démodé
adjective: old fashioned, out of style, unfashionable [from French, the past
participle of démoder "to go out of fashion," from mode "fashion"].
costumer's bookshelf
technical/how-to
general surveys
underpinnings
18th century and regency
victorian (1830's - 1890's)
what else is on my
bookshelf?
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costumer's bookshelf
essential books on 18th century, regency, and victorian costume
This is a selection of books that I have found to
be highly useful in the research and creation of 18th Century, Regency,
and Victorian Costume. If you wish to purchase any of them, I recommend
using a book price search engine, such as Bookfinder,
which will compare prices at bookstores such as Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com,
plus also includes many used book dealers.
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Grimble, Frances. After a Fashion: How to Reproduce,
Restore, and Wear Vintage Styles. San Francisco: Lavolta Press,
1998. A useful how-to book that explains many period and
advanced sewing techniques. Perhaps more useful for the beginning
than the advanced costumer. I have the first edition, which for
me spent too many pages on restoring vintage clothing (I haven't
seen the second edition). However, her detailed instructions on
how to cartridge pleat, bone bodices and corsets, apply piping,
etc. were very useful. Recommended.
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Ingham, Rosemary & Liz Covey. The Costume Technician's
Handbook : A Complete Guide for Amateur and Professional Costume
Technicians. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann, 1992. This
is an AMAZING book. Aside from giving you tons of technical advice
on costume construction and theater costuming, it gives you clear,
concise directions for drafting your own flat patterns. Move beyond
the commercial pattern industry! Beyond highly recommended.
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Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century.
Taschen, 2002. Features the collection of the Kyoto Costume
Institute. This book is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! It's 768 pages (I swear,
it's a phone book!) and practically every page is a gorgeous, glossy,
full color photo of a costume from the KCI's amazing costume collection.
There's 4 chapters on the 18th, 19th, first half of the 20th, and
second half of the 20th centuries, and they each take up roughly 1/4
of the book. Best of all, this book reprints many images (it might
even be all of them, I'm not positive) from the "Revolution in Fashion"
and "Evolution of Fashion" books (which are incredibly expensive and
incredibly hard to get), so if you ever wanted either of those, here's
your chance. Even better? It's only $40. ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED
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Ashelford, Jane. The Art of Dress : Clothes and Society,
1500-1914. London: National Trust, 2000. An interesting,
text-heavy survey that has the added bonus of a decent amount of
color photos, including original clothing. Recommended.
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Bradfield, Nancy. Costume in Detail, 1730-1930.
New York: Costume & Fashion Press, 2000. I can't recommend
this book highly enough. It contains page after page of detailed
black and white drawings illustrating actual garments in museum
collections. Drawings show various views, plus interior construction.
While most artist redraws are suspect (because they tend to be colored
by the aesthetic of the period in which they were drawn), Bradfield's
book almost wholly escapes this. Required reading.
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Ginsburg, Madeleine, et al. Four Hundred Years of Fashion.
London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992. This book features
the outstanding costume collection of the Victorian and Albert Museum.
It's short on text, but contains many gorgeous black and white and
color photos. This is an excellent visual survey of costume. Required
reading.
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Payne, Blanche. History of Costume: From the Ancient
Egyptians to the Twentieth Century. New York: Harper & Row,
1992. This is an excellent overview of the whole shebang.
It's well illustrated (black and white illustrations, paintings,
and photographs). What I particularly like is that Payne introduces
each period with an overview of the major social and political influences,
which gives a proper context to the changing modes. In addition,
I like that she breaks down not only men's and women's dress, but
has separate sections for outerwear, hair and hats, fabrics, etc.
Highly recommended.
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Ribeiro, Aileen, et al. The Visual History of Costume.
New York: Costume & Fashion Press, 1997.This is another
great overview of the whole shebang, except that this time told
through images rather than text. This edition combines previous
editions that were broken down by century. This is a great resource
for understanding visually the changes that occurred in fashion,
but is better for an overview rather than specifics, as there are
only one or two images per decade. Recommended.
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Waugh, Norah. The Cut of Women's Clothes, 1600-1900.
New York : Routledge, 1994. Norah Waugh provides scale
patterns for garments from the 17th through the 19th centuries.
