Recommended Sewing, Historical Costume, and Cosplay Books

This list was created by Vivien Lee of Fresh Frippery and Becky Lee Evans of Going Ape Costume for the panel “Make it Faster or Easier? Cosplay and Historical Costume Shortcuts that Work (and Some That Don’t)” at Elko Pop Con on August 9, 2024.

Note: Some of the links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means I get a small cut out of what you buy that goes towards my domain registration fees.

GENERAL SEWING:

• The Pattern Making Primer: All You Need to Know About Designing, Adapting, and Customizing Sewing Patterns – Jo Barnfield and Andrew Richards
• Fitting Finesse – Nancy Zieman
• Simplicity’s Simply the Best Sewing Book (out of print, very inexpensive used)
• Vogue Sewing
• The Art of Manipulating Fabric – Colette Wolff

GENERAL COSPLAY OR COSTUME:

• The Costume Technician’s Handbook – Rosemary Ingham and Liz Covey
• Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century: The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute – Tamami Suoh
• Patterns for Theatrical Costumes – Katherine Strand Holkeboer (out of print, inexpensive used)
• From the Neck Up: An Illustrated Guide to Hatmaking – Denise Dreher
• Corsets and Crinolines – Norah Waugh
• Foamsmith: How to Create Foam Armor Costumes – Bill Doran
• Cosplayer’s Ultimate Guide to EVA Foam: Design, Pattern & Create; Level Up Your Costumes & Props – Beverly Downen
• The Book of Cosplay Lights: Getting Started with LEDs – Svetlana Quindt
• The Art of Extreme Wig Styling Kindle Edition – Regan Cerato
• Costume in Detail: 1730 – 1930 – Nancy Bradfield
• Cosplay Foundations: Your Guide to Constructing Bodysuits, Corsets, Hoop Skirts, Petticoats & More – Casey Welsch
• Fabulous Cosplay Footwear: Create Easy Boot Covers, Shoes & Tights for Any Costume – Regan Cerato & Kelley Kullman
• Humblebundle.com will sometimes do a bundle of cosplay e-books at a deep discount to benefit charity

TUDOR AND ELIZABETHAN:

• The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing 16th-Century Dress – Ninya Mikhaila & Jane Malcolm-Davies
• The Queen’s Servants : Gentlewomen’s Dress at the Accession of Henry VIII (Tudor Tailor Case Studies) – Caroline Johnson
• The Typical Tudor: Reconstructing Everyday 16th Century Dress – Ninya Mikhaila & Jane Malcolm-Davies

17TH CENTURY:

• Seventeenth-Century Women’s Dress Patterns: Book 1 – Jenny Tiramani & Susan North 
• Seventeenth-Century Women’s Dress Patterns: Book 2 – Jenny Tiramani & Susan North 

18TH CENTURY:

• 18th Century Hair and Wig Styling – Kendra van Cleave
• Stitching La Mode: Patterns and Dressmaking from Fashion Plates of 1785-1795 – Carolyn Dowdell
• The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking: How to Hand Sew Georgian Gowns and Wear Them With Style – Abby Cox & Lauren Stowell
• The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Beauty: 40 Projects for Period-Accurate Hairstyles, Makeup and Accessories – Abby Cox & Lauren Stowell
• Costume Close Up: Clothing Construction and Pattern, 1750-1790 – Linda Baumgarten

VICTORIAN:

• Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper’s Bazar: 1867 – 1898 – Stella Blum
• Victorian Bathing and Bathing Suits – Deb Salisbury
• Authentic Victorian Dressingmaking Techniques – Kristina Harris
• Authentic Victorian Fashion Patterns – Kristina Harris

EDWARDIAN:

• The Edwardian Modiste: The Edwardian Modiste: 85 Authentic Patterns with Instructions, Fashion Plates, and Period Sewing Techniques – Frances Grimble (this author also has books on bustle era and Gilded Age fashions)
• Turn-of-the-Century Fashion Patterns and Tailoring Techniques – S. S. Gordon & Kristina Harris