Nowadays, the virtual technology is being widely applied in the area of clothing design and try-on. However, the possibilities of these technologies cover only the contemporary marketable clothes, while the insight in the aspect of historical costume is very limited. In this research, we developed the method that allows to reconstruct and do the virtual try-on of historical men’s suit consisting from four different garments—trousers, shirts, vest, and coat. The method includes, on one hand, the analysis of pattern drafting systems, patterns construction, special means of bespoke tailoring that were popular in the history and, on the other hand, the way of its adapting and preparing to contemporary technologies of 2D and 3D design. The exploration was done with men’s suit and the patterns from the nineteenth century. We studied how the tailors took all measurements, the content of size charts including divisional, direct measurements, and its combination. To parameterize the historical patterns of men’s clothes, we created the schedule of special indexes. We developed the method how to identify the means of garment shaping by steam pressing, which are hiding in the patterns, and how to perform ones by darts. The preparation of historical patterns to virtual try-on was done by CAD. As example, the reconstruction of full-dress suite painted on the Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha’ portrait (1840) was done, and high adequacy between the historical prototype and the virtual suit has been proved.

Purpose Designing of clothes using the historical prototypes is very popular in contemporary practice. The purpose of this paper is to apply 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) systems to reconstruct the historical pattern block and get the virtual image in accordance with the prototypes. New algorithm has been proved for men trousers taken from the nineteenth century. Design/methodology/approach Our approach is to develop a method of CAD to reconstruct historical trousers through analyzing and rebuilding of historical algorithms used to pattern blocks making, old anthropometrical database, and the pattern blocks shaping. Trousers construction, methods of trousers shaping by hands, body sizes schedule, manuals of 36 pattern cutting systems, and its sketches from nineteenth century have been analyzed. Then, by means of parameterization of historical pattern blocks, we have developed the universal trousers pattern cutting algorithm. The final step of the research has been devoted to virtual fitting technology that helps to determine the differences between historical trousers chosen as prototype and virtual image reconstructed by 3D CAD. Findings The authors have developed the parametrical module of 2D CAD and expanded the application of 3D CAD to re-designing of completely new object such as nineteenth century trousers pattern blocks in accordance with the historical method of shaping by hands. The conformity between the style of historical trousers and the virtual images reconstructed from two resources – pattern block and sketch silhouette – has been achieved. Originality/value This study demonstrated the contemporary approach to historical garments reconstruction by means of CAD. This study should help researchers of historical costume and practical specialists in apparel industry to apply historical heritage in a contemporary way.

Purpose Virtual design of contemporary and historical clothes is a very intensive and developing area of science that can be considered as a bridge between costume heritage and modern way of its presentation by means of CAD. The purpose of this paper is to apply 2D and 3D existing CAD for virtual reconstruction of the very specific kind of women’s clothes such as a side-saddle riding habit (RH) used in 1875–1915. Design/methodology/approach The construction of RH was adapted to the aesthetic rules of the mentioned time, ergonomic posture of a woman sitting on a horse, surface of the horse’s body which the woman is sitting on. For the new method, the huge databases were obtained after analyzing the historical pattern manuals and features of pattern blocks used, possible postures of riding, construction of RH and converting it into virtual system “avatar – RH.” To reconstruct the side-saddle RH in virtual reality, the images dated 1887 and authentic pattern blocks were used. Special attention has been given to the topology of contacting areas existing between the sitting woman and “shaped” riding skirt and to the method of presenting it by means of special points combination. Findings The authors have developed a new method of virtual reconstruction of an RH that is based on automatic consideration of all joining elements such as “shaped” riding skirt, avatar and its ergonomic posture. The new approach allows reconstruction of the clothes in virtual reality in three ways: by using the real skirts, the historical pattern blocks or pictures. Originality/value The results obtained allow increased possibilities of virtual reconstruction and include in the list new objects of engineering achievements of the nineteenth century such as the side-saddle RH. This study should help researchers and practical specialists to recreate and save the historical treasure in a digital way.

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Purpose Digital technologies are widely used for digitization of museum and archival heritage and creation of digital, multimedia and online exhibitions, especially in terms of costume history. Digital exhibitions require historical dress forms which were used in the past for costume presentation. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new method for parametric modeling of the nineteenth century dress forms in accordance with fashionable body shape. Design/methodology/approach Due to limited number of body measurements in historical sizing tables, it is impossible to redesign the morphology of old fashionable body with high accuracy by means of contemporary CAD. The developed method is based on two sources of information: first, historical sizing tables with body measurements; second, historical corsets. By combining both resources and applying virtual try-on technology, the full anthropometric database about the nineteenth century fashionable body shape has been organized and the parametric model of historical dress form has been generated. Findings The digital replica of deformable parametric dress form was created automatically in accordance with the historical sizing systems and the corsets construction. The process of reproduction of a historical dress form has been done with high accuracy due to substantial advantages of contemporary software. Originality/value This study shows new way of anthropometric data generating from the construction of close-fitting and compression undergarments. The developed method and the new database can be applied for each type of dress forms which were used in the second part of the nineteenth century to generate its digital replica in virtual reality. The new approach is joining the digital technologies and the professional knowledge as an important part of cultural heritage for studying, recreating and presenting historical costume.