Costume and Fashion: A Concise History

World of Art

by James Laver, Christina Probert (Contributor)

The vagaries of fashion throughout the ages are a source of endless interest, not only as indication of our infinite capacity for invention, but also because of the relationship of costume to shifting cultural patterns. Laver presents in this classic study the underlying motives of fashion as well as a survey of the history of costume. He describes the means which have been adopted to satisfy the three functions of protection, expression of the personality by sartorial display, and attractiveness to others. The momentous invention of the needle (some 40,000 years ago), making possible the sewing together of pelts, and the subsequent introduction of weaving, launched the development of costume as we know it. All the major historical landmarks -- the Renaissance, the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the emancipation of women, the two world wars -- wrought profound changes in attitudes to with matchless skill and panache Laver related the development of costume and fashion to these social changes. A new final chapter by Christina Probert brings the history up to the present day [sic] with a detailed discussion of the enormous variety of postwar styles, including the New Look, the mini, and punk-influenced clothes. James Laver (1899-1975) was keeper of the Departments of Prints and Drawings and of Paintings at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, from 1938 until 1959. He was also an important and pioneering fashion historian described as “the man in England who made the study of costume respectable”. Laver is perhaps best remembered for his contributions to the field of fashion history, an interest in which emerged through a desire to date images accurately through the clothing depicted within. Laver defined the relationships between dress design and other applied arts, and discussed the influence of economic and social factors upon the development of fashionable taste.

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

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

James Laver, CBE, FRSA (March 14, 1899 - June 03, 1975) was an English author, critic, art historian, and museum curator.

Laver acted as Keeper of Prints, Drawings and Paintings for the Victoria and Albert Museum between 1938 and 1959. He was also an important and pioneering fashion historian described as "the man in England who made the study of costume respectable".

Reviews

[Lobstergirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is perfectly fine as far as it goes - you can't cover the history of fashion in great depth in under 300 pages. This edition ends with the early 1980s, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. The ancient world is briefly covered, and then France and Britain get the bulk of attention from the medieval era to the mid-20th century, when finally American fashion makes an appearance as European haute couture begins to die out, and wartime restrictions in Europe allow American manufacturing and design to rise in stature. Of course, upper class fashions are given the bulk of the attention. For much of history, "lower class fashion" would have been an oxymoron - or, at least, the historical record of the outfits of the hoi polloi is not as complete.

The paper is glossy and there are lots of black and white and color plates.

[Roser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ay ha estado genial 🥺 pero tal vez me lo compré en fisico porque mirar las fotos en el ebook rests mucho de la experiencia

[Eyehavenofilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter one:says, " how it all began." It's mostly by draping something over your naked body. Whether it be an animal skin or a woven grouping of leaves, that's how it all started. Men and women kept warm and or modestly covered in basic ways.
When the threads were woven into cloth, the Greeks and Romans draped cloth, then the needle was invented and seams were the way to go. Belts became the rage, and fashion exploded from that point on.
One can only wonder at the invention of pants, plantations, sleeves, laces, and boots. As the centuries marched on fashion changed at a " glacial pace" until the invention of the sewing machine..
At that point fashion actually became a business,and trends started changing at a rate that seemed to multiply exponentially.. This book leads us through the ages with illustrations, drawings, paintings and photos, through jerkins and breeches, doublets and waistcoats, morning dresses , riding costumes, bustles, hobble skirts, zoot suits, miniskirts, and all the way up to grunge.
When clothing became easily manufactured, change was by the decade, then by 5 year leaps, then yearly, the by the month, then season by season,led by designers that told us what we should wear( think " The Devil Wears Prada") now it's by whomever is popular, or famous. But is that really fashion or is that just a fad, a costume?
You be the judge.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've definitely read this book in a previous edition, many years ago. My Mum must have had a copy. This later edition was a present from a friend and proved a lovely reminder of Western European fashion history, a subject I find fascinating. There were some great tidbits that I’d forgotten, for example the original rise of handbags when women’s dresses briefly became so flimsy in the first decade of the 19th century that they could no longer support pockets. The illustrations are excellent - I remembered encountering the book before thanks to the pictures rather than the narrative. The account of evolving styles of clothing is clear and involving. Tonal shifts are obvious in the final chapters, as the 1969 first edition has seen additions in 1982, 1995, 2002, and 2012 by two other authors. The whole nonetheless coheres nicely, providing an enjoyable synthesis.

