Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper's Baza

It's said that the invention of a practical sewing machine, which occurred in the 1850's, opened the door to a mania for more complicated clothing. And looking at these engravings, with their typically Victorian meticulous attention to detail (reproduced with clarity and exactness), you have to agree. From the very first pages, uniquely designed hems, unusual decoration, and a generous use of embroidery make their appearance. By 1869, "bustles and puffs," bows and braid, lace and scallops and trailing trains are beginning to weigh down Madame's garments. In the '70's the bustle becomes almost ridiculous (to our eyes) in its complexity, but there's a brief return to the "natural" form, which gives way to the ever-more-pinch-waisted hourglass figure and so much fabric on the derriere that you wonder how women sat down. In the '90's the influence of the art of Charles Dana Gibson is clearly seen. Though these costumes were definitely intended for ladies with both money (to hire professional seamstresses) and leisure, they were no doubt adapted and copied by all levels of womanhood, and certainly the basic shape was followed everywhere. Clothing for all occasions, from the ball to the beach, is included, along with accessories and even coiffures, all with the full original descriptions; most of it is for women, but some pages include children's wear. At the back is a brief but useful glosary of fashion terms of the time. Anyone who has an interest in Victorian costumerie will need this book on the shelf.

I really enjoyed this book. Short simple text and numerous illustrations. The illustrations are in black and white, which may make some miss the detailing on the garment but for me the specifics show through. It not only includes clothing but jewelry,hats, and undergarments as well. A history is given about the major shifts in design and each illustration tells what material was used in the garment. If you are into historical garment sewing you will love this book.Is it worth it ? YESI think the only thing that could make this book better is colored illustrationsOh and the binding, better binding should definitely have been used. Mine is already wrinkling.

Bella raccolta di disegni di abiti d'epoca.

What would romance writers do without Dover and their marvelous historical books? These books and even era paper dolls are inexpensive, and yet, thorough works that really can put you into the period. This book is stunning.Victorian Fashion from Harper's Bazaar 1867-1898 is definitive book on Victorian fashions, however, while is stunning work, you should buy Full-Color Victorian Fashions from Dover Publishing as well. Together they are everything you need. This book goes in rich detail, just not the dresses but down to hair and accessories. It's broken down into four sections: 1) Bustles and Puff (1867-1874) 2) Natural Forma and Cuirass Body (1875-1882) 3) Return of the Bustle (1883-1890) and 4) Hourglass Figure (1891-1898). The drawings are detailed and cover every aspect of fashion of this era.An absolute must for romance writers of this period. High recommended.

This is a book that I purchased to add to my collection of reference materials that I use for Victorian sewing and costume design for a few reasons. First it has a great time span - it includes a wide variety of dress designs and types from the period as indicated on the cover 1867-1898. Also, many of the dress descriptions are original so even though everything is in black and white, you can still get a good sense of the the dress itself for research purposes. On the research note, because of its detail, I love having this book around for inspiration/reference while doing costume design because then I have reproductions of authentic print materials to check against. A must have for costume design book for those interested in the Victorian period.