Customer Reviews

The 1950s (Fashion Sourcebooks)

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This book, like all those in the "Fashion Sourcebooks" series, is of relatively poor quality for one reason. The key is that the designs have been redrawn. This raises the possibility of aesthetic corruption- despite best efforts, it is impossible for someone of another time to accurately reproduce the aesthetic of the era. Only first generation sources- actual photographs, garments, illustrations, etc. from the actual era can be trusted to accurately portray dress of the era. The illustrations are very nice, but they are useful only as they present a general impression of fashions of the era, given that they are portrayed from an outsider's perspective.

If you weren't around for the fifties (or just don't remember them because you went through the sixties) and you want to know what the styles were then this book is for you. A clear graphic presentation of how people dressed. Great if you want to get something together for that next fifties dance down in the gymn. It is also under 10 bucks. You can't go wrong. Anyways, these styles will be coming back soon (some already have) so be ahead of the pack by staying behind.

This is a good book to read. It's a beautifully illustrated paperback. The book talks about the development of women's and men's clothing from 1900 on, with a volume devoted to the fashions of each decade. John Peacock , the author, is a great fashion enthusiast, historian, and collector, and he provides inspiration to any designer or student working in the performing arts. this book covers Day Wear, Evening Wear, Sports and Leisure Wear, and accessories are included, and complete descriptions of each garment accompany the drawings, itemizing color, cut, necklines, sleeves, fastenings, buttons, and belts. I really enjoyed reading this book.