Two things occurred to me while reading. Firstly, that using newspaper accounts that mock outrageous new trends as evidence of what women wore daily seems dangerously like deducing today’s fashion from the Daily Mail’s relentless critique of female celebrities. There must inevitably be a somewhat skewed focus based on such sources. I wonder what the equivalent of today’s ‘shapeless viscose t-shirt and skinny jeans’ default outfit was two hundred years ago? Linen blouse, shawl, and ill-fitting wool skirt perhaps? Secondly, it was chastening to realise from the final chapters that I’m now old enough to have experienced ‘fashion history’ first hand. The rise of combat trousers and branded sportswear in the late 1990s coincided with my teenage years; they looked terrible on me and basically everyone. (I soon moved onto wearing much more flattering vintage styles.) This was followed by the so-called boho trend of long tiered skirts, embroidered blouse-ish things, and those low-slung woven belts. That look outstayed its welcome too. The 1990s really were a particularly dark time for clothing. Attempts to bring 90s styles back are deeply alarming.

‘Costume and Fashion: A Concise History’ concludes with a reference to fast fashion’s inherent wastefulness, which I appreciated. Even though it’s definitely not a theme of the book, the social and environmental impact of fashion has rightly become a defining issue for the sector. That’s something I intend to read around further.

[Marit · Rating 1 out of 5]

Any book that spans large periods of history over just a few hundred pages can't promise detail. However, it can promise to provide good overview which this books does to a certain extent. However, I had the distinct impression that the author liked certain fashion periods more than others (and so spent more time on them). I found it amusing but irritating when he interjected his opinions on the attractiveness of various styles, good or bad. I wasn't looking for his opinion but a history. He also included multiple terms that he never defined so if you're new to fashion history in the Western world, I would choose another book. I also wish Laver had not included any chapter about pre-14th century Western fashion because the century-spanning/jumping descriptions were so cursory as to be inane. And it gave the impression (with references to Babylonia and Egypt) that this book might be about cultures other than Western Europe and the States and it most certainly was not!

[Beth Reeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light gloss over fashion trends since Ancient Greece and Rome to mid 2010s. A sole focus on couture in the later chapters and dressing of the wealthy in the formative ones. The 300 pages was not enough to cover anything in detail and I was especially critical of the 90s - present were several things I felt went unmentioned.

[Floortje · Rating 3 out of 5]

not always easy to read, definitely anglo-centred written but still a good historic overview, felt like reading a novel. Missed some clear overviews sometimes, everything flowed a bit too much sometimes. Still liked to read it! Loved the visuals, loads of pictures that helped create a representive image of fashion.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good reference source, but ultimately incomplete.

[Charleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the sixth edition with another updated chapter bringing the history up to the present day (ish). I do acknowledge that the fashion world's recent moves to recognize the importance of diversity, inclusion, sustainability and other key issues is a good thing. My beef is with the tone shift between the original text by Laver and all of the updated chapters. Perhaps it's due to an underlying shift in the way that fashion and clothing operates in that time period (its capitalism ruining things again, isn't it). But also I enjoyed the historical and storytelling tone of Laver's sections, connecting trends in dress with broader issues, explaining in a clear way how this period is different from that and why. The more recent chapters are full of name dropping and less descriptive of the fundamental physical aspects of the clothes.
Anyways, valuable work. Highly enjoy all the historical paintings and drawings and even statues used to illustrate fashion history (which was Laver's original motivation, using clues from costume to help date images in the V&A museum). Would recommend to people interested in (Western) history of (wealthy people's) clothing. Could take or leave the up-to-date additions.

