Product Description
A much-needed overview of aspects of fashion history and how to understand it with clear, jargon-free text to help all lay readers, collectors, as well as students of fashion history. The author is a leading authority on fashion history with experience as a writer, teacher and curator. Illustrated throughout with plates, photographs, paintings and drawings, the book is divided up into the following chapters: What is dress, and how and why is it studied? Theories of dress and fashion and how they have evolved; Collections of dress and textiles and their importance as a source of information about social and technological change; Dress in art and dress as art; Dress as an indicator of role and status; Dress and cultural imperialism: absorption of non-Western ideas in fabric and the imposition of Western dress in preference to indigenous styles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good for its purpose
I am taking a fashion history class, so the book serves its purpose well, it is not, however, very well written or engaging if you are looking forsomething interesting to read.most of it talks about people who have documented fashion history and not about the garments or textiles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Every Costumer should own this book
Probably the best book published on the history of costume.It should be on the shelf of every costume designer.Fabulous research and wonderful use of artwork (paintings) to show the historical fashions by date.It is the most comprehensive bible of fashion history in print today.Can't recommend it more highly.My Costume Design professor wants all her design students to invest in this book, as it is invaluable in researching historical dress.She's owned it for over a decade and uses it in the classroom with her students for practically every project. ... Read more

Product Description
A visual study of historical dress, pinpointing the key developments in each period from the ancients to the 20th century. After a brief review of the ancient world, the book moves on to European trends from the medieval period to World War I. Also included are American styles, covered in detail from 1840. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Ancient beauty book
This book is well researched and well written.It even contains recipes.As I am in a research and reenactment group, this has been a godsend.I am delighted with the professionalism of this book.I have to be careful every time I open it that I don't drool on it.GREAT BOOK!!

Solid Research, good resource
While there are many books out on cosmetics, perfumes, and the history of adornment, there has been a dearth of well-researched, modern historical and archaeological studies with practical information. Sally Pointer, from the National Museum and Gallery of Wales, has written a text that fills that gap admirably. The depth and accuracy of the research, and the scholarly discussion, in The Artifice of Beauty, is combined with the re-creation experiences of a skilled museum curator.

Anyone interested in researching and/or recreating fashion, material culture, or personal life in history should have this book in her or his library. Those interested in homemade cosmetics and perfumes will also find it very useful.

Pointer first lays out "The Nature of the Evidence" in her introduction, then tackles the various ages of humankind in nine chronological chapters. While none is completely exhaustive-- the beauty regimens of the nineteenth century alone have filled multiple shelves of books-- each chapter provides a good groundwork for understanding cosmetics, perfumes, and ideas of beauty in the period. Her strongest suit is in the early evidence, Ancient World and Classical world sections, but those areas have previously been the subject of much archaeology but little reliable summary. Her information about the medieval through the seventeenth centuries is a treasure trove of facts and quotations.

Of special interest is Pointer's analyses of possible make-up trends based on pictoral representations of people in the period. Were pink cheeks admired? Highly accented eyes? What color of hair was in fashion. Information about hairpieces and false hair, washes, soap and other cosmetic preparations are also included. Sidebars cover specific items that Pointer herself has researched and recreated, such as a nail stain made from alkanet root, Roman wigs, Mesopotamian eye paints, alcohol-based Hungary Water, seventeenth century 'invisible rouge,' 18th century Carmelite water. Illustrations of advertisements highlight the later chapters. The text here is interesting as well as erudite, and Pointer carefully delineates her deductions and suppositions so that the reader can tell what is documented fact and what scholarly reasoning. Throughout, attention is paid to the safety of the ingredients discussed, and the possible and documented health effects on their users. Some facts-- such as a strange fashion in the nineteenth century for nipple-piercing and a selection of medieval mouthwashes-- will surprise the reader. Others, such as the utility of pomade for the hair, that the skin-destroying properties of ceruse (white lead) were known to the historic critics of 'painting', or that bathing and washing were done with some regularity in pre-modern periods, may explode some cherished myths.

