Book excerpt: How can the cut of a 19th century gown control its shape? Can you re-create a historic profile from a contemporary mannequin? How can paintings help you analyse historic silhouettes and the corsets and petticoats worn underneath? Conservation and historic dress display specialist Janet Wood will help you answer all these questions. You'll learn how historic garments can be safely handled and shown to best effect, with insight into the characteristic features of each piece and how to translate them from the garment to a display support. Concentrating on Western women's wear from 1750–1950, and with over 250 colour images, plus drawings and charts, you'll learn how to interpret an individual garment's display needs and create safe, appropriate display forms.