Everyday Fashions of the Thirties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs (Dover Books on Costume & Textiles) (Paperback)

~ (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For this historically accurate sampling of authentic 1930's fashion, Stella Blum, former Curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, selected for reproduction 133 representative pages from rare Sears catalogs of the period (1933-1939). Hundreds of illustrations record what men, women, and children were actually wearing in the '30s when, as a copy line from the fall 1930 catalog proclaimed, "Thrift is the spirit of the day. Reckless spending is a thing of the past".

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (August 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 048625108X
• ISBN-13: 978-0486251080
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #184,888 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #88 in

  Books > Home & Garden > Antiques & Collectibles > Textiles & Costume

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just palin fun to look through and historical too..., November 9, 2000

By	Classic Jazz Fan - See all my reviews

Wonderful book, gives an authentic overview of the way people dressed in the 1930's. They sure were a lot more stylish back then, just shows how classy an era the 30's was. When I go swing dancing I know what kind of clothes to look for this book has been helpful to me in dressing in that style. Recomended and just plain fun to look through.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great pictorial history of fashion of the 30's, October 15, 2000

By	"nell47" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This book gives a good look at what the Sears catalog offered in the way of women's fashions in the thirties. Merchandise is grouped by year and then by women's, men's etc. Descriptions are text from the catalog and in some cases give what fabric was used, orignal catalog prices are also included. Accessories such as shoes, hats and jewelery are also pictured.

A great resource for stage cotumes. If you are a good seamstress, today's patterns can be modified to create styles similar to those of the thirties.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saddle shoes $2.49 in 1939, September 30, 2006

By	GameraGal (Sydney) - See all my reviews

I own four books in this 'Searies' (Twenties, Thirties, Forties, Fifties) and I cannot recommend them highly enough. They are jam-packed with a great mix of pictures in good proportion which show the morphing of fashions over the decade(s). Dominant are women's clothing (formal, casual, dresses, hats, coats, shoes, with some undergarments, sportswear, nightwear, swimwear). Then there are smatterings of accessories (handbags, watches, gloves, powder compacts, belts, jewelry). Also some menswear and a small amount of childrenswear. All clothing is being worn.

All pictures are black and white and have a certain (pleasant) level of graininess. What you get are the original pictures, prices and descriptions from the catalogs. There is only a very small amount of introductory material (just a one page 'Publisher's Note' for the Thirties).

Changes over the series:
The transition from drawings (all very good and realistic) to photos occurs in the Thirties.
The variety of accessories appearing in the Twenties is largely reduced by the later decades (Fifties almost exclusively clothing and hats with some shoes).

There's only one problem with these catalogs...you can't order the contents!