The A-Z of Historical and Modern Costume And Dressmaking.

A is for Accuracy.

This is very important characteristic in the field of historical and modern dressmaking. From the measurements that you take from the clients body, to the system you use to create  a pattern draft, to putting the garment on for its first fitting, you should develop skills using tools (tape measure, meter rule, T square and drafting curve), mirror and your eye to transform and enhance the original design from 2D to 3D wonder.

A is for Alterations.

An alteration is a feature on a garment that needs to be changed in order to get the garment to fit properly on the body of the wearer.

It can also involve a design feature being changed that might enhance the garment either by removing or adding a feature that will enhance the garment to bring out the best look once it has been tried on by the wearer.

A  is for Adrian

A fabulous Hollywood and film designer from the Golden Age of film making, 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s.

B is for Bride and Bridal Fashion.

It is always a pleasure and exciting to be involved in a wedding, whether it is a family member or a private client, the joy of creating a dress for such a special day and the start of a journey of sharing two lives is amazing.

I have been involved with about ten weddings,  7 of which I made the brides dress. They were unique and individual to the lovely women that wore them. Just as it should be.

 B is for Bespoke.

Leading on from that is an explanation for the term Bespoke.

A bespoke garment is on that is created specifically for one client, using a design that is original to them and fabrics with designs and textures that are unique.

The garment is made to measure meaning that the client has a series of body measurements taken, from which a pattern is made either in fabric (called draping or paper). Some embellishments including embroidery, beading unusual buttons or other fastenings can really give a final special finish for your client to feel a million dollars in their own outfit.

B is for Bias.

A piece of fabric is a woven item consisting of the warp threads which are run the length of any fabric and are stretched on the loom. The weft threads are the threads that go across the width of the cloth having been load into the shuttle. Fabric cut be cut three ways. The straight of grain is where the pattern piece is placed parallel to the warp or weft. The bias is where a pattern piece is placed at an angle to the straight edge.

It allows the fabric to stretch and drape around the body. Cutting in this way was first introduced to the fashion world in the early 1920’s by a French design called Madeleine Vionnet. She used it in evening wear using silk

fabrics such a s crepe de chine, satin backed crepe and light weight satin. This style became the iconic look of the 1930’s.

B is for Balenciaga.

This is a haute couture fashion house that is named after its founder, Cristobal Balenciaga. He was a Spanish designer whose first fashion was started in 1919. Due to Spanish civil war he was forced to close it and re-open is Paris where it flourished producing some of the iconic shapes of the 50’s and 60’s.

C is for Corsets and crinolines.

These two foundation garments are the most iconic of the historical fashion world.

The corset is an foundation garment worn mostly by women and girls, but occasionally worn by men too.

There is some evidence that the Minoan Crete women in the ancient world, wore tight 'corsets', and the first corsets in Europe of the early medieval period were made of steel. This piece of underwear was first called pair of bodies or stays. They were only made and fitted by men and consisted of two or more layers of stiff fabric and had channels stitched along the length. The channels in early garments were then filled with stiff plant reeds, whalebone, or by the 1830's some cording was introduced.

With the onset of the British industrial revolution in mid 1850's , corsets, as they were now called were made in factories and they were boned with steel spirals.

With the introduction of rubber and elastic at the turn of the 20th century, boning could be reduced in under garments and making them more comfortable to wear.

This feature has continued to be the main characteristic in the design of lingerie and in haute couture fashion with many types of boning now being made in plastic, thus being much lighter.

In theatre, unless the corset needs to be seen on stage, most historical clothing is constructed with boned bodices.

The crinoline was introduced in 1850's and was designed to support the very full skirts of women's costume that had originally been worn with layers of stiffened petticoats in the 1840's.

A product of the Victorian industrial revolution, they were constructed from tapes, calico and piano wires or flexible steel bands. They maximum width was achieved in the 1860's to 1865, when the bustle was introduced. All the fullness was now at the back of the women's body.

C is for Cutter.

This is the title given to the team member in a workroom who is responsible for interpreting the design of any garment in a production, which is being made to measure.

Having talked to the designer, They cut patterns, organise the seamstresses, fit the garment to the actor or client and then organise the alterations and finish of the garment often to a specified deadline.

C is for Chanel.

Gabriela Chanel (or Coco Chanel) was a revolutionary women's designer, who first started as a milliner and then in 1919 begun designing for women.

She freed women from the constraints of the corsets and Edwardian fashions, designing in jersey fabrics and loose fitting garments.

Amongst her many creations she designed the first 'Little black dress' and beautiful light weight tweed suits, and of course the perfume Chanel No. 5.

D is for Designer.

A designer is the first creative mind that will be responsible for the appearance of a production or the couture house seasonal looks. In the entertainment industry, they collaborate with the director, actors and costume supervisor.

The pattern cutter and maker works with the designer to realise their vision and converting the 2D

Drawing to the 3D costume and garment.

The designers I have had the privilege to work with over the years, include Suzannah Buxton, John Bright, Jenny Beavan, Ros Ebutt, Alexandra Bryne, Hugh Durrant,

Chris Oram, Michael Taylor, Simon Higlett, Mike Bartlett, Jonathan Fensom, Paul Farnsworth, Janet Bird and Bunny Christie.

D is for Damask,.

Damask is a beautiful rich fabric that has a self pattern in the weave and is usually one colour, but because of the nature of the weave the pattern has a different textures throughout both sides of the fabric which has a lustre and low level shimmer to it. 

It is usually and most beautifully woven in silk and is used in historical costume and modern dress where making a big impression is a must

Sometimes it can be woven in cotton and linen which is often used for furnishing fabrics and the surface then has a matt appearance.

It is believed to have originated in the middle ages in the town of Damascus in Syria.

D is for Drape.

This is a term that can be applied to a feature of historical dress in the late Victorian period from 1873 to 1885. Consisting of regular folds of fabric, at the front of the dress it is called the apron drape and at the back it is the bustle drape.

It can also be a form of separate decoration on the neck or sleeves and the cowl neck of a garment is where the drapes are cut as part of the garment.

D is for Dior.

Christian Dior is one of the most famous haute couture designers of the 20^th century, and whose couture house still delivers the most beautiful clothes in the world.

Dior was a Frenchman who came to be most famous for his ‘New Look’ in the late 40’s and 1950’s after the austerity years of world war 2. In complete contrast to the tailored, square shouldered look of the war years, Dior introduced longer, fuller skirts with meters and meters of fabric, soft shoulders, waspy waists and boned bodices for the evening. He also created amazing tailored shapes, the most iconic was the Bar Suit, below.

Christian Dior Bar Suit 1947.