Customer Reviews

Antique and Vintage Clothing: A Guide to Dating and Valuation of Women's Clothing, 1850 to 1940

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was dissapointed in this book. The historical photos and clothing are great to see but unfortunately many are out of focus and over or under exposed. The author does not reference her sources for the clothing and as a result I find it hard to trust her dating methods. I would not recommend this as a professional reference book for the historical costumer.

Diane Snyder-Haug's _Antique & Vintage Clothing..._ is chock-full of nicely sized, glossy color photos & is sensibly organized. The two-page section "How To Use This Book" contains valuable hints on assigning dates to pieces. Each chapter relates to a specific era in fashion & begins with a list of common characteristics, followed by general information, the bodice, the skirt, evening dress, outerwear, general price valuation & sections dealing with fads specific to the period, including undergarments. There are great photos of garment interiors & details of trimmings. Where available there are also charming contemporary photographs, showing both men & women in some cases. There are also chapters on "Dress For Weddings, Funerals & Sports," "Hats & Bonnets," "Parasols," & "Care & Restoration." My only regret is that specific designers are not discussed (although Coco Chanel gets some credits for her innovations); but to include them might have doubled the size of the book. All in all a good resource.

I would rate this a very dangerous book, as it contains a lot of incorrect information and also suggests - through pictures and the like - that antique clothing can be worn by modern people. The photographs some admittedly beautiful garments are amateurish, a number of garments and accessories - in particular bonnets - are incorrectly dated etc.
Total waste of money and not a good starting point for the serious collector.
Kay

I love to recreate Victorian clothing. I have never come across a book with such clear photographs of clothing, undergarments, and hats. I also try to intergrate Victorian fashion into todays fashions and this book is an excellent guide.

Diane Snyder-Haug is a one-of-a-kind author, with an eye for style as well as a brain for history. . .This book should be mandatory for all students in design and fashion. . .Wish she were an instructor at MY school. Does she have an e-mail address?

This is an excellent book! I have read it over and over! The color photos are fantastic. The author gives a clear, easy to understand overview in each chapter. The value guide seems to be accurate. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is studying vintage clothing!