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.

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.