Customer Reviews

Costume in Detail: Women's Dress 1730-1930

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Any artist or draughtsman would agree that this book - which is composed of hundreds of line drawings - is an incredible achievement. Nancy Bradfield's tireless research and shining talent with a pencil have produced one of the most incredible and singular costume reference textbooks in a long time. Original costumes and accessories have been taken by this artist, studied inside and out, measured methodically and every seam and mark noted - and then drawn down. Some of the costumes are far too fragile, or too soiled and damaged ever to be mounted for photography, and will probably never be available to the general public. But in Nancy Bradfield's drawings, they become fresh, vivid and whole once more, three-dimensional garments. The annotations to the drawings themselves are very informative - colour notes accompanying a silk pattern, the measurement of the waists and shoulders, observations upon the styling or similarities between this and another item. My increasingly well-worn and well-read copy saw me through my A Levels in Costume and Fashion History (I got a grade A pass), and it will, hopefully, see me through my secondary degree in the History of Dress. I would not dare to go away to study 18th or 19th century costume without taking this book with me or being able to put my hand upon a copy.

Some of these costumes can be seen in full colour in photographs in "The Art of Dress", and most of the 19th century dresses from the M.J.King and "Personal Collection" are now in the Killerton House costume collection in Devon, UK. (This is also featured in Jane Ashelford's Art of Dress.)

Buy this book and your studies of costume - be it construction queries (Janet Arnold and Nancy Bradfield coincidentally illustrated some of the same dresses - Arnold's books give you the pattern but Nancy Bradfield's book will show you how it was put together and how it should look inside and out.) or just to study the subject - it will all become so much easier. Tragically, this author lost her sight in later years, and her recent death (as well as that of Janet Arnold's) has robbed the world of two of its greatest and most talented costume researchers. Fortunately their names will never be forgotten as long as their books continue to be published and to remain, literally, compulsory reading for the costume student.

This book remains my favorite costume book, even 10 years after I first checked it out of the library. I find myself coming back to this book time after time, either to study a particular point of fashion or just to browse the fabulous drawings.

Nancy Bradfield has done a great service to all who enjoy studying vintage clothing and their construction. Each item includes 2 to 4 full-page, detailed drawings so the reader can see every detail of the original garment -- inside AND out. Many of them include measurements, so if you're a very talented seamstress/tailor, you can recreate the garments and scale them to fit a modern body.

Some books seem to just throw pictures or drawings together in no particular order, which makes it difficult to fully understand the fashion changes that took place. Nancy Bradfield has arranged the drawings in chronological order, which I find much easier to follow. She also has rather detailed comments along the bottom of each 2-page spread which explains particular details of the item or the fashion changes that were occuring at the time the dress was made. Those comments are in addition to the description found on the top left side of the left page, which is specific to the dress in question.

This is the Bible for any costumer or vintage clothing collector! The only thing that would be better is examining the clothes in person...And unlike seeing the clothes in person, you can keep going back to the drawings again and again.

It's surprising that this book, which is entirely illustrated with pen and ink drawings of surviving garments, conveys so much information about period costume. I learned a lot from this book, and enjoyed it greatly. The only thing I wish Ms. Bradfield had done differently is to include a color photograph of each garment in addition to the detailed sketches she provides.

I am a dollmaker and this is a wonderful book for costuming dolls if you have the ability to draft patterns. You can see the shape and construction of the vintage garments and the drawings and notes alongside are inspiring in themselves. I just love this book for both information and pure visual enjoyment.

I would have loved to had seen the pieces of the garment drawn in their pattern shapes, but otherwise an excellent book with much detail written about each garment. Only other problem was that sometimes the writer's handwriting about the details on the drawings were a bit hard to decifer.

Until this book dissapeared from my local library I must have borrowed it for over half its shelf life there, in all of 15 years this book has been THE reference for me, no mean feat to hold my attention since I was 11.
I love it because of the minute detail of the fabric patterns which although hard to find today similar items can be found for those wanting to recreate the dresses.
The value for money is unreproachable, you just have to buy this book. Thank the publishers for reprinting in the U.S and here in U.K !

I've read many books on historical costuming: construction, histories and such. This is by far, the most comprehensive book on the subject. The drawings are detailed and cover the outer look of a particular item, plus the construction, description of fabric and aspects of decoration. I come back to this book again and again to help me sew period-correct garments.

Each item is covered on two pages. The majority of the items are gowns, but there are coats, umbrellas, undergarments and shoes described in detail also. If a particular garment had a design in the weave, it was drawn out. Measurements of items are given.

For those persons new to historical costuming, the terminology might give them trouble. My advice is to look up those terms they might not understand. Using the book as sort of a starting point for a student, the book illustrates terms such as 'cartridge pleating'. Once a person has seen it, it is more easily understood.

The book allows the reader a glimpse into some of the most beautiful works of wearable art that have survived. It is certainly worth it's price.

Like the Janet Arnold books, this is a fabulous resource for research, pattern drafting, and even garment construction (although this is not sewing instruction manual)--many drawings show the details of historical fashions, which can guide us modern stitchers in how to replicate. Like the Arnold books, this is not a beginners' construction guide, but rather a research resource, which will provide some excellent drawings of period outfits. If one should just happen to be costuming "A Christmas Carol," this would be a splendid book to invest in.

the best of its kind. library copies constantly used by local stage costumers. a brilliant piece of work!

I had checked this book out of my high school library, er. . .almost 20 years ago (can it be)? It was one of those that I'd check out over and over again. Something reminded me of it the other day, and now I'm going to buy it, yeah!
The illustrations and descriptions are excellent.