Looking for a new swimming costume ahead of your summer holiday? If you're gifted with some needle and thread and a bit of fabric, you should still have time to fashion yourself something, with a little bit of help from the new book Vintage Swimwear Patterns by Jill Salen.
Not quite the risque book you might be expecting, Vintage Lingerie: Historical Patterns and Techniques by Jill Salen is an altogether more practical book.
Part reference, part guide to creating period pieces, Vintage Lingerie looks at the progression of lingerie over the last 120 years, from 1920s French knickers to 1950s pin-up brassieres, not to mention vintage corsets, garter belts and basques, along with 1950s New Look girdles, brassieres and knickers.
The book includes 25 'fully annotated working patterns' alongside drawings, photographs and practical advice on any feature or alteration necessary for making up the garments. So if you are looking for authenticity, this is the place to go. 128 pages long and published by Batsford, you can order a copy from Amazon for £17.
