The American Book Of Beauty

The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking was met with incredible success and received a starred review in Library Journal. Though their first book was geared towards advanced seamstresses, Lauren and Abby’s new guide is beginner-friendly, with no prior sewing knowledge required—perfect for history enthusiasts who want to learn more about 18th century beauty, as well as seasoned costumers who want to complete their looks in authentic 18th century style. Whether readers hand sew their own gowns or buy historical costumes, they can learn how to complete the look with hairstyle tutorials that break down these elaborate updos into easy-to-follow steps, makeup recipes and application directions, and simple sewing projects like caps and other hair accessories. Each of the 40 projects features step-by-step photos to help readers get the perfect results. Lauren and Abby are incredibly involved in the historical costuming community. In 2011, Lauren founded American Duchess, a popular online store that specializes in historically accurate shoes. Their shoes and accessories have been used in productions all over the world, including ABC’s Once Upon a Time, Starz’s Outlander and American Gods, Broadway’s Hamilton: An American Musical, Dangerous Liaisons and Cinderella.

"Photographed by Vogue alumna Claiborne Swanson Frank, American Beauty features over 100 portraits of quintessentially American women such as Lily Aldridge, Solange Knowles, and Jenna Lyons—each of whom possesses an original blend of grit, grace, glamour, and gravitas that echo far beyond the pages of this oversize hardcover."--Publisher description.

This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!

Showcases portrait photography of African Americans taken from the 1890s through the 2000s, along with text discussing the evolution of the idea of beauty for men and women.