Costume Books

A History of Jewelry - $45.00
Joan EvansSuperb sourcebook of extremely rare ornamentation. It provides a fascinating history of jewelry styles over a 700-year period. A detailed narrative enhances 400 photographs and illustrations of striking pieces: gilt bronze clasp (c. 1200); 13th-century reliquary pendant; diamond and topaz necklace (c.1760), much more. 448pp. Pb.

Authentic Everyday Dress of the Renaissance: All 154 Plates from the "Trachtenbuch" - $26.00
Christoph Weiditz. Classic costume book of the 16th century depicts dress of Europeans (especially Spanish) of all classes. Special section on Aztec Indians brought to Spain by Cortes and sketched from life there by Weiditz. All 154 original plates have been meticulously reproduced, complete with English captions. Notes on plates. 144pp. Pb.

Celtic Knots for Beaded Jewellery - $29.00
Susan Millodot. Learn how to make beautiful, necklaces, bracelets, rings, brooches and earrings using real, three-dimensional Celtic knots combined with beads and pendants. Eighteen stunning projects using clear step-by-step photographs show how to create original, stylish designs. 80pp. Pb.

Chinese Knots for Beaded Jewellery - $29.00
Susan Millodot. Learn how to make beautiful, original necklaces and bracelets using decorative Chinese knots, beads, pendants and semi-precious stones. Sixteen stunning projects using clear step-by-step photographs show how to create original, stylish designs. 80pp. Pb.

Ornamental Knots for Beaded Jewellery - $29.00
Susan Millodot. Packed with diagrams, step-by-step photographs, and a wealth of ideas for necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, this portfolio of inspirational projects shows how even the simplest beading can result in a stunning, unique design when embellished by the proper knot. Showcasing a love for tradition while utilizing innovative skills that are easily mastered, the projects require no specialist equipment at any degree of complexity. 80pp. Pb.

Clothes of the Common Woman: 1480-1580 Part 1 - $24.00
R Morris. This booklet is a re-assessment of what was worn by the ordinary woman, the fabrics, cuts & colours; and is well illustrated from contemporary sources. 40pp. Pb.

Clothes of the Common Woman: 1480-1580 Part 2: Making the Garments - $24.00
R Morris. This booklet is a reconstruction of the patterns for clothes worn by the ordinary woman during this period. The patterns include smock, petticoat/kirtle, waistcoat, loose gown/frock. There is also a discussion on sleeves, stockings, headwear, neckwear, and aprons. 30pp. Pb.

Costume: A General Bibliography - $32.00
Pegaret Anthony & Janet Arnold. Here is a rare copy of this thorough bibliography published by the V & A Museum/Costume Society in 1966. A selection of over 400 books and journals relating to the history of costume, published since 1900. Arranged by theme and by country. For serious costumers only. 49pp. Pb.

Dress Accessories c.1150-c.1450 (2nd Edition): Medieval Finds From Excavations in London - $65.00
Geoff Egan and Frances Pritchard. Catalogues, discusses, and illustrates over 1,780 medieval dress accessories recovered from excavations in London. Girdles, buckles, brooches, buttons, hair accessories, pins, beads, chains, pendants, rings, purses, cosmetic sets, and needlecases were among the wealth of well-preserved finds recovered from these excavations in the City of London, which provide an accurate framework within which to date the recovered items. This book presents the opportunity for statistical analysis of dress accessories based on the sheer abundance of detailed information. Catalog entries for all 1,784 finds. A treasure-trove of detailed historical information, it offers sociological insight into the clothing choices of the "ordinary man/woman" during the three hundred years from 1150 through 1450 AD. Fully illustrated: twelve colored plates, numerous black-and-white photos, hundreds of detailed line drawings. Notes, charts, extensive bibliography. 438 pp, Pb.

The Evolution of Fashion: Pattern & Cut from 1066 to 1930 - $78.00
Margot Hamilton Hill & Peter A Bucknell. This book is an essential work for everyone concerned with design and costume for the stage, the screen and television. It traces the development of costume and cutting over a period of almost ten centuries. Each of the 56 periods has a full-page drawing of male and female dress in period setting, as well as a dressmakers pattern, (drawn to scale and supported by technical notes on making up), and comments on the general characteristics of the costume of each period and important observation on appropriate deportment for both men and women. Notes on the undergarments that played such an important part in determining the line of the costume, as well as on headdress and hairstyle, outer garments, shoes and accessories, will help complete the effect of period style. 224pp. Pb.

From the Neck Up - $45.00
Denise Dreher. This book is the most complete and unique book on hatmaking now available. It can be used as a method of self instruction, as a classroom text, or as a reference guide. All of the hatmaking techniques are explained step-by-step and clearly illustrated by more than 400 photographs and drawings. No prior knowledge of hatmaking has been assumed. Included in the book is a complete listing of supplies to stock a professional workroom along with the addresses of over 100 suppliers. Pb.

