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The Complete Costume History / Vollstandige Kostumgeschichte / Le Costume Historique Hardcover – December 1, 2003

by Auguste Racinet (Author), Francoise Tetart-Vittu (Editor)

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Originally published in France between 1876 and 1888, Auguste Racinet's Le Costume Historique was the most wide-ranging and intelligent study of clothing ever published. Covering the world history of costume, dress, and style from antiquity through the end of the 19th century, the great work -- ""consolidated"" in 1888 into 6 volumes containing nearly 500 plates -- remains, to this day, completely unique in its scope and detail. Racinet's organization by culture and subject has been preserved in TASCHEN's magnificent and complete reprint, as have excerpts from his delightful descriptions and often witty comments. Perusing these beautifully detailed and exquisitely colored illustrations, you'll discover everything from the garb of ancient Etruscans to traditional Eskimo attire to 19th century French women's couture. Though Racinet's study spans the globe from ancient times through his own, his focus is on European clothing from the Middle Ages to the 1880s and this subject is treated with exceeding passion and attention to detail. Costume History is an absolutely invaluable reference for students, designers, artists, illustrators, and historians; it is also an immensely fascinating and inspirational book for anyone with an interest in clothing and style. al text (2500 manuscript pages) in French and German, as well as all plates and details in the form of high resolution image files which are free of rights and can be used for any creative project.

CONTENTS:
Part I The Ancient World (Egypt, Assyria, Israel, Persia and Phrygia, Greece, Etruscan, Greco-Roman, Rome, Barbarian Europe, Celts and Gauls)
Part II 19th CenturyAntique Civilizations (Oceania, Africa, Eskimos, North American Indians, Mexican Indians, South American Indians, China, Japan, India, Ceylon, Middle East, Orient, Turkey)
Part III Europe from Byzantium to the 1800s (Byzantium, France-Byzantine, Poland, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, England, Holland)
Part IV Traditional costumes of the 1880s (Scandinavia, Holland, Scotland, England, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France)

Print length

648 pages
Language

English
Publisher

TASCHEN
Publication date

December 1, 2003
Dimensions

12.5 x 3 x 20 inches
ISBN-10

3822821934
ISBN-13

978-3822821930
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ TASCHEN; Multilingual edition (December 1, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 648 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 3822821934
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-3822821930
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 16.42 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.5 x 3 x 20 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,152,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,231 in Fashion History
- #3,517 in Textile & Costume (Books)
- #8,116 in Fashion Design

Customer Reviews:
12 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Mark

Impressive Collection

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2008

Verified Purchase

This is an incredible and impressive collection of fashion images that leaves little untold. The illustrations are masterful and descriptive of dress of the past. The most incredible thing is the volume goes beyond atire and includes samples of accessories, furniture and architecture related to the period and culture. My only disappointment is it stops at the late 1800's. I would highly recommend this book for anyone in fashion design, art or someone with a really large coffee table. It's a MONSTER!

Helpful

TW

A GREAT SOURCE FOR RESEARCHING COSTUMES

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2007

Verified Purchase

AS A WORKING PROFESSIONAL IN THE FILM, TELEVISION, COMMERCIAL AND MUSIC VIDEO INDUSTRIES, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THIS RESOURCE BOOK IN ESSENTIAL IN THE RESEARCHING OF PERIOD COSTUMES. I USE THIS BOOK AS REFERENCE ALL THE TIME. ANYONE IN THE BIZ SHOULD MAKE THE INVESTMENT OF THIS INVALUABLE
RESOURCE.

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2009

Verified Purchase

Bought for my daughter who is a fashion design student. She loved it. The price was amazing. Over $200 every where else.

One person found this helpful

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Cristina M. S. Piazza

Fantastic!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2007

Verified Purchase

It's a fantastic history of the costumes. Racinet told us the meaning of live in all the sicles, with clothes, shoes, jewels, and everytthing that the people dressed in that days. It's my best buy in the last year! If you will working with fashion, art, history, or you are a person who want to say more about the life in the past, you must be see this book!

2 people found this helpful

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Claudia Candido

The most complete view of costume history

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2013

Verified Purchase

No doubt, this book one of the most complete about costume history. Richly illustrated, is a basic consulting for students and professional.

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Cindyash

Excellent example of illustrations from a specific time

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2007

I just received this book for my birthday, I'd been wanting it for quite a while. When I first saw it, I knew it wasn't a reference book, and am surprised other reviewers thought it would be. For one thing it was written in 1896. Consider the world view at that time - very Eurocentric, very Western Civilization oriented. So that is what you get. However, you also get an example of illustrations and drawings that you just don't see now a days. Its quite lovely really, and is indeed useful when I am reading a historical novel and want a visual. So buy this for what it is, not what you think it is.

9 people found this helpful

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Ekaterina Smoldyreva

Impressive size

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2006

I was very impressed by the size of the book... never seen anything like this before. The content, however, is not that impressive. There are lots of good illustrations, copies from paintings, detailed drawings of selective accessories and furniture, but this is not a complete overview (but you would expect it to be full from such an edition, wouldn't you?). Confusing are the descriptions on each page: timeframes are too foggy and there is no description of each drawing, but those few available you often do not know which drawing to apply to.
The most interesting are the sections of folk and national dresses.
The book is more suitable for the coffee table (make sure you have a big one)to impress your guests than as a serious reference. Though I have used it a lot, I wish it was more complete

23 people found this helpful

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Catherine Moore

Breathtaking

Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2004

A sumptuously beautiful book that I first discovered at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts bookstore (and what a bookstore it is). It is well worth the price, particularly the one offered here on Amazon, but I would have willing paid much more. The illustrations are breathtakingly beautiful.

8 people found this helpful

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pigletress

Love and embrace this book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2005

Verified Purchase

The content of this book is wonderfully detailed with history of fascinating animations of people and how they dress themselves. This is a great book for reference!!

2 people found this helpful

(仮名)

これはこれはすばらしい

Reviewed in Japan on July 18, 2004

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服装の歴史に興味がなくても『絵』として見て非常に素敵な画集です。『complete costume history』というだけあって、布を纏うだけの頃からの西洋の服装の歴史が刻まれています。時代時代で今と同じように流行があって面白いです。「何故これが流行ったのだろうか？？？」と云う物ばかりですが。これから数百年後には今の流行も滑稽に見えるのかも知れませんね（笑）価格は少々高めに見えますが、それだけの価値のある物だと思いますし、街中の書店で買うよりはだいぶ安かったので、個人的には得した気分です。