Google is your friend!


These are some resources which I have found useful for constructing my costumes.


Australian Costumers' Guild - the official page of the Australian Costumers' Guild.
Sempstress - Historical costuming, but with lots of tips and helpful tools.

Historical
Jessamyn's Regency Costume Companion - A very helpful site on all things Regency.
Elizabethan Costuming Page
Realm of Venus - Venetian Renaissance costumes.

Fantasy/Sci Fi
AlleyCatScratch - in-depth analysis and explanations on most of the costumes from The Lord of the Rings movies.
Ever After Costumes
The Padawan's Guide - Star Wars Costume construction as well as basic sewing hints and tips.

Art Galleries
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Web Gallery of Art

General Links
FIDM Exhibits - movie costume exhibits, including LOTR.


Whilst it's definitely not simple when you start out, sewing isn't as difficult as it may seem, once you get started. That's not to say the first thing you make will be perfect - it may not turn out even remotely how you intended. But with everything you make you'll pick up new skills and techniques, and it will get easier and your results improve. All I can say is, give it a go! When people comment on the lovely costume you are wearing and you can tell them that you made it yourself, it will all be worth it.

Basic Sewing Tips

You don't have to be the greatest sewer - but there are plenty of little things you can do to make your costume look much better. They may seem minor, but can make all the difference in the world to your finished product.


Historical Sewing - Being Authentic

Not everyone is incredibly enthusiastic about sewing, so it's personal choice as to how fussy, or authentic, you want to be. So if you aren't big on sewing and the right basic look is good enough for you, you probably don't want to read further.

Time and patience are of course, a huge factor. I like to be as authentic as possible (and as time allows), and for me that means handsewing as much as I can. Here are a few things you can do to make that perfectly authentic piece of garb.

Money will be the deciding factor as to how many garmets you have, what sorts of fabrics you use, etc. Time is also a big issue, ie research, construction. But remember, it's a lot better to have just a few really nice, authentic pieces of garb, than a dozen mediocre, rushed ones.



Following are things I've picked up whilst researching historical garb, it may also be some help to those making their first historical garment. This page will be a constant work in progress. Before I go any further however, I'd like to point out that my methods and thoughts on construction of historical garb are my opinions and conclusions, based on my own experience. As I learn more, this will continue to change. If you have differing opinions, please feel free to share them! Right, that out of the way...

Research

Personally, researching garb isn't my favourite thing to do; I lack patience and like to get right in and start making things. Of course, this would very likely result in a completely inaccurate final product. The research stage is the most important if you want an accurate reproduction, so take the time to do it. It can also be the most daunting stage - first of all, where do you start? And how do you recognise a reliable source from a... not so reliable one?

I've found that information for historical garments can be found in three major primary sources; images from that time, written descriptions from that time, and extant garments. The first is the easiest source to come by, in many cases - especially when dealing with the Renaissance period, thanks to the rich and wonderful artwork which was created at that time. Images can also include carvings and the like. Written sources can be equally as reliable, but not always as easy to dig up (or translate). Extant finds of garments are a great source as well - if you can get your hands on one, or find a decent photo.

Is the Source Reliable?

For the average person sewing themselves some historical garb at home, the best source is, in my opinion, paintings. A good place to start is your local library, and head straight to the art section. There are also a myriad of sites online for art galleries and such, which have images of paintings (refer to resources page for some links).

Paintings can also be tricky however. To start with, I stick by two main rules when looking at paintings as a reliable source: make sure they were actually painted within the particular period, relating to the period (eg portraits of people living in that time - these are an excellent source) and try to steer clear of allegorical and religious images. The problem with the latter is that the artist may have painted the figures wearing clothing from their current time period, or maybe what they imagined would have been worn in the period they are depicting (eg in biblical or Classical Greek times). Either way, unless you know the period you are researching well enough to pick this up, steer clear.

Especially if you are part of a re-enactment group or costumers guild etc, there are plenty of knowledgable people around you, each with expertise in a particular area. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and use other people's knowledge. It is important to remember, however, not to use this as your primary source. After all, how do you know what they are telling you is accurate? Use other people as a source of information, but not as your only source; rather, use them to back up or compare what you have researched yourself, or do a bit of research to back up what you are being told. Even the most knowledgable person can get things wrong sometimes.

Another good souce, which I have only started using recently, are period pattern books. The only ones I have used so far are Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion, which is great because she has taken patterns of off a lot of extant garmets. The second is Alcega's Tailor's Pattern Book 1589, which has the tailor's actual patterns, along with instructions (and translations). There are plenty of like books around, which are an excellent source for patterns.