Marie Antoinette

Question: sewing patterns for historical costume?

im interested in patterns from the 18th century. like marie antoinette would have worn.

is there a place i could find these patterns or a book about the fashion of the time?

ive checked simplicity butterick and mccalls and they have a few that i suppose i could use as a starting point. but i would really like to see the authentic details they used back then.

Answer: You can buy historic patterns for garments from the era and many include instructions suitable to historic reenactments. You can make them as authentic as you wish, including undergarments. There's a lot of people who love recreating historic garments.

This site not only lists different comanies that make historic patterns, and a great place to start your google searching, it also reviews how easy the patterns were to make,and difficulties encountered: http://www.gbacg.org/great-pattern-review/index.html

Here's a source for buying historic and ethnic patterns: http://www.pastpatterns.com/ and here: http://sewingcentral.com/ and also here: http://www.oldtimepatterns.com/

And this place sells historically suitable patterns and sewing supplies: http://www.farthingales.on.ca/patterns.php

And of course, the old favourite Folkwear Patterns: http://folkwear.com/

There's lots more out there, you do need to dedicate a couple hours to searching everything that's available on the web, including patterns, blogs of people who make recreations, instructions, supplies, there's plenty out there on the web. For books, look through Amazon.com there's lots of Dover books that are re-publishings of old sewing books from the 19 and 18th century. Use google booksearch, some are posted there in their entirety. Dover has lots of historic costume books, too many to list.

Marie Antoinette - The Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Wellington, New Zealand

Question: In The Marie Antoinette Movie, what is she reading ?

There's a part in the movie where she quotes something from Rousseau. Does anyone know what book she is reading from?

Answer: The actual Marie Antoinette was oblivious to the Enlightenment and she could have been a model for Paris Hilton. Movies are dangerous places to get your history.

Elizabeth I Tribute