Indian Costumes

Gives details on history, tools and techniques, variations in garments and accessories. Includes analysis of the costumes of 27 villages, and linguistic groups.

Indian Costumes provides a brief survey of how our people dressed themselves in the past and how they now dress themselves in the different regions of this country

After years of searching through dusty museum collections and royal stores across India, acclaimed designer Ritu Kumar has uncovered many of the last surviving examples of traditional royal clothing. Her book is a celebration of this rich legacy of textiles and craftsmanship. This in-depth study of the evolution of Indian royal costume spans the centuries from the first representations of clothing in ancient India, through the reign of the Mughal emperors and the days of the British Raj, to Indian independence and royalty in the present day. The author covers both men's and women's garments, Hindu and Muslim styles, and documents the evolution of European-Indian fashions. This sumptuous volume is illustrated with a variety of material, much of which has never been published before ranging from archive photographs, miniatures, royal portraits and cinema stills, to detailed images of garments and textiles from as far back as the seventeenth century. A separate section explains in detail the techniques behind the traditional crafts of weaving, dyeing, printing and embroidery, with sketches and patterns illustrating a variety of garments. Specially commissioned photographs of members of royalty wearing their traditional clothes emphasise the colour, shape, ornament and texture of these stunning costumes. This royal family album is supplemented by stories of royal India told to the author by the last Rajmatas who still remember the splendours of courtly life. AUTHOR: Ritu Kumar is one of India's foremost designers, who has developed a unique style combining the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship with contemporary innovations. She began her work many years ago in a small village near Calcutta with just four hand-block printers and a couple of tables. 360 colour & 100 b/w illustrations

A beautifully produced and illustrated (bandw) reference that offers complete descriptions and cultural contexts of the dress and ornamentation of the North American Indian tribes. The volume is divided into ten cultural regions, with each chapter giving an overview of the regional clothing. Individual tribes of the area follow in alphabetical order. Tribal information includes men's basic dress, women's basic dress, footwear, outer wear, hair styles, headgear, accessories, jewelry, armor, special costumes, garment decoration, face and body embellishment, transitional dress after European contact, and bibliographic references. Appendices include a description of clothing arts and a glossary. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR