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  • 19th-Century Patterns for the Modern Body: A Step-by-Step Guide

    19th-Century Patterns for the Modern Body by MacKay, Elaine;

    A Step-by-Step Guide

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      • Publisher's listprice GBP 28.99
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    Product details:

    • Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
    • Date of Publication 22 January 2026
    • Number of Volumes Paperback

    • ISBN 9781350339712
    • Binding Paperback
    • No. of pages232 pages
    • Size 238x190x14 mm
    • Weight 640 g
    • Language English
    • Illustrations 275 colour illus
    • 700

    Categories

    Short description:

    A beautifully illustrated practical guide to creating historically accurate 19th-century garments, gowns, and silhouettes for modern body shapes.

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    Long description:

    Whether you're adapting a Regency, American Civil War, Victorian or early Belle ï¿1⁄2poque pattern, costume designer and historian M. Elaine MacKay guides you through creating a historically accurate garment perfectly fitted for the modern wearer.

    Illustrated with clear diagrams of bodice, skirt, and sleeve blocks, this step-by-step guide demonstrates how to alter modern pattern blocks to achieve authentic period designs for various modern body shapes. With techniques that can be easily transferred to any garment, each chapter details the techniques distinctive to each decade - from dramatic changes in the use of panels and bias, through the crinolines and bustles of the 1850s and 1870s, to the gored skirts and swept hems of the elegant 1890s - and features:

    - photographs of a historical garment from the decade
    - an in-depth garment analysis to help you understand how the cut of the period garment differs from a modern one
    - instructions to alter the modern pattern blocks provided in Chapter 1 to achieve the period silhouette.

    You'll also find examples of finished mock-up garments created using the book's techniques, historical context on the society in which each dress might have been worn, and an accompanying online resource providing basic pattern blocks to download and adapt.

    Using tried and tested methods developed over M. Elaine MacKay's 35-year career drafting and fitting historical patterns for theatre, film, and museums, this guide is essential for anyone interested in creating period silhouettes for historical dress, fantasy costumes, cosplay, or modern fashion design.

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    Table of Contents:

    List of Figures
    Preface
    Acknowledgements

    1 Foundation
    Modern Basic Block
    Modern One-piece Sleeve Block
    One-piece Historical Sleeve Block
    Modern Two-piece Sleeve Block
    Historical Two-piece Sleeve Block
    Straight Skirt Block
    Standard Skirt Block

    2 First Steps
    Reading an Image
    Terminology

    3 Development of Period Patterns: 1800 - 1815
    Period Dress in Historical Context
    Primary Step-by-Step Drafting Instructions
    Alternate Regency Gown Drafting Instructions

    4 Development of Period Patterns: 1820 - 1835
    Period Dress in Historical Context
    Primary Step-by-Step Drafting Instructions
    Alternate Day Dress Draft Adaptations

    5 Development of Period Patterns: 1840-1949
    Period Dress in Historical Context
    Primary Step-by-Step Drafting Instructions
    Alternate Day Dress Draft Adaptations

    6 Development of Period Patterns for the Early Crinoline Period: 1850-1859
    Period Dress in Historical Context
    Primary Step-by-Step Drafting Instructions
    Alternate Day Dress Draft Adaptations

    7 Development of Period Patterns: 1860-1869
    Period Dress in Historical Context
    Primary Step-by-Step Drafting Instructions
    Detailed Instructions for an Elliptical Hoop-skirt

    8 Development of Period Patterns: 1870-1879
    Period Dress in Historical Context
    Primary Step-by-Step Drafting Instructions
    Alternate Day Dress Draft Adaptations

    9 Development of Period Patterns: 1880-1889
    Period Dress in Historical Context
    Primary Step-by-Step Drafting Instructions
    Alternate Day Dress Draft Adaptations

    10 Development of Period Patterns: 1890-1900
    Period Dress in Historical Context
    Primary Step-by-Step Drafting Instructions
    Alternate Period Sleeve Draft Adaptations

    Conclusion and Reflection
    Measurement Sheet
    Bibliography
    Index

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