Historical Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries [Paperback]

Arvil Hart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1998

This volume offers the opportunity to see fragile clothes in detail. Perfection is in the detail: decorative seams, exquisite stitching, knife sharp pleats and voluptuous drapery feature alongside more usual techniques such as stamping, pinking and slashing. Many of the skills displayed have been lost to the modern world: such labour-intensive handwork is no longer done and these effects cannot be replicated by machine. Yet many fashion designers take their inspiration from the past, adapting ideas to a more contemporary idiom. Containing a gallery of photographs, accompanied by line drawings showing the construction of the complete garment, this book should appeal to anyone interested in historical costume and textile history, from cut and construction to fabrics and trimmings.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Avril Hart is an expert in historical dress. Her published work includes Englishmen's Fashionable Dress: 1600-1799, Ties, and Fans. Susan North is Curator, Department of Furniture, Textiles and Fashion, at the V&A. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: V & A Publications (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1851772588
• ISBN-13: 978-1851772582
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,671,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and worth every penny, November 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Historical Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries (Paperback)

I have a copy of the book. I love the photos with every page close up detail.

Biggest and only complaint I have is that the book has images of garments clumped in each chapter, like "Stitching, Seams, Quilting and Cording", Buttons, Trimmings, "Applied Decoration", etc. What bothers me is that you don't get the overall image of a garment, but a lot of close up fragments of a garment. It would have been nice to see an overall image as well.

The book also provides a basic sketch of each garment, even if the original garment is missing a section.

This is not my time period for historical garments as a costumer, but the details just get me drooling every time I look at the book. Close ups of the embroideries are just to die for. All in wonderful full color large images the size of the book itself. The left page has the description, and the right page has the full image, and it is larger than 8.5" x 11". I don't have my ruler handy or I would measure it right now.

Anyway, I think it was worth the full price I paid when it first came out in hb. I love it.

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous, April 5, 2005

By 

ReeQueen (Salt Lake City, UT United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Historical Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries (Paperback)

The historical detail of pieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum costume collections is incredible. The photography does justice to the intricate embellishment and contemporary textiles.

The only things missing are diagrams of the patterns from the various items represented, but the line drawings are precise enough to provide plenty of information on pattern and construction.

With only a couple of editorial errors, the writing is interesting and informative, adding to the detail of the photography and line drawings. This book and it's companion, Dress In Detail (also from V&A Publications), are a good combination to add to a costume or fashion library.

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visual Feast, January 26, 2005

By 

Desmond Ho Fu Lo "Desmond" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Historical Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries (Paperback)

I can not find a better expression to describe this book than this one: a real visual feast for readers.

I am amazed by the intricacies and delicate details of those fashions dating 300 years ago. And I am fascinated with the fine quality of the silk fabrics reflecting the elegance of that time.

Highly recommend to anyone who loves fashion.