Bernadette Banner

Bernadette Banner is an American dress historian, author, and YouTube creator best known for her deep-dive videos on historical fashion, garment reconstruction, and sustainable sewing. Born in the United States and now based in London, England, she has accumulated a major global following by documenting the research and hand-crafting techniques behind historical clothing, primarily focusing on fashion from the pre-industrial era through the Victorian and Edwardian periods.

Early Life and Career

Banner pursued her passion for theatrical design by studying costume design at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she graduated with a degree in theatrical production. Before transitioning into digital content creation, she gained professional experience in the entertainment industry as a costume assistant on Broadway productions including Aladdin and Something Rotten!. She later interned at the School of Historical Dress in London under Tony Award-winning costume designer Jenny Tiramani, contributing detailed technical illustrations and historical reconstruction work for academic publications in costume history.

YouTube and Online Presence

In 2018, Banner launched her self-titled YouTube channel (@bernadettebanner) as a personal log to document her historical dress projects. Her content quickly gained popularity due to her meticulous attention to detail, tranquil video presentation, and focus on 'Original Practice'—the technique of hand-sewing and tailoring garments using period-accurate methods, fabrics, and tools. Beyond recreating historic gowns, her channel frequently critiques costume accuracy in popular period films and television dramas, promotes slow fashion as an alternative to fast fashion, and explores pre-electric sewing technology.

Publishing and Additional Work

In May 2022, Banner published her debut book, Make, Sew and Mend: Traditional Techniques to Sustainably Maintain and Refashion Your Clothes, which became a New York Times bestseller. The book teaches readers traditional hand-sewing skills, garment care, and mending methods to extend the lifespan of modern clothing. In addition to YouTube, Banner shares project updates, historical insights, and lifestyle photography on Instagram (@bernadettebanner), where she has gathered over 480,000 followers. She also teaches educational courses on platforms like Skillshare and releases ad-free videos on Nebula.