ResearchDemonstrationsAboutShop!

Research
- Introduction
- Source Types Explained
- Tailoring Vocabulary
- Website Bibliography

Tailors Pattern Books:
- Burguen MS
  (1618 Spain)
- Freyle MS
  (1580 Spain)
- Anduxar MS
  (1648 Spain)
- Alcega MS
  (1580 Spain)
- Hungarian MS
  (1610)
- Polish MS
  (1585)

Related Articles
- Documenting with Few Sources
- Overcoming Documentation Phobia


Research>Introduction

" Whatever the approach, we must not overlook the fact that for many people in sophisticated societies, dressing in fashion has been and still is a delightful, if not frivolous, occupation pursued with great enthusiasm in spite of satirical comment on all sides." - Janet Arnold, A Handbook of Costume

In crafting historically accurate clothing, it is as important for the pattern to be accurate as it is for the embellishment. In tailoring, the pattern dictates what the end product will look like far more than any embellishment or even fabric choice.

Extant Pattern Tailors Books

Currently, there are five extant examples of printed tailor's pattern books from Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries. No extant texts have been discovered from England or France as of yet for this time period. There are, however, several Tailors Books available from German sources. Ingeborg Petraschek-Heim's article in The Journal of Costume, Vol. 6, issue 3. 1972, gives a list of the various pattern books and where they were located at the time the article was published.

Eastern European pattern sources include a Polish Tailor's pattern manuscript, housed in the LA County Museum of Art and a facsimile of four pages from an Hungarian pattern book, found in an out-of-print museum handbook from pre-WWI.

Pattern Tailors Books Available on This Site

Most 16th and 17th century costumers are familiar with the now reprinted facsimile of Juan de Alcega, 1589. There is also a printing of Alcega's pattern book from 1580, containing some extra patterns left out of the more famous 1589 version. The formats of the other spanish texts are very similar to Alcega. Some, like Diego de Freyle's are smaller in size and contain fewer patterns. Others, like Fransico de la Rocha de Burguen's, contain litterally hundereds of patterns.

Each manuscript is given it's own section. Each section contains thumbnails of various patterns from the manuscript, links to larger versions of the thumbnails, tranlations of the manuscript text, and fabric requirements in yardage. Click on the links in the lefthand navigation bar to view each MS.

Copyright Information

The translations of the Burguen, Freyle, and Anduxar MS are my own and are therefore protected under copyright. All MS sections contain information on how to obtain copies of these MS. I highly encourage this. The sketches from the Polish MS are my own and are therefore protected under copyright. The LA County Museum allows viewing of this MS. The diagrams from the Burguen MS and the Burguen MS photocopy itself is copyright the V&A. Please be responsible when using these translations, sketches and diagrams. If you wish to use something for your own personal research purposes, you have my permission. No permission is or will be granted for use of any of the materials on this site in any commercial or for-profit enterprise. Any and all other uses of the materials on this site not covered under the fair use section of the US Copyright Law is hereby denied. For more information on Copyright, click here.

site map | guided tour | contactOther sections: 16th Century | 18th Century
This site and its contents (c) 2006 Tammie L. Dupuis
Best viewed at 640 X 480 or 800 X 600