Madeleine Pugh is a costume pattern maker from Texas who specialises in historical womenswear. She's worked in a variety of costume making roles for plays, musicals, and operas. She cares deeply about sustainable costuming and size-inclusive clothing. In the future, Madeleine hopes to open her own business selling historically inspired clothing to people of all body types and sizes.

As bodies change throughout life, wardrobes often become a site of frustration, aspiration, and waste. Normal body size fluctuations shouldn't prevent individuals from wearing their favourite garments comfortably. 

This idea is the root of this collection of nine historically inspired adjustable garments for the modern person. Each piece is backed with extensive research into historical patterning practices, resulting in clothing that changes with you through time. Techniques such as drawstrings, waist ties, pleating, and more have been used to control fullness and allow these garments to fit the wearer comfortably regardless of weight fluctuation. These techniques appear in extant garments, literature, and historic patents throughout history because of their tried and true ability to extend the life and usability of clothing. 

Adjustable and adaptable clothing not only promotes body acceptance through the normalisation of changing size, but also promotes sustainable practices, as adjustability lengthens the lifespan of a garment in your wardrobe. No person should have to feel inadequate because their favourite article of clothing doesn't fit them like it used to. Investing in slow fashion, made for the ever-changing body, has the potential to reduce needless garment waste and excess consumption.

After my degree, I have plans to work at a college in Texas as a costume lecturer and costume designer for the institution, alongside working to build up my business selling historically inspired garments.