Jessamyn's Regency Costume Companion: Men's Patterns

~ Mens' Patterns ~

A rundown of the patterns available for men's Regency garments.

Rocking Horse Farm 1795-1820 Regency Tailcoat pattern. The basis of any Regency man's outfit--but despite the name of the pattern, this is only for late Regency.

Price: About $20.

What You Get: A pattern for a tailcoat.

Pattern for basic double-breasted coat with tails.
Choose M-L or XL-KG.

What's Good

A typical late-Regency look.

Caveats

Claims to be for 1795-1820, but the waist seam didn't appear in men's tailcoats until at least 1810.
Rocking Horse Farm patterns are a bit of a gamble--some work, some don't.
No size small!

Bottom Line: Recommended with Caution for late Regency only. Not appropriate for early Regency, and probably not the easiest pattern.

Waistcoat Patterns.

Olde Country Costumes' Men's Vests. Old Country Costumes specializes in traditional Nordic costumes, which appear to have fossilized right around the Regency--especially for men's dress.

Price: About $11.

What You Get: Patterns for various waistcoats, good for 1800 through 1820.

Pattern for a straight-bottomed, single-breasted waistcoat with standup collar.
Pattern for a straight-bottomed, double-breasted waistcoat with standup collar.
Patterns for two non-Regency waistcoat styles.
Two pocket variations.
Multisized men's 38-48.

What's Good

Nice range of styles for the price.
Good for a twenty-year period; flap pockets are better for the earliest years.
With a simple extension of the front, could be used for 1790s; open-collar style could be used for 1820s.

Caveats

I have no experience with this one.

Bottom Line: Recommended. Seems to be appropriate for Regency, and the flexibility of style is nice.

Rocking Horse Farm's pattern envelope.

Waistcoat I believe made from this pattern by Jas. Townsend & Sons.

Rocking Horse Farm Men's 1812 Waistcoat pattern. Standard waistcoat for the Regency.

Price: About $10.

What You Get: Pattern for a Regency waistcoat, good for 1800 through 1820.

Pattern for a straight-bottomed, single-breasted waistcoat with standup collar.
Multisized M-L-XL.

What's Good

An extremely typical Regency garment; looks appropriate.
Despite the year in the pattern title, it's good for a twenty-year period.

Caveats

Rocking Horse Farm patterns don't always work well, and I have no experience with this one.
No size small!

Bottom Line: Moderately recommended. Seems to be appropriate for a broad range of years, and shouldn't be too hard to make.

Eagle's View Men's Waistcoat and Vest pattern. Purports to be late 18th and early 19th century, but in fact jumps straight over the Regency to the Romantic period.

Bottom Line: Skip it!

Breeches and Trouser Patterns.

The Eagle's View pattern envelope.

Broadfall breeches made from this pattern by Jas. Townsend & Sons.

Eagle's View Men's Broadfall Drop Front Breeches & Pants pattern. Standard breeches and pants for the Regency man.

Price: About $8.

What You Get: Pattern for fall-front breeches or pants.

Pattern for fall-front, gathered-back knee-breeches that button, buckle, or tie just below knee.
Pattern for fall-front, gathered-back trousers.
Both styles adjust with lacing at back waistband.
Both styles have full, gathered backs for ease of movement.
Multisized waist 30-42.

What's Good

I've seen these made up and they look good.
Includes instructions on working with leather!
Knee breeches are good for 18th century through 1810s for day wear--up through 1820s for formal wear, and day wear for conservative older gentlemen.
Trousers are good for 1810 on for day wear (not including riding).

Caveats

Gathered back may look funny to the modern eye, but as you'll never remove your coat in company, it doesn't matter; be glad of the freedom of movement!

Bottom Line: Recommended. Seems to be appropriate for a broad range of years, and shouldn't be too hard to make.

Olde Country Costumes' Men's Combo. Old Country Costumes produces this traditional Nordic combination.

Price: About $11.

What You Get: Pattern for fall-front breeches (referred to as "knickers" on the pattern envelope).

Pattern for fall-front, slim-fit back knee-breeches that tie just below knee.
Pattern for stand-collar shirt.
Multisized 38-48 (waist 32-42).

What's Good

You get knee-breeches and a stand-collar shirt for one (good) price.
Closer-fitting back is less period-appropriate, but some men may prefer it anyway (and again, it shouldn't show, because you shouldn't take your coat off!).
Knee breeches are good for 18th century through 1810s for day wear--up through 1820s for formal wear.

Caveats

Fitted backside isn't really period-appropriate.
Breeches appear to gather into knee-band, but stylish Regency breeches should taper instead.

Bottom Line: Okay if you want a cheap two-fer pattern that's fairly simple to make and aren't obsessed with total historical accuracy.

Shirt Patterns.

Kannik's Korner Man's Shirt, First Quarter of the 19th Century, English Style pattern. Mid-Regency shirt with or without "busom ruffles."

Price: About $10.