Hats: A History of Fashion in Headwear - $30.00
Hilda Amphlett. This comprehensive, profusely illustrated book--with over 800 illustrations--documents chronologically, by century, more than 2,000 years of head coverings--a subject that encompasses many eras and nationalities. Used as protection against the weather (or against an enemy's weapons), as a badge of office, or as something to enhance the wearer's self-esteem, headgear not only includes hats of all shapes and sizes but also comprises crowns, wigs, tiaras, and helmets. The author's own drawings, deriving from period paintings, sculptures, and illustrations, accurately depict varied forms of headdresses, among them, conical shaped leather caps worn by the Danish in 70 b.c.; metal Viking helmets with horns; Flemish berets (1410) enhanced with a large feather; petite straw hats adorned with a rosette and narrow ribbons (1870); handsome English top hats (1957); as well as ecclesiastical headdresses, traditional and national styles, and non-European hats and head-adornment. An invaluable reference for designers, art students, and costume historians, this entertaining and literate survey will delight anyone with a special interest in headgear. Unabridged republication of the edition published by Richard Sadler Ltd., Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, Great Britain, 1974. Over 800 black-and-white illustrations. Pb.

The History of Underclothes - $22.00
C Willett and P Cunnington. Fascinating survey of various undergarments worn by the English over six centuries. Well-documented, scholarly presentation enhanced with over 100 period illustrations depicting laced-up bodice of the 12th century, embroidered linen drawers (1500s), hooped petticoat support in bentwood (c. 1750), footed long drawers (1795), 19th-century bustles, early 19th-century corsets for men, Victorian "bust improvers," much more. The text includes information on materials, construction, and fastening. Text and photos come from poetry, literature and diaries as well as fashion journals, paintings and the actual garments themselves. Written in a delightful and entertaining style. 100 black & white photos and illustrations. 266pp. Pb.

Juan de Alcega's Tailor's Pattern Book, 1589 - $81.00
Facsimile of the second edition, with translation by Jean Pain & Cecilia Bainton, introduction and notes by J L Nevinson. Reprinted from Ruth Bean’s 1978 edition of Libro de Geometria, Pratica y Traca, one of the earliest tailor’s books extant. This important book contains 135 tailoring patterns, covering 23 kinds of dress, male and female. It includes some clerical garb. Includes bibliography, glossary, and a table for converting fractions of ells (a period measurement) into centimeters. Although the patterns show piece layout, and give rough measurements of cloth width and hints on making optimum use of cloth, these patterns are not for the faint of heart, since they show neither seam addition, darts, notches, gathering points, nor any other guide marks. For the expert garment maker. Pb.

Make Your Own Medieval Clothing - Basic Garments for Men - $37.00
Wolf Zerkowski & Rolf Fuhrmann. To be dressed historically correct as a medieval re-enactor – it could not be simpler. The range of garments that those interested in the Middle Ages can now make themselves stretches from the High to Late Middle Ages (1200 to 1500), and from a common beggar to lower gentry. Panels with lifelike, coloured illustrations revive the different medieval classes through their clothing and accessories. Clear, easily understandable pictures lead you through all the processes. Starting with the sewing techniques used in the Middle Ages even the layman learns how to neaten fabric edges, attach sleeves and make cords with metal points. Pb.

Make Your Own Medieval Clothing - Basic Garments for Women - $37.00
Wolf Zerkowski & Rolf Fuhrmann. To be dressed historically correct as a medieval re-enactor – it could not be simpler: the range of garments that those interested in the Middle Ages can now make themselves stretches from the High to late Middle Ages (1200 to 1500), and from a simple maid to lower gentry. Panels with lifelike, coloured illustrations revive the different medieval classes through their clothing and accessories. Clear, easily understandable pictures lead you through all the processes. Starting with the sewing techniques used in the Middle Ages even the layman learns how to neaten fabric edges, attach sleeves and make cloth buttons. Pb.

Medieval and Renaissance Fashion - $27.00
Raphael Jacquemin. Taken from the Louvre and other museums, this incredible gallery of manuscript illustrations, reliefs, and effigies offers an intriguing look at fashions from 315 to 1815. Images include French soldiers, German knights, and figures such as the Duke of Normandy. Dover original selection from Iconographie Générale Méthodique du Costume du IV au XIX Siècle, L'Autheur, Paris, 1867. 96pp. Pb.

Patterns For Theatrical Costume - $66.00
Katherine Holkeboer. Here is a collection of hundreds of ready-to-use patterns -- gowns, tunics, headdresses, jackets, robes, breeches -- historically accurate costume designs for periods spanning 3,000 years. There are patterns from the Egyptians through the Edwardians. A special section includes detailed step-by-step instructions to help you construct garments you may not have made before -- even corsets, hoop skirts, and hats. The patterns are multiple sized and easy to adapt. Profusely illustrated. 342pp. Pb.

