I'm ,a 68 , years old Scotsman who, Whilst reading Charlies Dickens came across Mantua-Makers . Ignorant I watched, you're, video how enlightening, An Education, Thanks
This is a fantastic overview! I appreciate the political and economic history you linked to the cultural dissemination and the influences behind the changes in historical dress.
Your title said "Mantua Maker", so of course I had to come learn! Really enjoyed learning how female dressmakers began. Thinking about how sewing is often seen as "women's work" now, yet the designer field is often dominated by male designers 🤔. I also found the history of the banyan very interesting. Thank you!
If I remember correctly, Jo March refers to herself as, or is referred to as the 'mantua maker general' of her family at one point in Little Women. She’s obviously not making actual mantuas in the latter half of the 1800s, but it’s interesting the term still survives.
Not sure if I missed this but tailors guild had exclusive rights to flat patterning and Mantua makers were able to rise up because they didn't use flat patterning, they used draping. Had they not adopted the draping technique (which arguably works better with the female form then a patterned method for the historical styles) they wouldn't have even been allowed to become a guild.
It was a point that I don’t think I got across overly well in the video (nothing like brain fog for making life difficult!). But yes, the exclusive flat patterning used by the tailors forcing women to drape (which you sort of have to do with the mantua and sacque and so on) was definitely a massive influence in the rise of mantua makers - I do wonder whether if a similar style of clothing had been adopted earlier, whether a female guild would have been formed earlier… Without a style of clothing that needed draping, I’d imagine that forming a female guild would have been far more difficult.
Let me point this out about the Jesuits ... they aren't a branch of the Catholic Church; rather, it is a Catholic religious order whose mission was to evangelize, much like the Benedictine order was dedicated to studying, the Carmelite order to praying. Religious orders could be male or female, or both; the Jesuit order was, and is to this day, a male order.
That’s a really good way of putting it - I couldn’t remember the words for religious order, so ended up putting it badly. Thank you for the extra clarification in a comment! :)
I'm ,a 68 , years old Scotsman who, Whilst reading Charlies Dickens came across Mantua-Makers . Ignorant I watched, you're, video how enlightening, An Education, Thanks
This is a fantastic overview! I appreciate the political and economic history you linked to the cultural dissemination and the influences behind the changes in historical dress.
Really great presentation on the evolution of the banyan as well as the mantua and sackbacks. Thank you so much.
Thank you. :) I’m glad you liked it!
Your title said "Mantua Maker", so of course I had to come learn! Really enjoyed learning how female dressmakers began. Thinking about how sewing is often seen as "women's work" now, yet the designer field is often dominated by male designers 🤔. I also found the history of the banyan very interesting. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! It’s interesting to see how gendered perceptions of different aspects of the textiles industry have changed over time!
Fascinating! I learned a lot. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This is a great video with a lot of really great detail and explanation!
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it. :)
Fascinating!
If I remember correctly, Jo March refers to herself as, or is referred to as the 'mantua maker general' of her family at one point in Little Women. She’s obviously not making actual mantuas in the latter half of the 1800s, but it’s interesting the term still survives.
this was realy interesting :) thank you for the informative video!
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it. :)
Not sure if I missed this but tailors guild had exclusive rights to flat patterning and Mantua makers were able to rise up because they didn't use flat patterning, they used draping. Had they not adopted the draping technique (which arguably works better with the female form then a patterned method for the historical styles) they wouldn't have even been allowed to become a guild.
It was a point that I don’t think I got across overly well in the video (nothing like brain fog for making life difficult!). But yes, the exclusive flat patterning used by the tailors forcing women to drape (which you sort of have to do with the mantua and sacque and so on) was definitely a massive influence in the rise of mantua makers - I do wonder whether if a similar style of clothing had been adopted earlier, whether a female guild would have been formed earlier… Without a style of clothing that needed draping, I’d imagine that forming a female guild would have been far more difficult.
Let me point this out about the Jesuits ... they aren't a branch of the Catholic Church; rather, it is a Catholic religious order whose mission was to evangelize, much like the Benedictine order was dedicated to studying, the Carmelite order to praying. Religious orders could be male or female, or both; the Jesuit order was, and is to this day, a male order.
That’s a really good way of putting it - I couldn’t remember the words for religious order, so ended up putting it badly. Thank you for the extra clarification in a comment! :)