Vintage Fashion: Collecting and Wearing Designer Classics, 1900-1990

by Emma Baxter-Wright

The definitive word on the most influential designers and looks of the twentieth century, Vintage Fashion is a gorgeous resource for fashionistas, vintage clothing fanatics, and designers of all ages and varieties. Whether an aspiring fashion professional or simply a lover of vintage styles, Emma Baxter Wright’s acclaimed guide to wearing and collecting vintage articles is an unmatched and invaluable guide to discovering a more exciting life-of-style today.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, History, Art, Reference, Fashion History

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2006

Reviews

[Julie]

A visual feast of fashion throughout the 1900s. Outfits range from exquisitely designed works of art that make you go "Wow!" to others that prompt you to ask, "What were they thinking?" A fun book to read on how fashion evolved over the decades and enjoy looking at the examples pictured.

[liora ✿]

this is was such an informing and fun read! defintely something id purchase for myself in the future to re read!

[Shannon]

I imagine writing a book like this would be nearly impossible. How can you distill everything about the past hundred years of fashion into one book? How do you pick the most representative pictures? I also liked that the authors spent time explaining the difference between couture fashion and street fashion from the 1970s to present.

[Katie]

While I was primarily working with this one for its first third, it is a useful look at fashion in the 20th century. While Dressed for the Photographer is interested in telling a more middle-class story Vintage Fashion aims for a higher socio-economic level. This one is only a three star read for me not for choosing design houses over popular fashion, but for not providing more examples of the trends being discussed.

full review: https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...

[Leziga]

It had potential but I was thoroughly disappointed by the absolute erasure of Black models and it felt curated to exclude the diversity that did exist throughout the decades. There were no Black disco models. And then for the 90s they had a ton of photos of Kate Moss and not one of her friend and peer Naomi Campbell. Yes this book is about the clothes but you can't cover the clothes and ignore the muses that inspired them. It just seems quite deliberate for a book published in 2021. No excuses.

[Lydia]

You cant get any book better than this for a timeline of fashion, a great introduction to give you an insight on the industry knowing the long history of the development of fashion. It holds amazing phtots of original pieces dated back to the tudor times. Each piece of clothing mentioned very unique and individual.

[Mel]

this book is one of the better choices available. There is great information on the clothing for the time periods, the fabrics/textiles used, as well as information about the designers and which couture houses they worked out before venturing on their own.

[Claudia]

Un libro muy conciso sobre la historia de la moda entre los años 20 y 80 del siglo XX. Destaca especialmente por su gran cantidad de fotografías, que dan buena cuenta del diseño, las texturas, los estampados...

[Rensoust]

Strikes a perfect balance between being descriptive and interesting while also containing fashion jargon, but by doing so in an understandable manner.

[Tenghe Keita]

bratz-yasmin

[Kipahni]

I am nowhere near a fashionista. The nearest I get to fashion is watching project runway and trying to come up with my own "make it work" outfit in my closet.

This book though has made me feel a little more fashion savvy. Not overwhelming in information wonderful pictures and great tips for how to build your own vintage closet.

[Ramona]

This book validates my feelings of how far women's clothing design and style has fallen. Perhaps the rich can afford the real nice fashions today, but in the 1920s, 1940s everyone could afford and wear what was in, even if it was a knockoff. I miss clothes that really say, " I am a woman". Not sexy garbage, but clothes with style in a feminine way. Wish we could go back to those days.

[MadeByTheBrooke]

I make clothing and costumes for a living and I loved reading about the different techniques that each era used to create a different look or drape of material and absolutely loved all the photographs. I will enjoy to look back at each era in the book if I'm every inspired by a vintage outfit and need to refer to how that staple look was achieved and created.

[Courtney]

Very comprehensive of the 20th century fashions, set out in decades with many examples of fashion from each one.

Amazing fashion photography and detailed explanations, also includes famous brands (Dior, Gucci etc.).

Overall a great book for classic/vintage fashion lovers.

[Melissa Kapow]

Beautiful illustrations, key silhouettes for each era, and brands/labels to look for (and what the labels actually look like). Very informative, fun, and inspiring book. Great for thrifters and estate sale hunters, I learned a lot.

[Jenavieve]

Really awesome selection of really great fashion with great descriptions of the history of fashion on politics...weee

[Hanaa]

A really lovely book. Very comprehensive.

[Jade]

I loved this book!
It had everything i needed to know about vintage fashion,it also aided me with a college project ( i got full marks :)! )

[Amanda]

Beautiful photographs and useful historical information. All the major designers and trends are covered, but the book itself is written from a British perspective.

[Regina Hunter]

Would wear everything... mind 1950's to 1970's thou.

[Ulrika]

Helt ok bok, bra bilder och info men språket och berättandet var inte så att jag fastnade.

[Tina]

great costume/fashion reference.

[Kerrie]

Really interesting and well written.