Page Street Publishing The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking: How to Hand Sew Georgian Gowns and Wear Them With Style

Fabulous 18th Century dressmaking book. Bought it as a present. Patterns and pictures wonderful. So are the patterns.

Livro maravilhoso com técnicas detalhadas para reproduzir quatro looks específicos do século 18. Um verdadeiro mimo!

Very useful as a reference book.

ik en een vriendin hebben een robe a la francaice gemaakt met behulp van dit boek, goede kwaliteit en veer informatie. het is denk ik niet helemaal beginner vriendelijk, maar opzich wel te doen.

I am delighted with this book. I am not a historical costumer, but a seamstress with a love of "olden day dresses" and I was nicely surprised by the content within. Directions are given for 4 dresses/outfits, complete with accessories such as caps and aprons and more. There is even a guide in how to put on each dress, since getting dressed was clearly quite a big deal in the days before zip-up dresses and jeans. It gave me an appreciation for women's dedication to the fashion at the time - with so many layers and multiple pins holding parts together, even just walking in the outfit must have been an art in itself! Patterns are grid-drawings that you would need to copy to scale and adjust to your own proportions. To make these dresses you'd need a dress form (or the intended wearer with you, on which to make accurate pattern pieces and fit the dress). I do not have one, but I hear you can make from from duct tape! Also, unless you happen to be Bernadette Banner, you probably won't be wearing one of these ensembles to the shops. They are very costume-y. Yet I might attempt one of the "simpler" versions and wear it to a local "historical day" that the National Trust houses sometimes put on. Even if you don't plan to make a dress of this sort, the book is good for an enjoyable browse while having a cup of tea.