion design, or just clothing. The pages are filled with old fashion plates, paintings, and tailors' notes, along with sections of patterns relating to the time period discussed.
I highly recommend this book- an amazing read! After finishing it, you'll be an expert on women's clothing!

Rating:
Summary: Worth every penny!
Review: The only reason I would not give this book 5 stars is that it has no color pictures. The patterns in this book are both informative and useful. But there are no detailed instructionas and so I would not advise this book for anyone who is not an experienced sewer (unless they just like to enjoy the pictures!).

Rating:
Summary: A Costuming Standard
Review: There are a number of pattern books that should be in the library of every serious costumer, whether he/she costumes for theater/film or reenactment. Norah Waugh's _Corsets and Crinolines_, _The Cut of Women's Clothes_, and _The Cut of Men's Clothes_ are three of them. Buy and keep this book. It's worth every penny!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference book for the professional or student.
Review: This is the definitive period costume book for historical patterns. Perfect companion book to The Cut of Men's, and Corsets and Crinolines, all by the same author. This book is not meant for beginners, but is an extremely useful tool in a university or college with a theatre or opera program. Worth the cost if you are serious about sewing and theatre, or historic reproduction.

Rating:
Summary: Basically Important
Review: This is the first costume text I purchased (even before knowing I was going to go to school for costume design), and even after receiving and collecting loads of other texts on costume and the history thereof, this is still the best basic book I've come across. And, yes, I actually read it instead of just looking at the pics (of which there are many, many, great examples of historical dress). Although not entirely scintillatingly written (hard to do with a sometimes dry subject such as costume history, it has to be said), it is full of information that I wouldn't have otherwise known (and I've been fascinated by clothing all my life).

Across the arc of the book, one can discern the evolution of clothing, and it provides a good background for noting the changes across the years and why they were made. There is a lot covered within, and I feel it's a great source from which to start any kind of costume research.

Rating:
Summary: Excellant . . .but OVERPRICED!!!
Review: Wonderful illustrations and patterns that can be copywrite infringed and used to sew your dream dress. However, DO NOT pay the price. It's far cheaper to go to you main branch library and check it out.