After the text history, Pointer lays out "A Guide to Recreating Perfumes and Cosmetics, with Selected Recipes Adapted for Modern Use." The second section of the book is of interest not only to historians and re-enactors but to chemists, in that it consists of a glossary of cosmetic and perfume ingredients. While not exhaustive, especially with reference to more modern ingredients, this guide will be invaluable to those curious about Behen oil, Kohl, the elusive Nard, pomades, stacte, terebinth resin, etc. Here, also, are included a number of excellent recreated or redacted recipes. The next section covers Tools, Implements and Cosmetic Containers, with special attention to the pre-modern period.

One cannot overemphasize the importance of chapter 12, on Adapting Early Recipes to Modern Usage, for the recreator, re-enactor, or cosmetics student or dabbler. In this section Pointer lays out two historical recipes, one classical and one Victorian, and shows how she worked out safe, modern recipes for the items described. (For SCA purposes, these two recipes would be excellent guides for creating competitive documentation.) The painstaking work here, and the careful explanation of what changes and compromises the author felt necessary, are outstanding. This is supplemented by a table of Modern Cosmetic Pigments to assist the re-creator, a listing of Weights and Measures, as well as an Appendix listing ingredients mentioned by Classical Authors (compare to Forbes' Studies in Ancient Technology volume 3) and "Abdeker's Library of the Toilet, 1754." The index, notes and bibliography are easy to read and useful.

I highly recommend this text for personal and library collections. Libraries with an interest in personal care, women's history, cosmetic chemistry, fashion, pre-modern culture, hobby herbalism, and historic costume and medieval culture will find this an especially helpful introduction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fashionplate
Fantastic.Highly informative and entertaining.A must read for every fashion photography aficionado. ... Read more

Product Description
This bestseller brings the authors' analysis of Western dress up to date and adds a number of new features. Survey of Historic Costume, 4th Edition, is a basic text for readers who want an overview and chronology of costume, discussing the dress of each era within its historical, cultural and economic contexts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Interesting
Great book! It has come in handy for my history of costume class, but it is also very fun to read on it's own. I received this book a lot faster than I expected; and for a used book, it is in good condition.

No frills text book
If you are looking for great illustrations and colorful examples of historical costume, don't bother. If you can look past that, it is a great text book to learn clothing in history.

Decent textbook, lacking in pics
This is a textbook that I was required to purchase for a history class.The reading is full of info and seems to be laid out well.However, there are not very many pics to show what the text is explaining.There are some pics, but alot of the time you are left trying to imagine what the text is describing, and they are vague in their descriptions sometimes.I am learning a background of the history though.

Good book with a few drawbacks
This book is often used as a textbook in costume history courses. As far as textbooks go, it is definitely one of the best. The text is quite dense, since it covers a lot of material in a limited space. Despite this, it is never dull. The authors are always careful to cite their sources, as well as explain why they support one point of view over others in those instances where several conflicting opinions exist. The text has several very useful features: extensive bibliographies at the end of each chapter, as well as at the end of the book, are an excellent resource guide for more in-depth study; the visual summary tables at the end of each chapter review the basic progression of the silhouette within a period; and every chapter includes a section titled "Contemporary comments", which shows what the people who actually wore these garments thought about them. The careful attention the authors pay to the general historical, cultural, and political backgrounds of each period present fashion history as part of the greater framework of the history of Western society, which makes for an engaging read.

I stopped short of giving this text a 5-star rating for the following reasons:
1. Illustrations in the body of the text, primary research as well as drawings, are black and white. Color illustrations are confined to separate pages inserted in the middle of the book. The plates are too few and too small, and the color fidelity doesn't seem to be of exceptional quality. It seems that in an effort to keep costs down, the publisher sacrificed a vital part of the book. After all, when it comes to clothes, a picture often is worth a thousand words.
2. Whoever was in charge of making sure that the illustration and page numbers correspond to the ones cited, did an extremely poor job. What I mean is, when authors describe a particular garment, they'll refer to an illustration in parenthesis (see figure 8.10, page 182). Well, this illustration may or may not be on the page named, as well as the illustration may or may not be an example of what the authors are talking about. The correct illustration is never far (usually on the same page or the next page), and I have not yet encountered an instance where a cited illustration is absent entirely, but this discrepancy has occurred once or twice in almost every chapter. I place the full responsibility on the publishers, and would ask them in the future to be more careful when proofreading an expensive and otherwise admirable text.

