Draping Period Costumes: Classical Greek to Victorian: (The Focal Press Costume Topics Series)

I have been teaching, building and designing costumes for over 30 years. In all those years, I have had to depend on contemporary fashion textbooks for teaching draping. Sharon Sobel's new book "Draping Period Costumes: Classical Greek to Victorian" is the textbook I have been looking for. It includes both male and female period designs, is based on solid pattern draping principles and is well illustrated with many good photographs. While there have been several excellent books on flat patterning for period costumes, this book allows you to understand the process from a draper's perspective, allowing for well fitting garments in your first test. It is not a book for non-sewers and assumes that the reader has a basic understanding of garment construction. However, it has excellent notes on the effect of grain line on the pattern, setting up a dress form for the right under structure and, may I say again, MEN'S costume patterns. If I could add anything to the book, it would be a section on trousers and skirts but since both are typically flat patterned or drafted, they don't really belong in a draping book.I highly recommend it. I downloaded the Kindle edition before it was available in paper and find it easy to use on a tablet. My class will be using it in the Fall of 2013.8/26/13 - just an additional note. I was so very excited by what is in the book that I overlooked the lack of sleeve patterns. It may be that, like skirts and trousers, sleeves are more commonly flat patterned. However, I do agree with another reviewer that they are very important. Perhaps in a 2nd Edition?

This book provides an exceptionally illustrated guide to period draping. Backed by solid understanding of silhouette and modes of historical costuming, Sharon Sobel has created a text that allows for a more user-friendly method of creating period garments (that will assuredly respond to the continual change of the contemporary figure- an element that most period patterning books neglect). I appreciate that the author uses accessible language (applicable to both the novice and expert draper) and also includes examples of historical garments for men and women. Though the book covers a broad swath of historical fashion, the author includes imperative step-by-step information pertaining to period-specific detailing. I would recommend this text not only for personal use, but find that it is ideal for course adoption on related topics. In short, it is Adaptable, Accessible, Comprehensive and Practical!!! Furthermore, any costume shop would be remiss to not add this treasure to its functional library. More than any other book on the topic, I found this to be the best!

Sharon Sobel's new text "Draping Period Costumes: Classical Greek to Victorian" fills an important gap in the costume design literature. For anyone involved with period costume, or with teaching others in this area, this should become an indispensable text. The scope is truly impressive, covering ancient Greece through the Victorian period. The author illustrates each topic with superb drawings and illuminating text, and construction is both explained and documented photographically, step by step. The book even uses a spiral binding so that pages sit flat- and ideal situation for use in the design studio. The end result is an extremely well-constructed, thoughtfully and clearly presented and highly useful text that should find wide interest in both the academic and professional theater communities.

Some useful tips, however, You wont find any patterns in this book. You wont find tips for complete outfits. You will find tips for how to drape part of a bodice, or part of a topcoat but not the skirt, pants or the shirt beneath a jerkin. More of a brief reference for those folks who already know all about costume drapery and design.

Bought this for a class and it was not a very clear book. It would describe various steps and skip showing any pictures on said steps, even my professor complained that this book was not the best. She chose the book because of it use of real pictures over illustrations but did not manage to read through the whole thing thoroughly before our class began. We caught a bunch of spelling errors also. This isn't the best book to use if you are completely new to draping or costuming and want to start experimenting, in that case I recommend you look elsewhere.

I belong to the SCA. I have researched the V necked Burgundian gown. I have no problem with the two necklines. However, they would not have cut the bodice in two pieces and put little tucks or gathers under the bust. The gown front is made in one piece that flares out to the floor. The high waist is achieved with a belt that is three inches thick in a contrasting color. The gathers that result were mistaken fir puckers. The one I made is all hand sewn gold & cream brocade with black velveteen collar with a red satin belt with a brass 15th C. buckle.

As other reviewers have pointed out, this book doesn't include sleeves in it's drafts & some of the patterns are slightly incorrect for their periods. On the plus side, it includes men's patterns, which many books don't. I use this as a back-up or quick reference book to complement my more detailed reference books.

Sharon Sobel's book is beautifully put together. It leads the reader step by step through the draping process, starting with customizing your own dress form to fit specific measurements (yours, an actor's, a customer's). The photographs accompanying each project clearly illustrate each step. And each section covers a different period in history, giving an example of both male and female clothing. The projects are easy to follow and this book offers the novice and the experienced draper an excellent resource.

When your used to cutting out cloth for garments on the floor or a table...how they will eventularly look in 3D is entirely in your 'Minds Eye', so this publication can help illustrate those moments, that your mind fails to link togather by answering visually how a pleat, a cut, a fold actually worksRecommended

Found this book very easy to follow (although it would have been nice to have a number against the picture and section of text so you could tell easily which instruction it was trying illistrate). I managed as a novice draper to drape myself a few of the roman outfits and the regency waistcoat. I plan to try a few more projects in the book too. The only disappointment was nothing on sleeves or how to perfect the armscye. I had to buy another book for that.

It seemed like such a great idea: a book on how to drape historical costumes. But when I got the book and looked at all the costumes, there was no explanation of how to do the sleeves, even though the examples clearly did have sleeves. Also the quality of some of the photos was very poor. I've sent it back and do not recommend this book.

I bought this for my Masters course. The photos are a bit dark but it's really informative. Gave a lot of history and showed all the folding techniques for classical Greek and Roman garments which is what I wanted to learn.

This has been a great reference book and gives you ideas for trying draping for period costume. A great book for anyone with serious interests in costume making.