[MikelAnt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever someone asks me which book I would recommend to start learning about fashion history, this is one of the ones I recommend, from the extremely high quality of its content and images (at least in my edition, the images are beautiful) to the periods it covers, which is one of the most important factors. Most of the fashion history books I own or have read have one thing in common, which is the period they cover. They all cover up to the contemporary era, but they don't agree on when the story begins. Most of these books start at most with ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece or the Middle Ages, leaving us thirsty to know, “What happened before all that?” This book, despite being concise, answers that question, starting with figures or statuettes such as the Venus of Lespugue, dating from 2500 BC, a statue of Ashurnasirpal II, dating from between 883 and 859 BC, and covering all kinds of civilizations up to the contemporary era.
The book progresses chronologically from ancient civilizations (prior to Egypt, which have the least amount of content) to the 20th century, and it does so with a very clear idea: clothing always responds to external conditions rather than individual whims. In the first chapters, devoted to Egypt, Greece, and Rome, Laver emphasizes the relationship between clothing, climate, and social organization. Clothes are not presented as “style,” but as practical solutions that later acquire symbolic value. When the book moves into the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the analysis becomes more interesting. Laver explains quite accurately how the emergence of strong courts and centralized power structures transforms clothing into a rigid visual code. Fashion ceases to be merely functional and becomes a language of status. Here, the author is particularly good at showing how the complexity of garments (layers, sleeves, ornaments) is directly related to wealth, available time, and the need for social display. Fashion appears as a visible demonstration of who can afford the useless.
The 18th and 19th centuries occupy a central place in the book, and this is no coincidence. This period marks the moment when fashion became established as a system. The development of tailoring, the obsession with the correct silhouette, the strict differentiation between male and female clothing, and the weight of bourgeois morality are analyzed with considerable clarity. The corset, for example, is not treated solely as an oppressive garment, but as a cultural tool that organizes the female body according to the values of its time. Laver does not judge: she describes and contextualizes, which makes the analysis more solid.
By the time we reach the 20th century, industrialization, the emergence of fashion as an industry, and the appearance of recognizable designers allow Laver to better articulate the relationship between social change and aesthetic change. The simplification of women's clothing, the influence of sport, war, and work on silhouettes, and the birth of prêt-à-porter are well explained, albeit succinctly. This is not a book about names or collections, but about processes. Chanel, Dior, and Balenciaga appear more as reference points of an era than as isolated geniuses.
Laver does not limit himself to describing silhouettes, fabrics, or passing fads; what interests him is why people dressed the way they did. Each garment is linked to its social, moral, economic, and aesthetic context, which makes the book function almost like a parallel history of the West told through the clothed body. Fashion is not a whim: it is a symptom. And Laver demonstrates this with a lucidity that remains surprisingly relevant today.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its ability to synthesize. In just a few pages, Laver is able to explain a radical change in the female silhouette or in men's clothing without resorting to simplifications. Her prose is clear, elegant, and slightly ironic, which makes for easy reading even when she covers dense periods or those far removed from the present. It is clear that she writes from a deep visual culture and a trained eye in art, not just fashion.
One of the central themes of Laver's thinking is the relationship between fashion and social class. Throughout the book, it becomes clear how clothing has historically been a tool for differentiation, aspiration, and also control. The fashion of tailoring, the rigidity of certain bourgeois codes, the subsequent democratization of clothing with industrialization, and the emergence of prêt-à-porter are interpreted as symptoms of more profound changes in the social structure. Even when the author focuses on formal aspects (silhouettes, materials, ornamentation), he always connects them to the mentality of his time. Visually, the book complements the text very well. The images function not only as decorative illustrations, but also as historical support that reinforces the reading. Paintings, engravings, and photographs help us understand how fashion was also constructed from representation, from the artistic gaze, and from the idealization of the body in each era. This makes the book an especially valuable tool for those of us who are visual learners or readers, without falling into the format of a coffee table book empty of content.
Personally, I consider Costume and Fashion to be an essential book, not because it says anything new, but because it teaches us how to organize our thoughts. After reading it, it becomes easier to understand why certain fashions reappear, why others are rejected, and why clothing can never be separated from the context in which it is produced. It is a book that does not try to seduce us, but ends up shaping our judgment.

[Jina · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the title claims this book to be “a concise history” I can’t help but disagree. The majority of its context completely ignores Asia, Africa and the Americas prior to being colonized. This book is more of a concise history of fashion according to England (which is mentioned the most), with a nod to French and Italian costumes when they were viewed as mode. Not until the 20th century does this book acknowledge the influences other culture’s fashions started to have on, well, England. There is also very limited mention about what people wore that couldn’t afford what was mode at the time. And while it was a very good history lesson, the title just comes across to me as rather ignorant.

