Elizabethan Costume Construction and Research

For my Barrett Creative Project I set out to make an Elizabethan inspired women’s costume and write about my process. Images of the completed costume and process photos are included in the appendix. I researched the differences between my modern day costume construction techniques and those of dressmakers from the original period of the 16th century. An important distinction that I must make is that I set out to create a costume rather than a historical reproduction of a garment. This allows me to have both creative freedom and an ability to take advantage of the technology to which I have access. I will begin by reviewing the steps I took to construct the costume itself. The task began long before I ever sat down to stitch pieces together. Pollatsek writes, “Popular culture tends to show two versions of making clothing: mass - production drudged in sweatshops, or virtually instantaneous bursts of creative magic . . . (making costumes for the stage), most people do not see the planning and time that the transformation of fabric into wearable art entails. Creating costumes actually requires a combination of art, craft, and engineering” (1). I found her statement to ring true, as the completion of this project incorporated not just sewing but historical research, pattern-making, costume design, and project management. The final product of this project is a costume that very closely resembles the initial rendering. Due to the onset of Covid-19, in order to adhere to social distancing practices, I was unable to photograph the finished project on my model. The alterations marked in our final fitting were completed and the costume is made to her latest measurements.