C. Willett Cunnington
Paperback | Pages: 576 pages Rating: 4.21 | 76 Users | 7 Reviews
Details Books In Favor Of English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century: A Comprehensive Guide with 1,117 Illustrations
| Original Title: | English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century: A Comprehensive Guide with 1,117 Illustrations |
| ISBN: | 0486263231 (ISBN13: 9780486263236) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Chronicle In Pursuance Of Books English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century: A Comprehensive Guide with 1,117 Illustrations
The nineteenth century was a period of continuous change for women's clothing in England. The growing prosperity of the merchant class meant an ever-larger number of women for whom "dress" was a principal function in life, while the increasing availability of lower-priced ready-made garments enabled women of moderate means to purchase the fashions of the day. In addition, the development of the railways spurred the spread of new goods, while the removal of the tax on papers in 1854 produced an abundance of fashion magazines at cheap prices, bringing news of the latest styles to the multitudes.The magnificent array of ladies' fashions that characterized the century are on display in this remarkably complete decade-by-decade overview. Drawing almost exclusively on contemporary sources — fashion magazines, newspapers, rare period photographs, memoirs, Victorian novels, periodicals, and other publications, as well as firsthand observation of actual garments — the author describes and explains the couture that evolved in response to changing social conditions, technological innovations, and cultural developments.
Over 1,100 line and tone drawings and photographs depict hundreds of outfits ranging from lovely morning dresses and starkly attractive riding outfits to elegant carriage costumes, opulent evening dresses, and exquisite bridal gowns. Full-page plates also depict period millinery, footwear, underclothing, and other apparel, while three useful glossaries provide descriptions of materials, definitions of technical terms, and more.
Museum curators, vintage clothes collectors, and fashion historians will find this carefully researched and well-written book an indispensable tool for dating, identifying, and authenticating vintage clothing. Not only are styles described and illustrated in detail for each year; all the small details of construction by which specimens can be dated are given wherever possible. Moreover, designers, illustrators, and fashion enthusiasts will be delighted by the superbly detailed illustrations, which painstakingly document the fashionable finery of the Victorian era.
Declare Regarding Books English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century: A Comprehensive Guide with 1,117 Illustrations
| Title | : | English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century: A Comprehensive Guide with 1,117 Illustrations |
| Author | : | C. Willett Cunnington |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 576 pages |
| Published | : | May 1st 1990 by Dover Publications |
| Categories | : | History. Couture. Fashion. Nonfiction. Reference |
Rating Regarding Books English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century: A Comprehensive Guide with 1,117 Illustrations
Ratings: 4.21 From 76 Users | 7 ReviewsColumn Regarding Books English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century: A Comprehensive Guide with 1,117 Illustrations
A very thorough resource I've used for both my Regency and Gilded Age romance writing. Oddly, this book reminds me time and again of the dresses Laura Ingalls Wilder wore in THESE HAPPY GOLDEN YEARS. The brown poplin openwork dress she said was as good as new and the pink sprigged lawn that was brand new.A year by year account of all aspects of popular dress in the 19th century with text and illustrations: day wear, evening wear, outdoor wear, from undergarments to shoes to bonnets and hair styles. One color print as frontispiece, numerous drawings and B&W period photos. Long the standard reference book in its field, and, at the same time, just fun to browse.
One star for the interesting plates, illustrations, and photos.No stars for the writing, which was at times grotesquely overwrought. What's more, Cunnington seemed to enjoy using the social restrictions of the period to perpetuate his own sexism. It never on page occurs to him that these fashions were predominantly designed by men; therefore, stating that women most eagerly crushed their internal organs and warped their skeletal structure so as to mask their vulgar, natural shape is laughably
Immensely detailed, with year-by-year notes.
While it covers the entire spectrum of English Women's Clothing in the 19th Century, this book is an absolutely wonderful resource to those people who love Regency England and/or are writing historical novels set in this, the most marvelous, time period. Too often books that cover the 19th Century only focus on the Victorian-era, but not this one! Fabulous fabulous fabulous detail!
An enormous, year-by-year catalogue of women's clothing, but it's almost all written, not illustrated. Over a thousand illustrations sounds like a lot, but not when they are scattered over nearly 500 pages, particularly when so many of the illustrations are his wife's little line drawings of hats and things ... and of course one can't rely on those because they are not primary source material, but Mrs. Cunnington's 1930s reinterpretation.More problematic are Mr. Cunnington's interpretations of
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