The History of Underclothes (Paperback)

by C. Willett Cunnington (Author), PhiIlis Cunnington (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Fascinating survey of various undergarments worn by the English over six centuries. Well-documented, scholarly presentation enhanced with over 100 period illustrations depicting laced-up bodice of the 12th century, embroidered linen drawers (1500s), hooped petticoat support (c. 1750), footed long drawers (1795), 19th-century bustles, early 19th-century corsets for men, Victorian "bust improvers," much more.

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Product Details Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Dover Publications (May 26, 1992) Language: English ISBN-10: 0486271242 ISBN-13: 978-0486271248 Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #122,950 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #25 in  Books > Home & Garden > Antiques & Collectibles > Textiles & Costume

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Look Inside This Book

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover

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Citations (learn more)

42 books cite this book:

• Inventing Beauty: A History of the Innovations that Have Made Us Beautiful by Teresa Riordan on 4 pages
• Daily Life in 18th-Century England (The Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series) by Kirstin Olsen in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
• Material Strategies: Dress and Gender in Historial Perspective (Gender and History Special Issues) by Barbara Burman on page 142, page 143, and page 144
• The Age of Cultural Revolutions: Britain and France, 1750-1820 by Colin Jones on page 270, page 271, and page 272
• Consumption and the Making of Respectability, 1600-1800 by Woodruff Smith in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)

See all 42 books citing this book

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	81% buy the item featured on this page: The History of Underclothes 3.5 out of 5 stars (13) $10.36
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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:  (4) 3 star:  (4) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 3.5 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 26 of 26 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Good illustrations, October 16, 2000 By  Jesse Petersen "jessepet" (Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Illustrations and pictures, combined with detailed description, make this book a good resource for any historian or writer. My only complaint is that the book covers such a long period of history (early 1300s to 1939). When so many years are covered, it's hard to have perfect accuracy and not rely on gross generalization. If you want to read about a very specific period, this probably isn't the book for you, but if you are looking for generalization, it's a great resource! I liked it and would recommend it.! 17 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Unmentionables finally mentioned!!, May 20, 2001 By  "celia-aromancereviewer" (Lexington, MA United States) - See all my reviews An interesting treatise on an interesting topic - underclothes. As a writer of historical romances, I need to know what is under the heroine's clothes, should the hero get around to removing them. This book has helped in my search for answers to that important question. The illustrations are excellent and it is quite fascinating to realize how much we do (and don't) know about what our ancestors wore and why. However, this book does seem to spend a lot of time on men's underwear (yes it's important, but not as much as the ladies'), and also covers such a large time period that inevitably some discussions are very brief (no pun intended). This book will become part of my reference library - not a stand-alone source, but complementary to my other volumes on clothing. 12 of 12 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Incredible authority on English fashion history does undies, May 20, 1999 By  "dava_ellinger" (Vallejo, CA United States) - See all my reviews unfortunately this is the only book by C. Willett and Phillis Cunnington easily available in America. This book is a terrrific and cheap resource for those interested in an aspect of historical costume often ignored. It doesn't include construction methods, but it is otherwise a perfect resource for the professional or reenactment costumer. It covers the Middle Ages through 1939 with black and white photos of garments and illustrations from primary sources.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars A great book If you love to learn about historical clothing than this is the book for you. Published on June 14, 2007 by Julia 3.0 out of 5 stars A good reading reference This is a good history of both mens and womens undergarments. It is solidly written, with more focus on fact and logical history. Read more Published on May 1, 2007 by fatal_degree 5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly pleased with this book I am a costume designer and have had this book for over 10 years. I recently purchased a copy for one of my student workers who is now studying costume design at... Read more Published on November 2, 2006 by Shelley Kuhen 4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of what's underneath I think this book could have been more in-depth and would have benefitted from more illustrations, but it's a good startng source for reenactors, fashion historians, and people... Read more Published on September 8, 2005 by Fruit Loop 1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Omissions In agreement with some other posters, I found this book disappointing. One obvious omission is covering the Middle Ages to 1939 and not mentioning "codpiece". Read more Published on December 21, 2003 3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting info, but lots of omissions. There was some interesting stuff in here, but unfortunately a lot of omissions. Helpful for the items it discusses, but LOTS of generalities. Read more Published on December 21, 2001 2.0 out of 5 stars disappointing! not only were the authors too ambitious (trying to cover way too many centuries in too few pages), but the fact that it was originally published in 1951 is glaringly apparent --... Read more Published on January 12, 2001 by T. L. Howell 3.0 out of 5 stars a book on the life of unmentionables An interesting source to utilize when wishing to study the evolution of the panty. Published on February 10, 2000 4.0 out of 5 stars Extremely thorough history of underclothes. If you're looking for an excellent general overview of the history of underclothes, this is the book. Read more Published on June 8, 1999 5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable book. Thanks to Dover reprints, the Cunningtons' books on costume are becoming available again. And what a benefit this is! Read more Published on August 5, 1998 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (May 26, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486271242
• ISBN-13: 978-0486271248
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #122,950 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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

  #25 in

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good illustrations, October 16, 2000

By	Jesse Petersen "jessepet" (Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Illustrations and pictures, combined with detailed description, make this book a good resource for any historian or writer. My only complaint is that the book covers such a long period of history (early 1300s to 1939). When so many years are covered, it's hard to have perfect accuracy and not rely on gross generalization. If you want to read about a very specific period, this probably isn't the book for you, but if you are looking for generalization, it's a great resource!

I liked it and would recommend it.!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unmentionables finally mentioned!!, May 20, 2001

By	"celia-aromancereviewer" (Lexington, MA United States) - See all my reviews

An interesting treatise on an interesting topic - underclothes. As a writer of historical romances, I need to know what is under the heroine's clothes, should the hero get around to removing them. This book has helped in my search for answers to that important question. The illustrations are excellent and it is quite fascinating to realize how much we do (and don't) know about what our ancestors wore and why. However, this book does seem to spend a lot of time on men's underwear (yes it's important, but not as much as the ladies'), and also covers such a large time period that inevitably some discussions are very brief (no pun intended). This book will become part of my reference library - not a stand-alone source, but complementary to my other volumes on clothing.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Incredible authority on English fashion history does undies, May 20, 1999

By	"dava_ellinger" (Vallejo, CA United States) - See all my reviews

unfortunately this is the only book by C. Willett and Phillis Cunnington easily available in America. This book is a terrrific and cheap resource for those interested in an aspect of historical costume often ignored. It doesn't include construction methods, but it is otherwise a perfect resource for the professional or reenactment costumer. It covers the Middle Ages through 1939 with black and white photos of garments and illustrations from primary sources.