17th–Century Men's Dress Patterns: 1600–1630

Presenting a wealth of new, bespoke imagery and building on the authors’ unrivalled level of expertise, 17th-Century Men’s Dress Patterns is a definitive resource for costume designers, fashion historians, re-enactors and students

Published in collaboration with the V&A, this book presents full step-by-step instructions for the making of 17th-century men’s clothes and accessories in a technically accurate, visually exciting and easy-to-follow format. The garments featured are all historical pieces from the V&A’s world-class collections. They have been deconstructed so that every aspect of the pattern is authentic. 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 construction and the types of stitches used inside. The methods and techniques of historical tailoring and dressmaking are shown in detail.

The co-authors have the best historical tailoring skills in the world. Their book promises to be a unique resource for costume designers, fashion historians and students.

Susan North is the Curator of Fashion 1550–1800 at the V&A.
Jenny Tiramani was the Director of Theatre Design at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre between 1997 and 2005, where she and Melanie Braun, Luca Costigliolo and Claire Thornton led its award-winning experiments in authentic Shakespearean stage costume. In 2009 they founded The School of Historical Dress in London, where they all currently teach.