This is an excellent resource for advanced costumers who can scale
up and adapt these patterns for reproduction, but is also an excellent
resource for anyone who is interested in period pattern and garment
shapes. Modern patterns can be compared with Waugh's Cut of
Women's Clothes or Arnold's Patterns of Fashions in
order to create a more period accurate cut. The only complaint that
I have is that I wish Waugh included more (text) construction advice.
Highly recommended.
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Carter, Alison. Underwear: The Fashion History.
London: Batsford, 1992.
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Cunnington, Cecil Willett and Phyllis Cunnington. The
History of Underclothes. London: Faber and Faber, 1981.
An excellent overview of underclothing from the middle ages to
the twentieth century, broken down by period, gender, and type of
garment (eg corsets, petticoats, etc.). Lots of primary source quotations
and black and white illustrations. Good overview. Recommended.
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Ewing, Elisabeth. Dress and Undress: A History of Women's
Underwear. London: Batsford, 1978.
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Waugh, Norah. Corsets and Crinolines. New York:
Routledge/Theatre Arts Books, 2000.
An excellent resource that includes overviews, scaled patterns,
and quotations from primary sources. Invaluable for construction
information. Highly recommended.
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An Elegant Art: Fashion & Fantasy in the Eighteenth
Century. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1983.
Exhibit catalog from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Lots
of color photos of extant garments. Recommended.
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Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion: English Women's
Dresses and Their Construction, c.1660-1860.New York : Drama
Book, 1984.
THE bible for cut and construction of historic garments, with
scaled patterns for extant garments from museums. There are also
volumes covering 1860-1920. Required reading.
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Bourhis, Katell le, et al. The Age of Napoleon: Costume
from Revolution to Empire, 1789-1815. New York: Harry N. Abrams,
1989.
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Hart, Avril, et al. Fashion in Detail : From the 17th
and 18th Centuries. New York: Rizzoli, 2000.
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Hunnisett, Jean. Period Costume for Stage & Screen
: Patterns for Women's Dress 1500-1800. Studio City, Calif.:
Players Press, 1991.
Another useful book for cut and construction. This one is written
from a theatrical perspective so not everything is 100% period accurate.
However, it's incredibly useful as it gives you scaled patterns
for the basic styles of each era. You can compare these to extant
garment patterns (eg in Arnold) and get really great results. Highly
recommended.
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Hunnisett, Jean. Period Costume for Stage and Screen:
Patterns for Women's Dress, 1800-1909. Studio City, NY: Players
Press, 1991.
Another useful book for cut and construction. This one is written
from a theatrical perspective so not everything is 100% period accurate.
However, it's incredibly useful as it gives you scaled patterns
for the basic styles of each era. You can compare these to extant
garment patterns (eg in Arnold) and get really great results. Highly
recommended.
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Ribeiro, Aileen. Fashion in the French Revolution.
New York : Holmes & Meier, 1988.
A fascinating book if you're interested in the social and cultural
implications of fashion during the French Revolution. Lots of illustrations,
but heavier on the interpretation than the clothing itself. Recommended.
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Ribeiro, Aileen. The art of dress : fashion in England
and France 1750 to 1820. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1983.
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Starobinski, Jean, et al. Revolution in Fashion, 1715-1815.
New York: Abbeville Press, 1989.
The motherlode for photos of extant garments from this period.
Nearly half of the book is filled with beautiful color photos of
garments from Parisian museums. Also includes essays on fashion,
cut/construction, art, etc. during the period. Highly recommended.
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Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion: English Women's
Dresses and Their Construction, c.1660-1860. New York: Macmillan;
Drama Book, 1984.
THE bible for cut and construction of historic garments, with scaled
patterns for extant garments from museums. There are also volumes
covering 1860-1920. Required reading.
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Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion Vol. 2: Englishwomen's
Dresses and Their Construction, c.1860-1940 New York : Drama
Publications, 1997.
THE bible for cut and construction of historic garments, with scaled
patterns for extant garments from museums. There are also volumes
covering 1660-1860. Required reading.
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Blum, Stella. Fashions and Costumes from Godey's Lady's
Book Including Eight Plates in Full Color. New York: Dover
Publications, 1985.