Bottom line: buy this book if you intend to read it. If you are looking for a quick and clear visual reference of costumes through the ages, your money will be better spent elsewhere. Try The Complete History of Costume & Fashion: From Ancient Egypt to the Present Day

Review for the 3rd Edition of 'Historic Costume'
This is the textbook from my History of Fashion course. Like nearly all Fairchild Publication books, this is extremely well put together. It describes the dress of the time, construction and what it was made of, as well as the social/historical events at the time that helped influence the dress styles. It covers women's wear, men's wear, and children's wear. It is truly an excellent resource. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

New Cover - same inside as the 80s edition
I had high hopes when I saw the new cover for the book, but that's all it is - new wrapper, same layout as the original 80ties edition.

I concur, the V & A's collection is superb and this book doesn't do justice to it (maybe 30 years back it was a laudable effort but not anymore)- not by far, 90 percent black and white phtographs, most of them rather small and not very good to begin with, the book is based on an 80ties presentation of the collection. I also felt it was not as organized as it could be, though you can gleam some good information from the text.
But there are much better books out there to educate yourself on the history of fashion. And even the V & A have shown with their Fashion in Detail books that they can do it.

So yes, if you want to have a reference book for the V&A collection on your shelf, this is the one as it is the only one available, sadly. But better than nothing - which isn't very high praise indeed.

Bottom line: it's high time the V&A did a compelte overhaul of the contents and not just the wrapper. I recommend checking for a good used copy of this book for your library - it's more than sufficient.

400 years of fashion
This too was disappointing regarding the images, too many in black and white. I am able to access the VA Museum website and get more details, yet this is not what I bought the book to have to utilize in this manner.

Good, for what it is
This isn't a modern, glossy style book with lots of coloured pictures. It's printed in 1984 and very much of that era with most images in black and white. Good for anyone interested in costume history with some very beautiful garments. Just not a big and splashy production.

I'm hoping the Victoria and Albert will eventually do another one because their collection is superb and this one really doesn't do it justice. (Although I imagine the book probably would have been pretty cutting edge in its time.)

Glad I got it, but I wouldn't suggest paying a lot of money for it unless you're particularly keen on the subject or a professional costumer.

Historical Costume collection...
Colored and black & white plates from the historical dress collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.William Collins, 1984.8 1/2x11 in. softcover.Many plates are full-page and color, and high-quality paper was used.Construction details and historical annotations are provided.Discussion of the fashion background of each piece is provided.

Beautiful gowns, wonderful pictures, not enough detail...
100 years of Fashion was an excellent read for the more scholarly-minded costumer in need of an accurate source book for their historical costuming. Although it provided plenty of close up pictures and trim details about the garments profiled in the book, it didn't cover sufficient enough details about the garment's construction for one to reconstruct a replica from this book alone. I highly suggest owning this book as an addition to one's library of period sources for research, but if you need a book on how to actually construct a period garment, I suggest using a Janet Arnold book. ... Read more

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This book covers 5000 years of the history and evolution of dress and fashion worldwide, from the studded leather stole of the Sumerian soldier c. 3000 BC to the studded leather jacket of the 20th-century punk. In colourful foldout pages over 800 accurately rendered figures display the costumes - plus a selection of the ornaments, weapons, musical instruments and household objects - of all the major peoples of the globe from every period. The book's ingenious layout encourages contrast and comparison. The single continuous strip format is divided into three timelines - the top for the inhabitants of Asia, the middle for the Europeans, and the lower for the peoples of Africa, the Americas and Oceania - so that the parallel development of costume is succinctly emphasized. Brief captions identify each person, garment and object, and an introduction sets the scene for the whole story. ... Read more

