Four Hundred Years of Fashion

by Natalie Rothstein

Now with a new jacket, this breathtaking overview of 400 years of Western dress is a lively history of fashion that stands as a classic in its field. With 120 illustrations, the book is a visual delight that draws on the V&A’s unrivaled apparel collection. From a dress worn at the court of George II in the 1700s to Vivienne Westwood’s contemporary Pirates Collection, to pieces by leading designers such as Fortuny, Poiret, Charles James, and John Galliano, this book is an outstanding resource that also features a wide range of accessories, including shoes, fans, and hats.

Genres: Fashion, History, Nonfiction, Fashion History, Art, Research

176 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1984

About the author

Natalie Rothstein was a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, specialising in the study of woven silks. She focused in particular on the development of the English silk industry from 1600 to 1850. The core of her work was published in Silk Designs of the Eighteenth Century in the Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum (1990) which accompanied the V&A's Flowered Silks exhibition.

After completing a degree in Modern History at St. Hilda's College, Oxford, she became a museum assistant at the V&A in 1952. Beginning in their Art Library, she transferred to the Department of Textiles in 1955, where she remained until her retirement in 1990. In her spare time she worked on her MA research for a thesis entitled The Silk Industry in London, 1702-1766 which she completed in 1961.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the least fashion-conscious person in the world but I picked this up during a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum and absolutely inhaled it. It's not just about fashion but a social history of clothing.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book of the many examples of fashion held at the V&A.

All colour photographs as well as drawings and close-up details.

Lots of information about their construction and overall a feast for the eyes.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant book! Backed with loads of gorgeous photos.

I just love fashion & this book has some excellent 18th C & Victorian/Edwardian examples!!

[Margaret Heller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book for years and years, and in fact bought it at the V&A myself. Must have been about 15 or so. Anyway I just felt like flipping through it today.

[MB (What she read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

mine is a different edition