Two pages from a Tailor´s pattern book, 16th or 17th century While many 19th century academics assumed that historical tailors had no idea how to properly pattern and sew clothes, there are dozens of extant guild books showcasing the elaborate and complex patterns the tailors used to design and cut their customer´s garments. Here, two patterns from a Sabinov pattern book are shown: a pattern for a riding gown and a pattern for a hungarian gown. Both gowns are shown with grown-on back collars, a feature very popular during the 16th century. The riding gown also features a buttoned opening at the waist, which could be folded back while riding. As relatively few garments from the 16th and 17th century survived to the present day, pattern books are one of the best ways to understand the fashion of this period.
Link to the Sabinov pattern book: https://collections.imm.hu/gyujtemeny/szabasmintakonyv/7967
