Customer Reviews

Moda a Firenze 1540-1580: Lo stile di Eleonora di Toledo e la sua influenza (English and Italian Edition)

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There is very little written about Florentine fashion from the 16th Century. This book fills that gap admirably. It has gorgeous color pictures, many of which are published here for the first time. With full descriptions and a glossary of terms make this the perfect book for historians and lovers of historical costume alike. The text is in English and Italian (side-by-side on the same page) so it is easy to see the Italian terms and how they translate into English.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I am delighted to see Amazon carries it!

This book focuses on Florentine fashion c1540-1580 during the period when Eleonora of Toledo was Duchess of the city. Its inspiration is obviously the iconic portrait of her and her son Giovanni painted by Bronzino in 1545.

The book is full of rare gorgeous colour illustrations on high quality art paper. It starts out with a biography of Eleonara and then discusses her style. Then the book discusses individual garments she is known to have owned and surviving examples, including an extraordinary red velvet gown in the Pisa Mueso di Plazzo Reale. The book rounds off with a list of the garments recorded in Elenora's wardrobe accounts.

This book, published in both Italian and English, should be on the shopping list for anyone interested in Renaissance costume. Its one of those books you pick up and go "wow" and it's a visual feast on the eyes that is fully illustrated in colour.

The Cultural World of Eleonora di Toledo: Duchess of Florence and Siena

Bronzino's Chapel of Eleonora in the Palazzo Vecchio (California Studies in the History of Art)

Patterns of Fashion: The Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men and Women C1560-1620

I am an embroiderer by trade. I work for the high end interior design market and have been doing my craft professionally for over 20 years. I seek inspiration in books, museums, architecture and in the everyday. The documentation in this book is amazing. The photographs and text are wonderful guides to knowing details of the dress of Eleonora di Toledo and her court as well as the time in Florence and other cities during the Renaissance. I have created an embroidery pattern based on the embroidery of her burial dress and enjoy the opportunity to see the remnants of the dress now in good photos with description and analysis that goes beyond what I have seen previously. I have had great pleasure reading the works of Janet Arnold - which would be a good introduction but this book is a textbook in comparison. This book is a must for anyone truly interested in the historic fashion of the 1500's and will undoubtedly be a treasure. The quality of the photos, paper and style are top notch too.

One of my more favorite books for research, many portraits have been cropped down and organized into sections of dress. As a historical costumer, I find this book to be a wonderful resource, well written and easy to read. Dress components are broken down into categories, showing many ideas for any aspect you may wish to re-create. Worth the price!

This book is beautiful and full of useful information if you are looking for very period specific pieces. There are details about ornamentation alone that make this a must have.