What is it like to attend a class with Marna Jean ?
My goal is for everyone to learn, grow and have fun, but I also want you to understand a bit more about the “whys” of historic clothing.
Both Lectures and Classes are available for booking and can range from being presented in historic clothing with a complete period dressmakers set up, or a more modern setting focusing on helping staff and volunteers complete appropriate clothing for the desired timeframe depending on the need of the venue.
Extant garments:
I love to bring my collection of original garments with corresponding photographs from the same timeframe. When I am teaching about a certain timeframe or garment its important to me for people to get the chance to see how things were actually constructed and the details that make something “belong” to a certain timeframe. Because the everyday type garments that I tend to favor aren’t ones that show up in the fashion plates of the time, people can often have difficulties placing those garments in their appropriate timespan. Through studying wear patterns and wearing copies of the garments themselves for living history I have learned why certain things may have been constructed certain ways, and I will be sure to point that intimate insight out to you. |
Fitting help: The key to a truly historic looking garment is fit. We are so used to excess wearing ease in modern clothing, sometimes we don’t understand that the proper fit can make a world of difference in comfortable wear AND that proper fit can actually give you much better mobility. It delights me to see the surprise on a face when someone realizes a historic style gives them so much more movement than they were expecting. |
Testimonials
I took my first class in historical attire from Marna several years ago. I can’t say enough good things. Her class not only covered construction/sewing of the garment but also lots of extras. She provided extant examples and walked us through the nuances of each. She explained why things were constructed the way they were, what fabrics were appropriate and why each was chosen. Marna is not only a fantastic instructor but provides the context that makes the past come to life.-- Chris Twing
