MEDIEVAL TAILOR'S ASSISTANT- Cutting & constructing garments from 1200-1500/ Thursfield. 250p. 280+ ill inc colour- This exceptional and invaluable work is due at the end of Summer. Our pre-publication price is £25.00

CHAUCER & COSTUME Hodges. LF 310p. well ill inc col.:Fabrics, garments, dyes, cloth, social status, wardrobe accounts, armour, accessories etc. £50.00

They both sound great and I'm almost tempted to order them sight unseen.... however, if anyone knows anything about them, more info would be very useful.

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Originally posted by hauptfrau:

MEDIEVAL TAILOR'S ASSISTANT- Cutting & constructing garments from 1200-1500/ Thursfield. 250p. 280+ ill inc colour- This exceptional and invaluable work is due at the end of Summer. Our pre-publication price is £25.00

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I don't know anything about the book, but there are some excerpts from stuff that Thursfield has written lying around on the web on some SCA sites, see http://www.srmdel.demon.co.uk/FlamePeace/AOPSeptBatch/stcostume1.htm

While I don't necessarily *disagree* with what she says, I'd like it better if there were fewer unsubstantiated blanket statements-

This is the "Straight cut" garment in general use for everyday wear up to about 1350. it is loose, unshaped and simple to make. Mens' and women's garments differ only in the length and the amount of fullness in the hem: tunics are about knee-length, often slit at the front and back or sides. Dresses are always ground length: they can be pouched over the girdle for working.

The cut is based on the normal width of hand-woven fabrics of the period, usually about 50-60 cm (20-24").

No footnotes or references. that assumes a lot from the reader.

I wonder if her book is like this?

Just a thought.

a copy of the Chaucer one about 30 min away from me
That would be great!!! Photocopies of a few pages would be extraordinarily helpful too. I'd be willing to foot the bill for that, and then put a review here!

BTW, there's really nothing wrong with Norris as a costume book beyond the fact that his redraws suck, and some of his research is outdated. Oh, and that he goes out on a limb a bit sometimes, but I think that may be a result of the outdated information he was working with.

In my world, the difference between a "costume book" and a "research book" is:

A costume book contains (sometimes poorly done) redraws and the author's own interpretation of the material. Sometimes the author is knowledgeable and sometime he/she is not. Intent is different also, in that a costume book is often satisfied that the "look" is adequate, disregarding what was really done in period. Hill & Bucknell is this way, as is Hoelboeker.

A book that is valuable as a research tool provides the archaeological / pictorial / written information, makes comments, presents hypothesis based on the information and sometimes patterns based on the info. "Costume in the Age of the Black Prince", and Mary Houston's book on 14th & 15th C. clothing falls into this category.

Just my 2d.