Evolution of Fashion: Pattern and Cut from 1066 to 1930 [Paperback]

Margot Hamilton Hill (Author), Peter Bucknell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0896760995 | ISBN-13: 978-0896760998 | Publication Date: January 1968 | Edition: 1

This book should be of interest to all those concerned with design and costume for the stage, the screen and television. It traces the development of costume and cutting over a period of almost ten centuries.;Margot Hamilton Hill, an illustrator and lecturer on the history of fashion, has provided 56 full-page drawings, which illustrate, in period settings, the changing trends in male and female dress from 1066 to 1930. For each of the costumes, Peter Bucknell has contributed a dressmaker's pattern, drawn to scale and supported by technical notes on making up. Peter Bucknell has also written the accompanying text including comments on the general characteristics of the costume of each period and observations on appropriate deportment for both men and women.;Notes on undergarments which played such an important part in determining the line of the costume, as well as the headdress and hairstyle, outer garments, shoes and accessories, will help to complete the effect of period style.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Drama Publishers; 1 edition (January 1968)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896760995
• ISBN-13: 978-0896760998
• Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 9.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #399,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent overview of English court dress evolution, June 7, 2000

By 

allison taylor (orange county, california) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evolution of Fashion: Pattern and Cut from 1066 to 1930 (Paperback)

In the words of the authors, "Fashion is the translation of the wearer's personality into the language of clothes," and this volume is a comprehensive overview of the changes in the ideal personality as reflected in the dress of English court dressers, interpreted through secondary sources (paintings, prints, carvings, sculptures and manuscript drawings) during the reign of 31 English monarchs. For each of 56 eras in fashion, clear and detailed B/W drawings (by Hill) of male and female adult dress are presented with a thorough overview (by Bucknell) of general characteristics of the fashion including headware, shoes, and undergarments and a summary of trends in decoration, accessories, movement for both genders, padding and restriction, and typical fabrics and colors. For all illustrated outerwear garments, 1/8" scale pattern shapes (by Bucknell) are provided as a base for adaptation for those interested in re=creation, and are simplified and presented without seam allowances or construction notes. No information is given on construction of foundation garments (corsets, hoops, panniers, padding) which are necessary for many of the garments shown. The book is intended to assist theater designers, cutters, illustrators, costume history drudents, and actors in achieving an accurate silhouette for a given period, and I would say it amply fulfills this goal. Some construction suggestions for theater use are included but nothing on the level of a mainstream fashion pattern, so this book should not be a sole resource for an average home sewer contemplating a period halloween costume. Minimal illustration of placement of details such as pleats, pockets, buttonholes or casings. Patterns have no notches or facing pieces, merely reference letters to mark attachment points on complex constructions. No garments beyond English court dress are covered, so don't look here for Chinese Imperial fashion or Eastern European peasant garb. I found "the big pink book" at a Ren Faire vendors' row and have enjoyed the thoughtful consideration of fashions from the past on many occasions, including construction of a 1550's/1560's era court gown for my wedding. It was particularly helpful to examine the outline of pattern shapes for sleeves and skirts that have not been in fashion for centuries, particularly for the very complex shapes such as bustles, layered flounces, intricate pleating, and extensive boning or wiring. As a professional costumer, I would love to see an index added that might allow readers to review what eras were associated with a particular element of fashion (for example: velvety fabrics, circular hoops, false buttonholes, use of bows as decoration, pastel colors, or very restrictive skirts) but this is minor and the book is quite functional sans index. All in all, a fine and indispensable reference in my library.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful referance guide for period and stage costumes, November 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Evolution of Fashion: Pattern and Cut from 1066 to 1930 (Paperback)

I have refered to this book time and time again. It is not a bible for costumes. However, I have used it to adapt many of my own patterns to suit the period. Hill and bucknell state that it is not a historical study, but for those who have no idea where to begin, this is a great place to start.

The one thing I enjoy about the book is it reaches many people. People who make stage costumes, Elizibetian Fairs and even doll outfits benifit from the way pieces are laid out. The insturctions are simple but vauge a few times. The authors have the attitude you know what you are doing. The book is well worth reading. It was not a waste my time.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable, one-of-a kind resource, January 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Evolution of Fashion: Pattern and Cut from 1066 to 1930 (Paperback)

This book was the primary text in a costume history course I took in college, and it still stands out among the many costume books I've since accumulated as one of the most helpful. For those concentrating on a particular period who want to see lots of variations within that period--for example, those who are concerned with the difference between an 1853 sleeve and an 1854 sleeve--this is not for them: it depicts the basic style of each period and in written text describes the popular fabrics, trends, and design variations. As an overview that shows what people were wearing during the reign of every English monarch from 1066 to 1930, it is unsurpassed. Where other costume books tend to be vague and skimpy on pre-16th-century styles, this text clearly indicates what year a style belongs to and does not lump together a few drawings as examples of "medieval dress." The book includes patterns for every major garment pictured, but these, as other reviewers have noted, are not for novices. All in all, this is a wonderful book for a variety of purposes.