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Hailed by Vogue as 'the fashion bible' and by Elle as 'the ultimate fashion reference book', The Fashion Book takes a fresh look at the fashion world and the people who created it. Now available in a pocket-sized mini format, this inspirational reference work covers the whole industry – from pioneering designers, including Coco Chanel and Issey Miyake, to influential photographers such as Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton and the people they photographed. Easy to use and filled with beautiful and memorable images, it is an A to Z guide to 500 key individuals – clothes and accessory designers, photographers, models and those iconic celebrities who instigated or symbolize a whole fashion movement. It cuts through the usual classifications and creates juxtapositions that make fascinating and unlikely partnerships. Each entry is illustrated with a photograph or drawing which shows a quintessential aspect of their work or style. An accompanying text describes where they fit into the fashion story and includes essential biographical information. In addition, a comprehensive cross-referencing system and glossary help to explain the many collaborations and techniques used in the fashion business. Exceptional value for money, this handy new mini edition is a must for all followers of fashion.Amazon.com Review
James Abbe, a 1920s fashion photographer, and Zoran, thedesigner whose simple, monochromatic clothes were extremely popular inthe 1970s, anchor the 500 entries in this massive encyclopedia offashion. Each designer, photographer, model, or icon gets a page witha large photo and informative but short caption. This has thewonderful effect of weighting each entry equally, thereby devoting thesame amount of space to Charles Revson, creator of the Revloncosmetics empire and relative makeup newcomer François Nars,pioneering clothing designer Mariano Fortuny and contemporary favoriteTom Ford.

Clearly, a good set of eyes edited this book. It's a tall order tochoose just one image to define the many facets of a designer, model,or photographer. The choices made here are excellent and oftensurprising. The indomitable Coco Chanel demonstrates the ease ofmovement her designs afforded women by briskly swinging her arm out toone side, while Kate Moss is shown at the height of her waifdom,likely the mode in which she will best be remembered. Model LindaEvangelista is pictured with curly locks of hair. It's obvious,too, that the editors employed the haphazard juxtaposition created bythe alphabetical organization. Facing entries, no matter how seeminglyincongruous, are united by a visual theme, to spectacular effect.Theovals made by the either screaming or yawning mouths of Kurt Cobainand his infant daughter are mirrored in a 1937 Jean Cocteauillustration of an Elsa Schiaparelli design. A model in a 1930s outfitby John-Frederics faces a portrait of post-punk design queen BetseyJohnson, whose floral outfit echoes the flowery silhouette behind themodel. A troika of Robert Lee Morris bracelets matches the arcs of abombed-out London building in a 1941 Beaton photo of a Digby Mortondesign. The vibrant prints of Emilio Pucci and Lilly Pulitzer falltogether naturally.

The reams of fabulous images and the inventive design alone make TheFashion Book a treat at any cost, but the low price-to-size ratio (likeits cousins The Art Book and The Photography Book) makesit a real steal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

great personal touch
Item was delievered in a quick amount of time, and was in great condition. Seller added a personal touch of gift wrapping the item and adding a personal note.

I love this book, but there are some problems.
The Fashion book features over 500 pages of the best designers, photographers, icons and much more over the past 150 years.But one particular thing I have noticed, is that Anna Wintour (the editor in chief of American Vogue magazine) is not featured in this book. Anna Wintour is considered the most powerful person in the fashion industry. Yet, she isn't considered in icon?Other than that, each page has an illustration that is as much fun to look at, as it is the read the passages. I love this book. Best $10.00 investment I've made in a while.

christmas gift
Bought subject book as Christmas present for adult daughter who is into vintage clothing.She likes the book very much.

excuse me does any body knows...
I really need to know if these is the book where inside appear a full page picture of a pretty tall blonde girl in a college skirt. That's all I can remember and I never could forget that picture. If you Know it please
let me know, Thank you.

All you ever wanted to know about fashion
The Fashion Book is a first-class encyclopedia on fashion as a whole. The cross-references going with each entry make this book an even more entertaining and fascinating source of information as it reveals the entity fashion from different perspectives. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (29)

Great book!
This is a beautifully illustrated book on the history of fashion. thanks, love it very much!

