Customer Reviews

Dress in Eighteenth Century Europe, 1715-1789

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It's hard to encapsulate everything that the 18th century was into a single volume, but as far as fashion goes, this book gives a darn good try. The pages are filled with period paintings and portraiture - excellent primary resources for research, but it would have done better to have photos of actual garments to survive the era (there are plenty in excellent condition in museums and private collections around the world), but that's just me being nit-picky. It's an excellent volume and an important resource for anyone studying the period.

One of the most beautifully illustrated books I have read, the text and gorgeous images combine to create a fascinating, informative, detailed book. Ribeiro does a magnificent job explaining the portraits and the era, explaining trends, exceptions to the general fashions, discussing icons that changed styles, and getting into the nature of fashion and costume. The myriad of color illustrations show differences between French and English fashions, middle and upper-class looks, day and evening wear, and some fantasy and extreme costumes of the era.