Tailoring in 3D: A Digital Reconstruction of a Seventeenth-Century Doublet

This Research Note explores the creation of a digitally animated doublet, based on an archival and material reconstruction of a seventeenth-century Florentine doublet, as a new research methodology for textile scholars. Using Clo3D software to show how 2D pattern pieces are cut and assembled into a highly complex sculptural garment, the animation reveals the artful achievements of early modern tailors and how early modern clothes interact on the body. We examine the possibilities and challenges of digital reconstruction, explaining how we overcame software limitations to create a historically informed animation that renders complex fabrics, patterns, inner layers, and construction processes visible.