Fashion plates from the mid-century (late 1830s through the mid-1860s),
which can provide inspiration for color schemes, trim, accessories,
hairstyles, etc. Some plates available in color. Highly
recommend.
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Blum, Stella. Victorian Fashions and Costumes from
Harper's Bazar, 1867-1898. New York: Dover Publications, 1975.
Fashion plates from the late 1860s through the early bustle period,
natural form period, late bustle period, and 1890s, which can provide
inspiration for trim, accessories, hairstyles, etc. All black &
white. Highly recommend.
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Cunnington, Cecil Willett. English Women's Clothing
in the Nineteenth Century. New York: Dover, 1990.
A fabulous overview which breaks down each decade, giving you an
overview of general fashion plus underpinnings, etc. Then breaks
down each year to include info on colors, fabrics, styles, outerwear,
hats and hairstyles, etc. Mostly black & white line drawings,
but a few black & white photos too. Highly recommended.
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Gernsheim, Alison. Victorian and Edwardian Fashion:
A Photographic Survey. New York: Dover, 1981.
Another great survey, this one drawing on British photographs as
source material. Chock full of black & white photographs from
the early 1840s through the early 1900s. The text is somewhat interesting
but not very thorough and somewhat outdated. However, the illustrations
outweigh the text problems. Highly recommended.
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Hunnisett, Jean. Period Costume for Stage and Screen:
Patterns for Women's Dress, 1800-1909. Studio City, NY: Players
Press, 1991.
Another useful book for cut and construction. This one is written
from a theatrical perspective so not everything is 100% period accurate.
However, it's incredibly useful as it gives you scaled patterns
for the basic styles of each era. You can compare these to extant
garment patterns (eg in Arnold) and get really great results. Highly
recommended.
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Severa, Joan. Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary
Americans & Fashion, 1840-1900. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University
Press, 1995.
Another great photographic survey, this time drawing on the United
States. Black & white images. Expensive, but worth it. Highly
recommended.
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Anderson, Ruth Matilda. Hispanic Costume 1480-1530. New York:
Hispanic Society of America, 1979.
Arch, Nigel. Court Dress Collection: Kensington Palace. Dept.
of the Environment, 1984.
Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion: Englishwomen's Dresses &
Their Construction. Vol. 1: c. 1660-1860. New York: Drama Book Specialists,
1972.
Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion: Englishwomen's Dresses &
Their Construction. Vol. 2: 1838-1940. New York: Drama Book Specialists,
1972.
Baker, Patricia. Fashions of a Decade: The 1940s. New York:
Facts on File, 1992.
Baumgarten, Linda. What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing
in Colonial and Federal America: The Colonial Williamsburg Collection.
Williamsburg, VA: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 2002.
Beaudoin-Ross, Jacqueline. Formes et Modes: Le Costume a Montreal
au XIXe siecle / Form and Fashion: Nineteenth-Century Montreal Dress.
Montreal, Quebec: Musee McCord d’histoire canadienne, 1992.
Benstock, Shari and Suzanne Ferriss, eds. On Fashion. New Brunswick,
N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1994.
Bernier, Olivier. The Eighteenth-Century Woman. Garden City,
N.Y.: Doubleday, 1981.
Birtwistle, Sue & Susie Conklin. The Making
of Jane Austen's Emma. London: Penguin, 1996.
Birtwistle, Sue & Susie Conklin. The Making of Pride & Prejudice.
London: Penguin/BBC, 1995.
Blum, Stella. Ackermann's Costume Plates: Women's Fashions in England,
1818-1828. New York: Dover Publications, 1978.
Blum, Stella. Eighteenth-Century French Fashion Plates in Full Color:
64 Engravings from the "Galerie des Modes," 1778-1787.
New York: Dover Publications, 1982.
Blum, Stella. Everyday Fashions of the Thirties as Pictured in Sears
Catalogs. New York: Dover Publications, 1986.
Blum, Stella. Everyday Fashions of the Twenties as Pictured in Sears
and Other Catalogs. New York: Dover Publications, 1981.
Blum, Stella. Fashions and Costumes from Godey's Lady's Book.
