So, it might not look like it, but I am self-taught when to comes to sewing and making corsets. My interest in fashion has always been pretty intense. I recall as a child wanting a particular item that wasn’t either in style or in-season and sadly having to wait years for the rest of the world to catch up (or I should say, for it to become mainstream enough to be in production reaching a wider audience). The internet was a virtual baby back then. So, you can imagine that it wasn’t long after I got my first sewing machine that I was trying to make it all myself. Shoes, clothing, and then corsets. I started making my own corsets when I realized that due to a long torso, most commercial corsets were a poor fit. Over time, I have amassed quite a library. Some books are more useful than others, and of course there’s ALWAYS the internet. In case you don’t want to waste time on a book that’s not especially helpful (I’ve done that quite a few times) here is a list of the most useful books in my corset/costume making library. I have included notes as to what each book is about, and why I found it helpful:

• Bridal Couture: Fine Sewing Techniques for Wedding Gowns and Evening Wear – My go-to-guide for couture techniques. I learned great tips for underlining and the best method for creating a back-buttoning gown.
• Couture Sewing Techniques, Revised and Updated – Another good couture source. It has some overlap with Bridal Couture, but still a great resource.
• Vogue Sewing – This was pretty much my go-to-guide when I first started. It contains everything the beginning sewer needs as well as some couture techniques for the more advanced sewer.
• Corsets and Crinolines – Fascinating history about the evolution of underthings, and original corset patterns to scale along with some instruction. Very descriptive text.
• Waisted Efforts: An Illustrated Guide to Corset Making – I think this might be the most detailed book I have come across yet. The author goes into great detail about drafting/scaling and sizing your own corsets. There is limited detail on fabrics and trimming, but you can leave that all up to your own imagination!
• The Basics of Corset Building: A Handbook for Beginners – A good beginning resource.
• Nineteenth Century Fashion in Detail – This series of books has wonderful detail of period clothing. It’s  mainly photography (detailed shots and some full-length shots), and as such it’s a great resource for ideas about overall construction and trimming.
• Seventeenth and Eighteenth-Century Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries
• Period Costume for Stage & Screen: Patterns for Women’s Dress, 1800-1909 – A good resource for ideas and general structure of period garments.
• Period Costume for Stage & Screen: Patterns for Women’s Dress 1500-1800
• The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing Sixteenth-Century Dress – Not only does this book contain some great historical information, it includes basic patterns from which to work from and construction notes. It’s a great resource for constructing pieces suitable for renaissance faires.
• The Tudor Child: Clothing and Culture 1485 to 1625 – Really great patterns for children at all stages of life in Medieval times. Great descriptions, reference material and construction notes.