Janet Arnold was a historian of fashion, which combined her two greatest passions: the theatre and clothes. Her early books were conceived as aids for the fashion and theatre students she taught, but as her unique range and depth of knowledge became apparent, more and more museums and other institutions sought her advice and, today, her books are essential tools for the study of dress and have been used throughout the world. Jenny Tiramani was Janet's last pupil and during the first ten years of Shakespeare's Globe she worked with Janet's published patterns to realize accurate copies of the original garments and their accessories. Santina Levey is Janet Arnold's Literary Executor and a historian of fashion.

The third volume in Janet Arnold's groundbreaking series Patterns of Fashion covers an earlier period than the previous two volumes: Patterns of Fashion 1660-1860 and Patterns of Fashion 1860-1940, concentrating on the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. Significantly, too, this is the first of Arnold's books to include patterns for men's clothing. As well as Janet Arnold's meticulous patterns for these remarkable garments, the book includes an amazing 300 black and white photographs ranging from portraits of the period to details of articles of clothing .