New York: Dover Publications, 1985.
Blum, Stella. Paris Fashions of the 1890s. New York: Dover,
1984.
Blum, Stella. Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper's Bazar,
1867-1898. New York: Dover Publications, 1974.
Bradfield, Nancy. Costume in Detail: Women's Dress, 1730-1930.
London: Harrap, 1981.
Boucher, François. 20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume
and Personal Adornment. New York, N.Y.: H.N. Abrams, 1987.
Brett, Katharine B. Modesty to Mod: Dress and Underdress in Canada,
1780-1967. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum, 1967.
Burman, Barbara, ed. The Culture of Sewing: Gender, Consumption and
Home Dressmaking. Oxford: Berg, 1999.
Cartledge, Pamela. Dress for All Occasions: Women's Costumes from
the 1880s and 1890s. Hartford, CT: Conn. Historical Society, 1987.
Cold Mountain: The Journey from Book to Film. New York: Newmarket
Press, 2003.
Coleman, Elizabeth Ann. Changing Fashions, 1800-1970. Brooklyn,
NY: Brooklyn Museum, 1972.
Cone, Polly. Imperial Style: Fashions of the Hapsburg Era. New
York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1980.
Cunningham, Patricia A. Reforming Women's Fashion, 1850-1920: Politics,
Health, and Art. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 2003.
Cunnington, C. Willett. English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth
Century. New York: Dover Publications, 1990.
Druesedow, Jean L. In Style: Celebrating Fifty Years of the Costume
Institute. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Enstad, Nan. Ladies of Labor, Girls of Adventure: Working Women,
Popular Culture, and Labor Politics at the Turn of the Twentieth Century.
New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.
Ettesvold, Paul M. The Eighteenth-Century Woman: An Exhibition at
the Costume Institute December 12, 1981-September 5, 1982. New York:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1981.
Fashion Plates in the Collection of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum.
Smithsonian Institution, 1982.
Fukai, Akiko. Fashion: The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute:
A History from the 18th to the 20th Century. London: Taschen, 2002.
Gallery of English Costume. Wedding Costume 1735-1970 (picture
book #10). City of Manchester Cultural Comm., 1976/77.
Gallery of English Costume. Women's Costume 1900-1930 (picture
book #6). Art Galleries Comm. of the Corp. of Manchester, 1956.
Gernsheim, Alison. Victorian & Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic
Survey. New York: Dover Publications, 1981.
Goldthorpe, Caroline. From Queen to Empress: Victorian Dress 1837-1877:
An Exhibition at the Costume Institute, December 15, 1988-April 16, 1989.
New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1988.
Grimble, Frances. The Voice of Fashion: 79 Turn-of-the-Century Patterns,
with Instructions and Fashion Plates. San Francisco, CA: Lavolta
Press, 1998.
Grimble, Frances. The Edwardian Modiste: 85 Authentic Patterns with
Instructions, Fashion Plates, and Period Sewing Techniques. San Francisco,
CA: Lavolta Press, 1997.
Harris, Kristina. Victorian Fashion in America: 264 Vintage Photographs.
Mineola, N.Y.: Dover, 2002.
Hart, Avril and Susan North. Fashion in Detail: From the 17th and
18th Centuries. New York: Rizzoli, 1998.
Houck, Carter. White Work: Techniques and 188 Designs. New York:
Dover, 1978.
Hunnisett, Jean. Period Costume for Stage & Screen: Patterns
for Women's Dress 1800-1909. Studio City, CA: Players Press, 1991.
Johnson, Judy M. French Fashion Plates of the Romantic Era in Full
Color: 120 Plates from the "Petit Courrier des Dames," 1830-34.
New York: Dover Publications, 1991.
Kohler, Carl. A History of Costume. New York: Dover Publications,
1963.
Korshunova, Tamara Timofeevna. The Art of Costume in Russia: 18th
to Early 20th Century. Leningrad: Aurora Art Publishers, 1983.
Laboissonniere, Wade. Blueprints of Fashion: Home Sewing Patterns
of the 1940s. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1997.
Latham, Angela J. Posing a Threat: Flappers, Chorus Girls, and Other
Brazen Performers of the American 1920s. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University
Press, 2000.
