Everyday Fashions of the Thirties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs (Dover Fashion and Costumes) [Paperback]

Stella Blum (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Dover Fashion and Costumes | Publication Date: August 1, 1986

Over 130 fully illustrated pages from Sears catalogs offer historically accurate images of what men, women, and children wore throughout 1930s. Hundreds of illustrations reflect the era's mood of economic austerity and its departure from the flamboyance of Twenties fashions in favor of lower hemlines and garments made from more traditional, affordable materials.  

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; First Edition ~1st Printing edition (August 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 048625108X
• ISBN-13: 978-0486251080
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Textiles & Costume

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saddle shoes $2.49 in 1939, September 30, 2006

By 

GameraGal (Sydney) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everyday Fashions of the Thirties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs (Dover Fashion and Costumes) (Paperback)

I own four books in this 'Searies' (Twenties, Thirties, Forties, Fifties) and I cannot recommend them highly enough. They are jam-packed with a great mix of pictures in good proportion which show the morphing of fashions over the decade(s). Dominant are women's clothing (formal, casual, dresses, hats, coats, shoes, with some undergarments, sportswear, nightwear, swimwear). Then there are smatterings of accessories (handbags, watches, gloves, powder compacts, belts, jewelry). Also some menswear and a small amount of childrenswear. All clothing is being worn.

All pictures are black and white and have a certain (pleasant) level of graininess. What you get are the original pictures, prices and descriptions from the catalogs. There is only a very small amount of introductory material (just a one page 'Publisher's Note' for the Thirties).

Changes over the series:
The transition from drawings (all very good and realistic) to photos occurs in the Thirties.
The variety of accessories appearing in the Twenties is largely reduced by the later decades (Fifties almost exclusively clothing and hats with some shoes).

There's only one problem with these catalogs...you can't order the contents!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great pictorial history of fashion of the 30's, October 15, 2000

By 

"nell47" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everyday Fashions of the Thirties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs (Dover Fashion and Costumes) (Paperback)

This book gives a good look at what the Sears catalog offered in the way of women's fashions in the thirties. Merchandise is grouped by year and then by women's, men's etc. Descriptions are text from the catalog and in some cases give what fabric was used, orignal catalog prices are also included. Accessories such as shoes, hats and jewelery are also pictured.

A great resource for stage cotumes. If you are a good seamstress, today's patterns can be modified to create styles similar to those of the thirties.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mainly Women's Clothes, May 2, 2009

By 

AirLiner (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everyday Fashions of the Thirties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs (Dover Fashion and Costumes) (Paperback)

As a 1930's enthusiast I became interested in this book after reading the reviews. They all seemed to indicate a well sampled view of 1930's fashion in general, of men, women and children, so obviously I was eager to purchase the book.

When I finally got it I was disappointed to see that this book did not provide fashions of the general 1930's populace, but rather concentrated mainly on women's fashions. There were only a few pages dedicated to men's clothes and I was especially surprised to see how much the book lacked in portraying men's suits. So as for for portraying a good view of what people wore in the 1930's I'd say the book was inadequate.

If you're into learning mainly about 1930's women's fashion, then go ahead and purchase this, but if you are really interested in a more detailed portrayal of what the whole population in general wore in those times then you are better off buying a vintage Sears catalog on ebay.