Dover Fashion and Costumes

This magnificent fashion history is a stylistic panorama that ranges from the Norman conquest to the early 19th century, focusing chiefly on armor, from the Crusades to the 17th century; clothing of the English upper classes, both sexes, 11th to 19th centuries; and accessories, including gloves, belts, corsets, shoes, and headgear. 342 black-and-white illustrations.

Fascinating survey of various undergarments worn by the English over six centuries. Well-documented, scholarly presentation enhanced with over 100 period illustrations depicting laced-up bodice of the 12th century, embroidered linen drawers (1500s), hooped petticoat support (c. 1750), footed long drawers (1795), 19th-century bustles, early 19th-century corsets for men, Victorian "bust improvers," much more.

This revealing history of corsetry ranges from the 19th through the mid-20th centuries to show how simple laced bodices developed into corsets of cane, whalebone, and steel. Lavish illustrations include line drawings and photographs.

Ever since Eve's first blush, clothes have girded, graced and transformed the female physique. Fascinating and insightful, The Corset and the Crinoline is an illustrated history of clothing's attendant underpinnings-especially those that whittled the female waist to its most slender proportions. Reproduced from a rare 1868 fashion publication, each page reveals how the use of wood, whalebone, steel, hoops, and tight laces had a gripping influence on shaping the figures of women from ancient Greece to nineteenth-century Vienna. Enlivened by excerpts from authentic letters, magazine articles, and satiric poems, over fifty exquisite black-and-white engravings highlight the wardrobes-and what was worn underneath them-of a Persian dancing girl, an ancient Egyptian woman, a Roman lady of high rank, Queen Elizabeth, Marie de Medici, a woman of the French revolutionary period, and many more. Costume designers, artists, and anyone interested in the history of fashion will be captivated!

History, old-style wool blankets, changes brought about by traders, symbolism of design and color, a Navajo weaver at work, more. Emphasis on Navajo. Includes information on the Bayeta blanket, squaw dresses, dyeing, belts, garters, hair braids, imitation blankets, the Chimayó blanket, and reliable dealers. 254 illustrations, 32 in color.

Maidens in tasseled gowns and elaborate headpieces. Jousting knights in armor with swords and breastplates. Young men in flowing robes and wide-brimmed hats, others on horseback with decorative trappings. This superb collection displays a detailed gallery of costumes worn in the eleventh through fifteenth century, with captions translated from the original French of scholar Camille Bonnard and magnificent illustrations by Roman artist and engraver Paul Mercuri. Historically authentic, the images are based on figures from period paintings, frescoes, sculptures, and illuminated manuscripts in museums and churches of Italy's culturally rich cities, including Milan, Florence, and Rome. Reproduced directly from a nineteenth-century edition, this illustrated study includes 120 splendid full-color plates showcasing head-to-toe apparel worn by citizens of all classes: nobility, the bourgeois, soldiers, ecclesiastics, and others. More than a history of fashion, the clothing in this treasury reveals the background of the wearer-from his finances to his social standing. Beautifully rendered, this volume is a glorious resource for historians, illustrators, theatrical designers, and anyone with an interest in the history of fashion. Includes captions and a new introduction.

From hats, veils, wigs, and cosmetics to cravats, shawls, shoes, and gloves, this useful reference provides an entertaining account of the forms of personal adornment men and women have used throughout the ages to enhance their wearing apparel. Incorporates illustrations from rare books and magazines, photographs, and observations. 644 figures and 59 plates.

This captivating retrospective explores the social context of fashion with informative text and over 70 striking images. Profiles include flappers, glamour girls, flower children, and the modern obsession with celebrity styles.