Long, Robert Emmet. The Films of Merchant Ivory. New York: Harry
N. Abrams, 1991.
Martin, Richard. Our New Clothes: Acquisitions of the 1990s.
New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1999.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Costume Institute." Bulletin
August/September 1971.
Milbank, Caroline Rennolds. New York Fashion: The Evolution of American
Style. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1989.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She Walks in Splendor: Great Costumes
1550-1950. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 196?.
Olian, JoAnne. 80 Godey's Full-Color Fashion Plates, 1838-1880.
Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 1998.
Olian, JoAnne. Everyday Fashions, 1909-1920, as Pictured in Sears
Catalogs. New York: Dover, 1995.
Olian, JoAnne. Everyday Fashions of the Fifties as Pictured in Sears
Catalogs. Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 2002.
Olian, JoAnne. Everyday Fashions of the Forties as Pictured in Sears
Catalogs. New York: Dover Publications, 1992.
Olian, JoAnne. Full-Color Victorian Fashions, 1870-1893. Mineola,
N.Y.: Dover Publications, 1999.
Olian, JoAnne. Victorian and Edwardian Fashions from "La Mode
Illustrée.” Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 1998.
Payne, Blanche et al. The History of Costume. HarperCollins,
1992.
Pym, John. Merchant Ivory's English Landscape: Rooms, Views, and
Anglo-Saxon Attitudes. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1995.
Rawlings, Eleanor Hasbrouck. Godey Costume Plates in Color for Decoupage
and Framing. New York: Dover, 1979.
Reader's Digest. Complete Guide to Needlework.
Montreal: Reader's Digest Association, 1979.
Reader's Digest. Complete Guide to Sewing. Montreal: Reader's
Digest Association, 1995.
Ribeiro, Aileen. The Art of Dress: Fashion in England and France
1750 to 1820. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.
Ribeiro, Aileen. The Gallery of Fashion. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton
University Press, 2000.
Rothstein, Natalie, ed. Four Hundred Years of Fashion. London:
Victoria and Albert Museum, 1984.
Scorsese, Martin and Jay Cocks. The Age of Innocence: A Portrait
of the Film Based on the Novel by Edith Wharton. New York: Newmarket
Press, 1993.
Scranton, Philip, ed. Beauty and Business: Commerce, Gender, and
Culture in Modern America. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Shaeffer, Claire B. Couture Sewing Techniques. Newton, CT: Taunton
Press, 2001.
Shep, R.L. Dress & Cloak Cutter: Women's Costume 1877-1882.
Lopez Island, Wash.: R.L. Shep, 1987.
Sirop, Dominique. Paquin: Suivi du Catalogue de L’Exposition “Paquin,
une Rétrospective de 60 Ans de Haute Couture”: Décembre 1989-Mars 1990.
Paris: Adam Biro, 1989.
Simon, Marie. Fashion in Art: The Second Empire and Impressionism.
London: Zwemmer, 1995.
Staniland, Kay. In Royal Fashion: The Clothes of Princess Charlotte
of Wales & Queen Victorian, 1796-1901. London: Museum of London,
1997.
Thompson, Emma. The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay & Diaries:
Bringing Jane Austen's Novel to Film. New York: Newmarket, 1995.
Tillyard, Stella. Aristocrats: The Illustrated Companion. London:
Seven Dials, 1999.
Turudich, Daniela. 1940s Hairstyles. Long Beach, Calif.: Streamline
Press, 2001.
Victoria & Albert Museum. Nineteenth Century Costume. London:
Ministry of Education, 1947.
The Vogue Sewing Book. New York: Vogue Patterns, 1973.
Waugh, Norah. Corsets and Crinolines. New York: Theatre Arts
Books, 1954.
Waugh, Norah. The Cut of Women's Clothes 1600-1930. New York:
Theatre Arts Books, 1968.
Winter, Janet and Carolyn Savoy. Elizabethan Costuming for the Years
1550-1580. Oakland, Calif.: Other Times Publications, 1987.
Winter, Janet and Carolyn Savoy. Victorian Costuming
Vol. I 1840-1865. Oakland, Calif.: Other Times Publications, 1980.
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