Monday 22 June 2015

The future "Patterns of Fashion"



I have my copy of Costume, vol 49, no.2, it arrived in the post this week and there is an article by Jenny Tiramani on the next volumes of Patterns of Fashion that they are planning. 

First, which I was aware of, will be on stays, hoops and rumps 1600-1795. This volume, which will be Pattens of Fashion 5 will include the 1660 silver tissue outfit in the Fashion Museum at Bath. There will be x-rays of the type that Jenny has used in the two volumes of Seventeenth Century Women’s Dress Patterns that have been published by the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Patterns of Fashion 6 will cover men’s and women’s clothes c1620 to 1700, however I get the impression from Jenny’s writing that the bulk of the patterns in no. 6 will be menswear, and will include several from the Livrustkammaren, Stockholm. All those who own or are aware of Lena Rangstrom’s book Modelejon manligt mode : Lions of fashion, male fashion in  the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, will look forward to having patterns from some of these exquisite items. 

Jenny mentions that there are around 250 patterns taken by Janet Arnold in her archive, which resides with the School of Historical Dress, and states that there are plans for at least a further Patterns of Fashion 7, on women 1700-1820, and Patterns of Fashion 8, on men 1700-1820. There are also patterns for future volumes to cover more recent periods. We all owe Jenny Tiramani, Santina Levey and all those involved in the School of Historical Dress and great debt for carrying on Janet’s work.