A review by savvannnna
The Well Dress'd Peasant: 16th Century Flemish Workingwomen's Dress by Drea Leed

4.0

This book presents some incredibly helpful tips on constructing 16th century–inspired garments, as well as a thoughtful analysis of some clothing depictions in contemporary art. The research is well documented, and it seems meticulous, synthesizing findings about fabrics, dyes, and styles from disparate sources. Leed helped me notice many details in the included paintings that I'd completely overlooked, and she uses language that's easy to follow for amateurs like me. Her writing is also charming and encouraging throughout. My only complaint—and it's pretty minor—is that I wasn't always sure whether the instructions were suggesting modern techniques for feasibility's sake. I would have loved a little more clarity about which techniques are practical workarounds for interpretations and which would be more historically likely. But this is a wonderful resource, and I'm thrilled to have stumbled across it! Highly recommend.