To accompany our podcast of the 2015 series Wolf Hall, here are some resources related to costumes in the show.
Costume resources:
Do you want to make an outfit similar to the ones worn by Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell? A great place to start is the book The King’s Servants by Caroline Johnson, and edited by Jane Malcom-Davis and Ninya Mikhaila. Or, if you’re interested in one of the costumes worn by likes of Johane Williamson, Cromwell’s sister-in-law (portrayed by Saskia Reeves), there’s the companion book The Queen’s Servants, also by Caroline Johnson. For more upper-class costumes along the lines of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, we recommend you check out The Tudor Tailor by Jane Malcom-Davis and Ninya Mikhaila.
The Tudor Tailor also has a line of patterns based on the diagrams in each of these books, so if scaling up patterns is not your forté, you can order a pattern in your size, complete with instructions from their online shop.
Recommended reading material mentioned in the podcast:
- Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – The first book in the series on which the show is based.
- Bringing Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel – The second book in the series on which the show is based.
- The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir – One of the most popular biographies of Henry’s wives, highly recommended by Sarah.
- Six Wives by David Starkey – Starkey gives his take on each of Henry’s wives.
- Divorced, Beheaded, Survived by Karen Lindsey –Â Don’t let the “feminist reinterpretation” scare you off. This is a refreshing look at Anne Boleyn’s motivations in marrying Henry.
Post includes unfortunate typo: BRINing up the bodies. Possibly creepier than original title–Richard III Freudian slip??