Women S Fashions Of The Early 1900s

Rare catalog of mail-order fashions documents women's and children's clothing styles shortly after the turn of the century. Captions offer full descriptions, prices. Invaluable resource for fashion and costume historians. Approximately 725 illustrations.

The pages of this new book, excellently reproduced from rare copies of Sears catalogs, depict what average American youngsters, ages 4 to 16, were wearing during the first half of the twentieth century. Here, among other items, are Knickerbocker suits from 1914, starting at $1.95; elegant organdy and chiffon party dresses from 1918, selling at an average price of $4.28; boys' cowboy, Indian, and baseball outfits for less than two dollars; aviator helmets, knitted hats, and golf-styled caps, all under $1.00; and a selection of fashionable coats for the high school crowd in 1946, starting at $12.98. A rich social document that will interest a wide audience of social historians and fashion enthusiasts, this panoramic window to the past will also appeal to anyone fascinated by fashions of a bygone era.

A glorious companion volume to Historical Fashion in Detail- The 17th and 18th Centuries and Modern Fashion in Detail, this book captures the opulence and variety of nineteenth-century fashion through an authoritative text, exquisite colour photography and line drawings of the complete garments. From the delicate embroidery on neoclassical gowns to the vibrant colours of crinolines and the elegant tailoring of men's coats, the richness of the period is revealed in breathtaking detail. The garments showcased here, drawn from the V&A Museum's world famous collection, were at the height of fashion in their time. They display a remarkable range of colours, materials and construction details- from the intricate boning on women's corsets to the patterned silk of men's waistcoats. Seen in close-up for the first time and further illuminated by detailed commentary and line drawings that show the ingenuity of the underlying construction, these carefully chosen garments illustrate some of the major themes of nineteenth-century dress.

The distinctive style of the Regency period is a source of endless fascination for fashion academics and historians, living historians, re-enactors and costume designers for stage and screen. Author and fashion historian Cassidy Percoco has delved into little-known museum hoards to create a stunning collection of 26 garments, many with clear provenance tied to a specific location, which have never before been published and never – or very rarely – displayed. Most of the garments have an aspect in their construction that has not been previously documented, from a style of skirt trim to the method of gown closure. This practical guide begins with a general history of the early 19th-century women's dress. This is followed by 26 patterns of gowns, spencers, chemises, and corsets, each with an illustration of the finished piece and description of its construction. This must-have guide is an essential reference for anyone interested in the fashions or the history of the period, or for anyone wishing to recreate their own beautiful Regency clothing.

The 20th Century was a fast-paced race into modernization-but how did it affect what we wear? From revolutionary politics to the new machine age, from war and depression to growth and prosperity, 20th-Century Dress in the United States shows how fashion goes hand-in-hand with history. The authors examine American dress from 1898 to 2004 and find innovation at every turn. Diversity and complexity are key: far from the fashion stereotypes embodied by popular ideas of "the Twenties" or "the Sixties"-periods noted for their youthful upheaval and influence-we see how every era has its conformists and rebels, from the Arrow Collar Man and the Gibson Girl to flappers, bell-bottom-clad hippies, and Jackie Kennedy. Each chapter explores the social, cultural, economic, artistic, and technological themes that shape fashion in both festive and everyday clothing. Changes in retailing and manufacturing are also examined, from the sweatshops of yesterday to the Internet shopping of today. From high fashion to low, glitz to grunge, this vivid and comprehensive book explains what we wear on our backs-and why.

A history of the women who taught Americans how to dress in the first half of the 20th century—and whose lessons we’d do well to remember today.