Costumes Design History

Egypt, Babylon, Greece up through 19th-century Europe; based on surviving pieces, art work, much more. Includes many clear, measured patterns for reproducing historic costumes. Full text. 595 illustrations. "...landmark in the field of Western European costume...exceptional value for its price." — American Artist.

This expanded and updated edition of John Peacock’s unrivaled collection of drawings ranges over eleven centuries of English historical costume. More than a thousand illustrations, based on surviving garments and contemporary paintings and photographs, demonstrate the astonishing changes in men’s and women’s clothing over the centuries―from the simple tunics and gowns of the eleventh century to the petticoat breeches and ostrich-plumed hats of Charles II’s reign to the T-shirts and sho... [Read More]

Tracing the evolution of fashion — from the early draped fabrics of ancient times to the catwalk couture of today — Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style is a stunningly illustrated guide to more than three thousand years of shifting trends and innovative developments in the world of clothing. Containing everything you need to know about changing fashion and style — from ancient Egyptian dress to Space Age Fashion and Grunge — and information on icons like Marie Antoinette... [Read More]

A practical and inspiring guide to how to style, wear, buy, and care for every kind of accessory, from the New York Times best-selling author of How to Get Dressed.Costume designer and writer Alison Freer is beloved for her sassy, rule-breaking fashion advice, which emphasizes that style should be fun, personal, and functional. Instead of prescribing what to wear or own, Freer empowers you to wear whatever you want—and shows how to pull it off—with humor and wit. In The Accessory Handbook, F... [Read More]

Brand New, perfect condition!

". . . thoroughness and most impressive scholarship . . . much entertaining detail and . . . pleasant humour." — The Times Literary Supplement (London)Underwear — practical garments with a utilitarian function or body coverings that serve an erotic purpose? As this fascinating and intelligently written study shows, the role played by underclothing over the last several centuries has been a varied one.In a well-documented, profusely illustrated volume combining impressive scholarship with an ... [Read More]

What People Wore When combines the studies of two classic nineteenth-century illustrators Auguste Racinet and Friedrich Hottenroth for the first time. Their works are presented first by chronology and then by subject, so that illustrators, historians, and students alike can choose to follow the path of fashion through the centuries, or study in detail the contrasting styles of individual clothing and accessories. Silhouettes reveal the shape of style through the ages, detailed cross-references d... [Read More]

A 26 minute color video and case that features the clothes of this era, how they were worn, by whom, with what, and when. Great for costume designers as well as history and fashion students.

Clothes define people. A person’s attire, whether it’s a sari, kimono, or business suit, is an essential code to his or her culture, class, personality, even faith. Founded in 1978, the Kyoto Costume Institute recognizes the importance of understanding clothes from sociological, historical, and artistic perspectives. With one of the world’s most extensive clothing collections, the KCI has amassed a wide range of historical garments, underwear, shoes, and fashion accessories dating from the... [Read More]