Patterns of Fashion Vol 3: The Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men and Women c.1560-1620 - $60.00
Janet Arnold. What magnificent clothes were worn in this period! This book opens with 378 photographs of paintings and sculptures which show the clothing worn at the time. There are also close-ups of some of the items which have survived to this day. The rest of the book presents detailed descriptions of individual items of clothing, patterns and instructions for reproducing them. Costumers for the stage, movies and television will find here an extremely valuable book for their libraries. 128pp. Pb.

Patterns of Fashion Vol 4: The Cut and Construction of Linen Shirts, Smocks, Neckwear, Headwear, and Accessories for Men and Women c.1540-1660 - $70.00
Janet Arnold. Finally! The book that Janet Arnold had planned before her death. Finished by her last student, Jenny Tiramani, this book is dedicated to the linen clothes that covered the body from the skin out. There are full-color portraits and photographs of details of garments as well as 86 patterns for items of linen clothing. Anyone who has seen Ms Arnold's previous 3 books in this series will know what a treasure this one is. Includes colour illustrations. 128 pp. Pb.

The Samurai Undressed - $85.00
Jacqui Carey. Here is a rare Out-Of-Print treasure. This book elaborates on the functional role that Japanese braiding -- kumihimo -- plays in holding sections of Samurai armor together and the history of Samurai armor. The detailed descriptions recall the ritual and craftsmanship that mark much of Japanese life. The author examines the actual construction of the braids and armor beginning with the earliest (8 A.D.) evidence, through to the abolition of the Samurai class in 1868. Full color and black & white photos, plus line drawings, explain the details of assembling that hold the protective pieces together. 80pp. Pb.

Textiles and Clothing c.1150-c.1450: Medieval Finds From Excavations in London - $59.00
Crowfoot, Pritchard & Staniland. Newly reissued. Finds include knitting, tapestries, silk hair-nets, and elaborately patterned oriental, Islamic, and Italian fabrics. These objects reveal considerable information on the cut and construction of clothing as well. This highly readable account provides a wealth of new insights on fashions, clothing, and textile industries of medieval England and Europe. 32 color illus, 132 b/w illus, 91 line drawings. 250pp. Pb.

The King's Servants: Men's Dress at the Accession of Henry VIII - $59.00
Caroline Johnson & Editors Jane Malcolm-Davies & Ninya Mikhaila. Here is provided a vivid picture of Henry’s early court using evidence from royal warrants and account books in The National Archive. Caroline Johnson’s transcriptions and translations of more than two hundred hand-written pages of the original 16th century Latin and English documents have revealed a wealth of fascinating facts about expenditure on garments for servants at the Tudor court. The typical clothes worn by middling men during the decades between the battles of Bosworth (1485) and Flodden (1513) are described and reconstructed in this beautifully illustrated book. Previously unpublished documents, including bundles of orders for clothes, and parchment books recording payments to such people as mercers, drapers, tailors, cordwainers and silkwomen, are carefully analysed to provide details of the usual allocation of dress to different ranks of servants at the royal court. The book focuses on the middle-ranking men who were clerks, messengers and huntsmen. There is also information on trends in men’s fashion at the turn of the century as the documents investigated demonstrate Henry VII’s expenditure as well as his son’s. A noteworthy inclusion is an early livery issued to Henry VII’s newly-founded Yeomen of the Guard, who were resplendent in green and white damask coats embellished with lavish gold embroidery. The book offers a survey of relevant pictorial sources such as effigies, brasses and stained glass plus rare glimpses of archaeological artefacts from the late 15th and early 16th century. These, together with the archival information, have provided sufficient evidence for reconstructions of the typical royal servant’s every day wardrobe to be made, and these are illustrated in high-quality colour photographs. The book also features comprehensive patterns for a man’s complete costume during the early Tudor period. These were devised by Ninya Mikhaila with other experienced costumiers, including Sarah Thursfield (The Medieval Tailor’s Assistant) and Jane Huggett (Clothes of the Common Woman, 1480-1580). Pb.

The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing 16th Century Dress - $46.00
Ninya Mikhaila & Jane Malcolm-Davies. Create stunning historically accurate Tudor costumes from hats to headdresses to doublets and hose. The book contains 80 historical illustrations, many in colour, and over 100 specially commissioned line drawings to give historical context and aid accuracy. Included are 36 patterns with full step-by-step instructions and photographs showing finished garments worn by real people. There are also four chapters of the social history of clothes in the 16th century, drawing on the latest research and primary sources such as ordinary people's wills and surviving royal records, along with a discussion of the materials used, people's financial and social relationships with their clothes, and the changes in dress from birth to death. There is as much emphasis on the clothes of ordinary people as there is on high fashion. There is also general advice on choosing materials, construction methods, and an insight into the Tudor tailor's sewing kit. 160pp. Pb.

Viking Clothing - $71.00
Thor Ewing. This book looks at the aspects of cloth production - raw materials, production tools and techniques for woven and non-woven textiles, dyeing, decorative textiles and embroidery. It includes a detailed consideration of both male and female outfits and a new interpretation of the suspended dress. It also shows how much can be reconstructed from the discoveries of archaeological excavation. 176pp. Pb.