19th-Century Patterns for the Modern Body

Name: 19th-Century Patterns for the Modern Body
Price: 59.99 AUD
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ISBN: 9781350339712

A Step-by-Step Guide

Elaine MacKay (Independent Researcher)

$59.99

Paperback

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English

Bloomsbury Visual Arts
05 March 2026

Theatre: technical & background skills; Textile & fibre technology

Whether you’re adapting a Regency, American Civil War, Victorian or early Belle Époque 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.

By: Elaine MacKay (Independent Researcher)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 238mm, Width: 190mm, Spine: 14mm
Weight: 640g
ISBN: 9781350339712
ISBN 10: 1350339717
Pages: 232
Publication Date: 05 March 2026
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

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

M. Elaine MacKay worked as a theatre tailor and cutter before shifting her focus to designing historical dress. She has published articles about women’s dress in Victorian Ontario, Basque 16th century whaling dress, and the 1673 wedding suit of King James II of England and has taught Aesthetics of Historical Dress at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.