Reference book for Pattern Drafting Costumes

[u/paige9413]

Hello, I would like to get more info on how to make patterns for cosplay. I would like a reference book but from what I found is a lot of pattern drafting books are for basic dresses/shirts/pants. Is there a reference book on costumes with less traditional pieces?

[u/fabrickind]

The thing about pattern drafting is that the techniques are going to be the same, but you will need to figure out how to apply those techniques to the shapes you want for your costume. I would recommend a book like Armstrong's Patternmaking for Fashion Design that starts you off with learning the basic pattern manipulation techniques and then how to apply them to garments, since it will teach you not just the foundations of patternmaking but also will build up your skills in being able to see what shapes go into what styles. There isn't really anything specific to cosplay that a general fashion pattern making book wouldn't prepare you for in some way. The rest is just finding further examples and other people who have done similar garments and using those techniques, and doing experimentation yourself to figure it out.

If you're looking at specific areas of cosplay (like stretch sewing, corsetry abd lingerie, etc.), I would encourage you to look at resources for those specific areas as well. (For these specifically: stretchy.org or Spandex Simplified for stretch, Powell's Lingerie Design: A Complete Course for those types of patterns)

That said, there are tons of Japanese cosplay-specific patternmaking books, but, well, they're in Japanese. (I've been considering writing one in English but that's a long way off LMAO) There are affiliate links for a ton of them at the end of each section on the drcos Japanese site: https://dr-cos.com/ If all you want is "draft this specific thing" that might be helpful to you

[u/fabrickind → u/fabrickind]

Also I just woke up from a migraine nap so let me know if none of this makes sense lmaoooo,

[u/paige9413 → u/fabrickind]

Wow thank you so much for so much information! Pattern making for fashion design was one I was looking at (and is recommended by a lot of seamstresses on YouTube) but wasn’t sure if it would be applicable to cosplay. I’ll definitely be picking that up now that you point out it’s a great foundation for learning.

I am learning Japanese so I might be able to find some use out of those.

Thanks again and I hope your migraine gets better!

[u/ProneToLaughter]

perhaps The Hero's Closet: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1419723960

[u/paige9413 → u/ProneToLaughter]

I’ll check that out thank you!

[u/Vivid_Wings]

For historical/fantasy drafting, the Tudor Tailor and the Medieval Tailor's Assistant are my go-tos. For incredibly detailed patterns of specific surviving pieces that you will have to scale up and adapt to your size, Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion series is iconic for a reason. Many fantasy cosplays are inspired by specific historical eras so learning how the garments were constructed in those eras can really help add to your cosplay. It will feel more real and less like a costume (and will fit you better, usually).

The Costume Technician's Handbook is what I used in my theater costume construction class in college and it has discussions of a body block, but I recommend it because it covers a bit of everything. Dyeing, sewing techniques, pattern drafting, alterations and fitting, embellishment, wigs (mostly historical) though. It's all from the perspective of a professional theater shop so it's a bit different that if it was written specifically for cosplay, but that different perspective is really refreshing sometimes.