Costume and Fashion: A Concise History
- ISBN13: 9780500203484
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
From the momentous invention of the needle some 40,000 years ago to the development of blue denim; from Neolithic weavers to the biggest names in the fashion industry today—this classic guide covers the landmarks of costume history, the forms and materials used through the ages, as well as the underlying motives of fashion and the ways in which clothes have been used to protect, to express identity, and to attract or to influence others. The concluding chapter by Amy de la Haye, covering the second half of the twentieth century, has now been updated by Andrew Tucker. He discusses the reinvention in the 1990s of the luxury label Gucci, the rise of houses such as Prada and Tommy Hilfiger, and the appointments of relatively avant-garde British, American, and European designers to head classic French houses. All the late-twentieth-century and turn-of-the-century style innovations are included, such as the appropriation of utility clothing by designers like Helmut Lang—who spearheaded the predominantly unisex urban sportswear look—and the impact of workplace dressing down on masculine fashion. The phenomenon of the must-have accessory—the pashmina shawl and the Fendi baguette, for example—is also considered. 345 illustrations, 80 in color.
Costume and Fashion: A Concise History
Written by admin under Fashion Books.
Hedera Femme
February 9, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Using only primary resources (paintings, statues, etc. from the periods being shown), this book is both concise and trustworthy. Unlike other books that try to cover an expansive period of time in Western costume, this one never uses original or after the fact illustrations, which can be misleading and/or inaccurate. The only downside is that there are only a few samples from each period, so the reader doesn’t get as broad a sense of the time as one might hope. Still, if the idea is to get a broad understanding, the text with the pictures combine to make a decent starting point for Western fashion from Ancient times to the 1990′s.
Rating: 5 / 5
Anonymous
February 9, 2010 at 12:45 pm
This is a nice *SMALL* (which is important when you are carrying it back and forth to class) book that is FULL of pictures. Don’t by this book if you are looking for detailed explanations of the costumes…go to Boucher if you are looking for that… But if you want a good colour pictoral quick reference, this is the one to buy.
I love it and use it all the time. It is cracked open to the picture of Rubens and Isabella Brant!
Rating: 4 / 5
Anonymous
February 9, 2010 at 2:06 pm
An easy read. Covers from 2900 B.C. to the 1990′s with a particular emphasis on the 1800′s. James Laver’s writing style is wonderful, describing not only the clothing but the historical and social context for each style of dress. The fashions of each period are illustrated by a variety of historical evidence, including statutes, famous works of art, fashion drawings, diaries, cartoons and photographs. The book is not an in-depth study of each period but rather a very brief overview. The last chapter covering from 1940 to the 1990′s was writen by Amy de la Haye and is markedly different in writing style. She does not discuss the social and historical context to the extent that Laver does but rather gives an overview of the major designers of each decade and their respective styles. As there is a lot to discuss in the last 50 years of fashion, I wish that this book had dedicated more than 31 pages to modern fashion.
Rating: 4 / 5
Anonymous
February 9, 2010 at 4:54 pm
This book is filled with pictures. The problems I’ve found with it are (1) it does not seem consistant in its terms with other historical costume history books so it is difficult to compare with other sources. (2) The writer tends to make sweeping statements that are true only for England, such as saying that hose weren’t knitted until the 16th century because knitting didn’t reach England until than. (3) Other statements are very frustrating since the author will state that so and so was dressed in a Persian or Arabic style and then does not describe that style at all. On the good side the pictures are helpful and some of the statements agree with other souces.
Rating: 2 / 5
Amy Hilliard
February 9, 2010 at 6:09 pm
This book is aptly titled. It gives just a little bit about everything from ancient Egyptian styles to fashion in the 1990s. Those of you looking for photos and descriptions with great attention to detail should look elsewhere, but those of you looking for just an overview of fashion, this would be a good introduction.
The author discusses the rise and fall of fashion trends through the ages, and how society, industry, and particular people influenced them. The text in this book seems as informative, as it is concise. However, other reviewers seem to think that the author’s information about pre-20th century costumes is inconsistent with other sources, but the post-20th century information is consistent with what I have learned from other sources.
Therefore, I recommend this book with some hesitation. If you want a good overview of fashion history, especially a pictoral history, I would recommend this book. On the other hand, if you are looking to learn more about a particular era, especially ancient costumes, I would recommend choosing a book specifically written about that era.
Rating: 3 / 5