More than Eye Candy
I bought this book on my sewing teacher's recommendation.The pictures are beautiful and designed to show off the best of style and design for the period covered.The paper is high quality and the book is well bound - important for something I will be looking at over and over.

Handsome book of Fashion
Handsomely made, great illustrations perfect for costumes designers to have a good idea of period costuming. Great for theatre and ballet companies as reference book for productions

a buffet of beauteous fashion
there isn't much to say that others haven't said already about this great and gorgeous volume of fashions from the 18th to 20th centuries.

i picked up a copy at barnes and noble(shh) for less than twenty dollars.and once i began to turn the pages i could not stop.the photography is crystal clear and the prints are rendered in breathtaking color.

the clothing in the kyoto institute's collection is magnificently maintained and displayed. i found myself poring over the illustrations, face smashed to the page, looking for a minor flaw. there are none to be found.

this book is a reference source for anyone with the least bit of interest in clothing or costume design.

someone called this book yummy--they weren't lying. it is!

Thank you amazon,com
I can't believe I've bought those wonderful books for such a low price. The pictures are amazing! I strongly recommend the product. At first I intended to give the books to my daughter, who is Fashion Designer student, as Christmas present, but thanks to amazon.com it arrived much earlier than promised. But, when I saw the treasure I've got, I would not wait to see her happy face. We were both fascinated. What are you waiting for to purchase yours? And, once again, thank you amazon.com for the fast delivery. ... Read more

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A history of fashion models and modelling spanning nearly 80 years. From mannequins to supermodels, this book traces how fashion has been presented in magazines, advertising and on the international catwalk. ... Read more

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This book explores the use of black throughout the ages and investigates its place in contemporary fashion design, looking at the work of designers such as Yamamoto and Comme des garons. ... Read more

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The most thorough survey of the contemporary world of fashion to date, The St. James Fashion Encyclopedia covers nearly 200 clothing designers, milliners, footwear designers, companies and textile houses. This beautifully illustrated volume features famous as well as fledgling artists and houses from all over the world, inlcuding Georgia Armani, Laura Ashley, Coco Chanel, Ralph Lauren and Adrienne Vitadini. 100 photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Indispensable info for fashion retailers
If you deal in women's fashion, this is a necessary reference book. (Hint: It's so important, when I lost mine, I came right here to buy another!) The information on 20th century fashion leaders is especially necessary for antique dealers, vintage clothing shops, and of course womenswear consignment shops. I recommend this book to my readers in the resale industry on my web site, www.tgtbt.com .

St.James Fashion Encyclopedia: A survey of style
Not a day goes by that I don't pick up this book!An excellent collection of concise 20th century fashion designer's biographies.Interesting and acurate information arranged in alphabetical order.The information is so good that you forgive the book for not having photographs.Most of our students use the book for research on their favorite designers but, this book is also just a great read. ... Read more

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Brainiacs have all the fun in this compendium of fashion intrigue, lore, who s who, and what s what. An entire century of designers, couturiers, and must-have looks parades between the covers. Stump your friends and test your knowledge with questions and answers, quizzes, and matching games. Accompanying photographs illustrate one hundred years of design in vivid color. From Charles James and Claire McCardell to Marc Jacobs and Zac Posen, from jeans and T-shirts to bridal gowns and high heels, the Fashion Game Book offers the essential keys to understanding the art of appearances. With this complete guide, you ll never hear the words, You re out. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Funny and informative book
Includes fashion questions and funny "games" about designers, models, pefumes, garments, logos etc. Some of the games are rather difficult, but the variety in the difficulty of the questions is big, so this little book probably includes something for everyone.

More notably, maybe, is that this book also is a great learning resource for someone who wants to learn more about fashion, and there are loads of interesting and informative texts on different designers, styles, garments, accessories and how fashion is being distributed and sold. The book covers everything from Paul Poiret to John Galliano, from lingerie to hats, from the Dutch to the Italian school and from street fashion to haute couture. A real fashion expert might already know most of the things in this book, but I believe that the topics covered in this book will be interesting to almost everyone and that one have to possess extraordinary knowledge in the field not to find at least some exciting pages. ... Read more

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