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‘I beseech thee, apparel thy head’ - Love’s Labour’s Lost, act V, scene 1

Welcome

The Tudor Tailor team aims to provide research, resources and inspiration for people who enjoy learning about 16th century dress - for fun, for educational projects, for reenactment events, for heritage sites, for stage plays and for screen productions. 

The collaborative team is headed by Ninya Mikhaila and Jane Malcolm-Davies, who specialise in the social history of dress with practical guidance on reconstructing historic clothing for interpretive projects. They combine meticulous research with an irreverent attitude offering scholarly information with a sense of humour. 

The Tudor Tailor develops entertaining events, creates bespoke reconstructions of historic dress, and designs exhibitions in partnership with clients in the UK, north America and across Europe. 

The team recently published a new book which updates and expands The Tudor Tailor (2006). The Typical Tudor concentrates on the clothing of the middling to lower sort in the 16th century.

Buy The Typical Tudor

This eagerly awaited follow up toThe Tudor Tailor presents a fascinating introduction to the range of garments worn by ordinary men and women 500 years ago.

Missing Persons Online: The Garment Autopsy

Join Jane and Ninya to relive the exciting revelation of a previously unpublished Tudor garment. A detailed examination of a recently discovered 16th century farthingale sleeve is the focus of the next Tudor Tailor online event.

Visit The Tudor Tailor online shop

If you're busy planning your next project then make sure you pop over to our online shop where we sell a large collection of books and resources for making historic costume.

Who do you think you were?

Each episode of our YouTube series showcases a specific garment featured in The Typical Tudor; bringing to life one of the many individuals whose wills make up the data on which the book is based.

Latest News

February 29, 2024

‘I beseech thee, apparel thy head’ - Love’s Labour’s Lost, act V, scene 1

Evidence for typical dress is now more clearly visible in a painting currently on display at The Queen’s Gallery in London (until Sunday 14 April).

January 25, 2024

'O brave new world' The Tempest, act V, scene 1

The team has been busy overhauling the printed patterns in The Tudor Tailor range to improve the design, instructions and pattern sheets.

December 4, 2023

‘Bid your friends welcome, show a merry cheer’ - Merchant of Venice, act III, scene 2

The Tudor Tailor’s silver thimbles are based on an original example dated between 1580 and 1650 found at Acton Court in South Gloucestershire in the 1980s.

They were so helpful in working with me to get exactly the length and color I needed. GREAT! I bought buttons from them also and they were beautiful! My Mayflower voyager jacket is perfect!

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