Book Review:The Handwear Handbook

 

I am thrilled to review this exciting new title! Author Gillian Conahan's book, The Handwear Handbook: Make Gloves, Cuffs & Vambraces for Cosplay & Beyond is the reference I've been waiting for.

If that sounds like hyperbole, it's not. I teach a graduate level class on costume accessory construction with a project on glove structures, and (until now) the most in-depth text I could find has been a manual written in the 1950s for thrifty housewives to make their own gloves. I'm thrilled to have something published in 2023, and which covers the kinds of issues costumers face in creating pieces based on glove structures, often using novel materials like leather and vinyl and spandex.

Conahan includes an excellent glossary of unusual glove-specific terminology and details all the various seams and seaming structures used. She covers a range of edge- and hem-finishing techniques and advice on working with many different materials including the notoriously-difficult (in glove applications) woven textiles.

The secomd half of the book is a series of step-by-step projects ranging in complexity from embellished cuffs to articiulated armored gauntlet gloves. These include links and QR codes for digital patterns for each project. 

Conahan's bio mentions her experience in professional stage costume and editing a sewing magazine, both of which clearly served her well in writing this well-researched and thorough resource text. The full-color photographs clearly illustrate materials, media, and processes described throughout.

I wish there were some mention of the ergonomic concerns of using a glove foundation for mounting larger costume decor (examples: Edward Scissorhands gloves, lobster claws, etc) but that's probably far more information than the majority of the readership of this book wants to know.

I will definitely use this book as a reference in my classes moving forward!