Product Description
Splendid view of elegant dresses, expertly rendered by noted theatrical designer, includes finely detailed illustrations of 32 complete costumes and three blouses, shown in color and black-and-white. Here are exquisitely embroidered, full-skirted dresses circa 1700, a high-waisted Empire dress of sheer muslin (1820), a magnificent silk dress with an extended bustle and pleated overskirt (1880) and many other sumptuous outfits—all accompanied by line drawings of sh… More >>
Masterpieces of Women’s Costume of the 18th and 19th Centuries
I found this to be a worthwhile purchase for an individual interested in the details of women’s clothing from these periods. I am using this book to get ideas for creating authentic reproductions of Victorian clothing.
Rating: 4 / 5
This is a slightly altered reproduction of a book originally published in 1959. Aline Bernstein, who among other things was a theatrical costume designer, produced the material in 1930 with the aid of a Rockefeller Grant. All are based on actual costumes.
Bernstein has presented drawings of 31 dresses and 3 Regency spencer jackets. There are small, but clear color reproductions, four to each approximately 9″ x 12″ plate, on eight plates in the center of the book. In addition, there is a full page sized black-and-white reproduction of each costume.
The strength of this book is that each fashion is accompanied by a drawing of a contemporary hair style, shoes, and the undergarments, including corsets, petticoats, etc., which would often have to be pulled from different reference sources. Many are also accompanied by a drawing of the pattern for the main item. The patterns are not scaled to different sizes.
A useful reference book, especially given the price.
Rating: 5 / 5