What You Get: Pattern for classic 18th- and early-19th-century shirt.

Pattern for shirt based on original 1808 cutting directions.
Construction techniques from original extant shirts.
Directions for "bosom ruffles" included.
Multisized XS-S-M-L-XL-XXL-XXXL.

What's Good

Heavily researched, authentic pattern.
Ruffles vital for dress wear.
Should be easy to make.

Caveats

I haven't made this myself. But the historical accuracy seems very good.

Bottom Line: Recommended. Seems highly authentic.

Eagle's View Early Drop Sleeve Shirt pattern. Typical shirt with three neck treatments.

Price: about $8.

Bottom Line:This is a perfectly acceptable shirt pattern at a good price. There are late-18th/early-19th-century shirts by a number of companies, and they're all pretty similar and all should work fine. However, I'd stick with the Kannik's Korner pattern for greatest historical accuracy.

Olde Country Costumes' Men's Combo. Old Country Costumes specializes in traditional Nordic costumes, which appear to have fossilized right around the Regency--especially for men's dress. This pattern is discussed above for the breeches.

Bottom Line: This shirt is fine if you're buying the pattern for the breeches (skip the neck fastenings), but if you just want a shirt pattern, I'd go with Kannik's.

Patterns for Uniforms.

Rocking Horse Farm 1812 Dragoon Coatee and Pants pattern. Early 19th-century uniform.

Price: about $25.

Bottom Line: I don't know anything about this pattern, but judging by this company's other patterns, I'd say it's more a jumping-off point than a perfectly accurate reproduction. Still, seems a good value for both coat and trousers, and the illustration looks to have good period-accurate details (no front darts, narrow-fall trousers, etc.).

Outerwear Patterns.

Mill Farm Man's Great Coat. A great-coat with one cape.

Price: About $15.

What You Get: Pattern for classic 18th-century great-coat.

Pattern for double-breasted great-coat with shoulder cape and collar.
One size.

What's Good

Very useful, typical garment.
Mill Farm patterns seem to be well-researched.

Caveats

I haven't made this myself.
Only one size provided, so not good for the very small or very large man unless you're good at scaling patterns.
Really an 18th-century pattern--but still good for early Regency.

Bottom Line: Recommended for average-sized men, for early Regency.

Rocking Horse Farm Coachman's Coat. The classic Regency men's overgarment.

Price: About $19.

What You Get: Pattern for classic 19th-century multi-caped great-coat, known as a garrick.

Pattern for single-breasted great-coat.
Can be made with one to three shoulder capes.
Fastens with "double button closures"; I think this means a tab arrangment.
Choose S-M-L or XL-King.

What's Good

Very useful, typical garment of the entire Regency period.
Good range of sizes.

Caveats

I haven't made this myself, and Rocking Horse Farm patterns are unpredictable.

Bottom Line: Recommended with caution for entire Regency period.

Atira's Fashions Badawia's Burnous. Atira's Fashions specializes in patterns for belly dancers and Middle Eastern musicians. However, their burnous (cloak) is a classic style.

Price: About $9.

What You Get: Pattern for simple cloak.

Pattern for cloak in two lengths.
Can be lined or unlined.
Pattern for hood.
Choose one size for men, one size for women.

What's Good

Not a stylish garment for men, but poorer men would still have worn them.
Useful for a range of other periods as well.

Caveats

I haven't made this myself.

Bottom Line: Recommended for lower-class men only.

Patterns for Accessories.

Kannik's Korner's Stockings, Pockets & Mitts. A multi-size pattern for constructed stockings for men or women.

Price: About $8.

What You Get: Pattern for stockings, pockets, and mitts (the latter items for women only).

Pattern for stockings of knitted cloth or bias-cut linen (good for 17th, 18th, and early 19th century).
Instructions for custom-fitting the stockings.
Patterns for five women's pocket styles.
Pattern for women's mitts.
Multisized S-M-L-XL-2X-3X.

What's Good

If you're determined to make your own incredibly authentic stockings, this is the way to go.
Best period-accuracy for middle and lower classes.
Bonus mitts and pocket for your good lady.

Caveats

I haven't made these myself.

Bottom Line: Recommended for middle- and lower-class men bent on authenticity.

Slipper pattern. This pattern doesn't seem to have a real name, but it's available from Amazon Drygoods.

Price: About $5.

What You Get: Pattern for ballet-type flats, appropriate for men's Regency dancing slippers.

Choose women's sizes 5-6-7 or 8-9-10.

Bottom Line: Tentatively recommended. Since a woman's size 10 is more like a man's 9, this isn't for men with large feet (unless you're good at sizing up). Also, would be more accurate for men's Regency if the throat were cut a little higher on the foot in front.

Glove pattern.

This is not a commercial pattern, but instructions for making gloves. The instructions are posted at the site of a woman named Franchesca Vecchio Havas, who is very interested in Elizabethan costuming.

Bottom Line: Worth a try, since it's free!

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