Customer Reviews

A Separate Sphere: Dressmakers in Cincinnati's Golden Age, 1877-1922 (Costume Society of America Series)

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This book covers the years of 1877 to 1922. I purchased it originally for assistance in dating old photographs by dress clues. It's a great resource in that regard, and if I were a student of costume I would certainly want a copy of this book. There are color photos and detail shots on almost every other page that show the beauty and workmanship that went into the dressmakers' craft. All this is accompanied by a series of essays on Cincinnati, dressmakers, the social functions of dress and how it changed during this era. Beautiful and readable!

When you think of fashion splendor, you seldom think of Cincinnati Ohio. Perhaps that is just as well because it keeps this treasure hidden. The Cincinnati Art Museum is a jewel box of amazing fashions and has been working diligently for decades to collect work which is at once art and delightfully wearable (if only in your mind). This book exhibits the things you want to marvel in front of, but can't. Perfect photos and text capture the feel of the garments to a tee. It is the next best thing to standing in front of a rich display of fabulous creations.

I got this for my mom for Christmas and she was thrilled. It has some exquisite clothes in it. I was a little disappointed that some of the dresses were in two or more pictures without necessarily revealing more about the dresses, BUT I don't regret buying it because what's there is eye-popping, anyway.