Customer Reviews

Nineteenth Century Fashion in Detail

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I just got 19th Century Fashion in Detail by Lucy Johnston from Amazon.com and it is worth every penny. For those of us on the U.S. side of the pond, it is a companion volume to Fashion in Detail(17th and 18th centuries)and the photographed fashions(from the V&A collections)are every bit as drool worthy. The format is the same as the previous book and the World Fashion in Detail(I don't own both have seen this one): The left-hand page has a complete description and line drawing of an entire garmet or garmets. The right hand side of the page has a stunning full-color view of a detail and sometimes the entire garment or garments. The book covers men's and women's fashions, including shoes. It is divided into the usual sections like the other books that are a little offbeat as it is subjects, not strictly chronological. On the cover is a stunning magenta bustle dress of the mid 1870's that lovers of the bustle era will itch to copy. The dress is actually three pieces with two separate bodices which was pretty common among surviving dresses of the last half of the 19th c, and has both a back view of one bodice and a side view of the entire ensemble. One bodice is for day and the other a dinner(not short sleeved formal ball)bodice.

Get this as a Christmas gift for self or a friend who loves beautiful surviving fashions.

Like the previous "Fashion in Detail" books, this volume has excellent, close-up color photographs of beautiful finishing details. Unlike the previous "Fashion in Detail" books, there are also full-length photographs of a good many of the items featured--not simply line drawings as in the other books. A must-have for 19th century costume enthusiasts, and great fun for any lover of historic costume or fine sewing.

The only thing you could wish for after reading this book is that the late, great Janet Arnold had graphed patterns of all them. This book is absolutely essential if you re-create older clothes and you want to know what fabrics actually looked and draped like. I found it especially helpful to have the descriptions give the fabric names and weaves, as well. The close up photos show the stitches, pleating, and trimmings. And what colors! The trims! Buy it before the unthinkable occurs--that the book goes out of print! If you can only buy one costume book this year, let this be the one.

This book is worth more than it sales for. This book, Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail, is one of the best fashion books yet. This book can also be used in the class room and in the sewing and fashion library. The photographs are done with great percision and shows every detail better than the eye can. This book also shows that our society no longer appreciate the great pains the old master took back in the old days. These were the days that people appreciated the chime of a grand father clock, beautiful piano music, fine parfume, and fine fashions.

I found this book gives so many fine details of the clothing made in this century. It's a great help for ideas in trimming my own costumes, and shows how it was done in line drawings. The examples are awesome.

Nineteenth-Century Fashion In Detail is a gorgeous display of high-class 19th century Western clothing fashions. Shirts, dresses, gloves, shoes, and much more; each clothing piece is illustrated with a large full-color photograph, and its history and composition is described at length as befits a fabric work of art. The exquisite embroidery, tailoring, patterns, and other eye-catching details of the sample pieces make Nineteenth-Century Fashion In Detail a superb reference and inspirational sourcebook for clothing designers, costumers, and vintage clothing collectors. Also highly recommended are the companion volumes Historical Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries, and Modern Fashion in Detail.

Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail is a beautiful book with great photograghy and interesting personal and technical details. My imagination was especially captured by the garments worn by a young bride in the 1880s, who reportedly died in a riding accident soon after their creation. This book is a wonderful "piece of the puzzle" of historic garment development.

This book is chock full of close-up photographs which show the details of garments that have been well preserved from the period. Laden with eye-candy for costumers, history buffs, and those who appreciate beautiful things. Readers will be amazed at the fine hand-work and examples of needlework shown on each garment. Not just a beautiful "coffee table" book! Well worth the purchase price!!

Be very careful with this book. I was enchanted with the cover and thought it was a new book by Lucy Johnson....only to discover that I already had purchased the same book four years ago with a different cover. Lucky for me I browsed the other two options showing the different cover before purchasing this one, or I would have had to go through the trouble of returning it. It is an absolutely marvellous book with lots of photos of stunning creations. Very drool-worthy and inspiring. If you love fashion and don't have the different covered book, by all means, buy it!

This book is a visual feast for the eyes! I have gone through it over and over again, and each time I find something new! The coverage of the detail of each type of design is explicit, right down to the buttons and the thread. The book details things like the innovations in fashion, as well as common reviews of the time. In some cases, it also talks about the people behind the items that are featured, such as when they wore the items or their lifestyle. Beautifully done - exceptional photography!