"Historic costume for the Stage" by Lucy Barton, is a great place to start.
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Nicole Kipar Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 2:05 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [h-cost] Tudor costumes for "dummies"? Help for a theatrical group Right, my question/dilemma is this: There is a very nice theatrical "amateur dramatics" group in my new Scottish hometown near Edinburgh, called the Linithgow Players. In the summer months they do plays dressed in Tudor costume at Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots. They set place at the Court of James V and act out scenes with Mary, all for Historic Scotland (very similar to the National Trust or English Heritage). Anywya, that said, the costumes are.. ermm... uhm... not so very good, to be kind. I offered, because I just moved here on my own three weeks ago (my partner's still serving and staioned 500 miles away *sniff*) and would like to get stuck in with costumes and people and to have something nice to do, to help with their costumes. That's all very well, but, while I know a hellofa lot about clothing 1660 - 1715 I know next to nothing about Tudor costumes. HELP! I am ordering Ninya's book, but as Teddy said rightly, this is a theatrical group, we don't need to nor want to make it authentic (they wouldn't even have the budget for that) but to make it look GOOD and make it look better than it is now. Bless them, some costumes are quite nice, but others, I think, we could definitely do something about that and I would love to help and get the needle going (and spend some time in the pub with company ;-) This is their photo page: http://www.linlithgowplayers.org.uk/LPsite/PhotosRe-enactments.htm Don't let yourself be fooled by the "reenactment" bit, I don't think they got the terminology quite right. It's definitely acting, not re-enacting and we would see it. :-) Anyway, I don't know where to start, I feel lost in a jungle of Too Much Information. Can anyone, please pleae please point me into the right direction of where to start getting a really good feel for Tudor period costumes and, most importantly, which patterns could be adapted (I have Margo Anderson's Lady's wardrobe and Man's wardrobe) and if I can even use some commercial big companies patterns, because those are usually quite easy. Any and all help appreciated, I'd love it if I could help them get the look a bit more right and at the same time do it on a tiny (!!!) budget and a shoestring with only four hands to help (another lady's and mine - and I'm actually overworked at my new work anyway thus haven't got 'that' much time). Thanks ever so much in advance, I really am drowning in websites, books, info, and just don't know where to start and where to go to for a theatrical good looking budget version (it has to be court costume) of Tudor costume. Nicole -------------------- "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." _________________________________________________________________ Be the first to hear what's new at MSN - sign up to our free newsletters! http://www.msn.co.uk/newsletters _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