[Taysha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was detailed enough for what it did cover, though it was extremely centered on the Western world and the author inserts his own opinion too often for the account to be considered historically perfect.

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Concise" is fucking right.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fascinating book about fashion that is giving me a lot of thoughts on human behavior.

Humans behave in herds for a very practical reason: we will never be experts in everything. Thus, most of what we do is driven by assumptions. We walk a certain way, we eat a certain way, and we dance a certain way not because we inherently believe that is the optimal way to do something, but rather because of our innate tendency to source things from other "experts" so we can focus on what matters to us in our own day-to-day lives. In sum, we assume certain things must be true. We choose them because we assume them to be, rather than through an inherent, complicated, logical decision-making process.

This applies to the world of fashion as well: we decide to wear what we wear not out of a feeling of optimization, but rather out of a feeling of assumption. Throughout recent history, as the author noted, clothing has become increasingly loose, less structured, and less hierarchical. The old days of wearing something containing multiple layers, heavily structured with corsets and elaborate hairdos, have largely become a thing of the past. Yet, the fundamental reason driving this change is not the optimization of our lives, but rather a trend. When the "cool cats" begin behaving a certain way confidently, with their loose wardrobes, soon people behave in herds and adapt.

This insight is rather helpful for me right now as I'm trying to explain many things that cannot be explained through an optimization lens. People do a certain thing, even though it is obviously no longer the optimized (or the right) way, not due to the simple fact that they have a different opinion than I do, but rather for a very simple reason: they're doing it because it has worked for them in the past. People will only shift when something that worked in the past stops doing so (and then they will do a reverse, which is often not the optimized choice either). Thus, when making decisions, seek as many opposing opinions as possible, but also take close note that the herd is often not driven by logic but rather by past inertia.

[Herb Bride · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good
If you’re starting to learn about fashion history you will definitely learn something from this book, and if you aren’t a newbie you’ll probably still learn new things along with getting a good refresher. This book goes over the political, cultural and economic reasons for fashion shifting over the years, which is a sign of one of the more informational books on fashion history.

Bad
-Heavily focused on mens fashion and isn’t really balanced enough between the two genders in my opinion

-The pictures chosen aren’t the best and doesn’t do that great of a job at showing the pieces that’s being described. Some words used weren’t even explained so this is not the best book for people who know absolutely nothing about fashion history

-Like every other book on history, it’s really Eurocentric. It didn’t say anything about this being a concise history on just western fashion, but it is

-It could be neater in organization. Sometimes I have no clue whether the book is talking about the beginning of a century or the end, specifically with ancient/medieval fashion

Overall it’s a decent book, and I was able to get it dirt cheap. It’s very educational, it’s just not the best book on fashion history. If you buy this it should be paired with another book that’s more visual at least. If you REALLY want to learn about fashion history, I would buy another book. I don’t think this alone is good enough.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book with copious pictures.

It would be much more accurate to call it a concise history of European fashion, however. It begins with short chapters on Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome; it ends with a chapter that mentions some American 20th century designers and garments. But the bulk of the book goes century by century through European fashions.

Very interesting look at what people were wearing and the cultural factors influencing those choices. Good setting resource for someone writing historical fiction set in Europe.

[cebkowal · Rating 4 out of 5]

a concise history this certainly is starting in 1000 BCE and coming all the way up to the 2000. with such a large time frame much is left on the cutting room floor; mostly clothes that aren’t english or french. though there is some mention of ancient west asian and egyptian clothes any non western fashion doesn’t really show up. if you’re looking for really in depth discussion of certain styles and periods this book isn’t for you but it is fun to trace styles and see how things evolve and there is tons of inspiration in all of the pictures. all in all i enjoyed it

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un buen punto de partida: recuento histórico que hace descripción de los estilos de la época, apuntando los factores sociales y culturales que influyeron en ellos. Interesante en la medida que permite sacar otras conclusiones que el autor explora en otras obras sobre el ciclo de la moda y la cambiante zona erógena.

[Catalina Cid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es un clásico que debes leer si quieres conocer la evolución histórica de la moda, comienza desde la prehistoria hasta el siglo XX. Me hubiera gustado que fuera algo más extenso el capítulo dedicado a los siglos XIX Y XX pero es un libro de referencia obligada para todo estudiante de moda.

[Gastón · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buen acercamiento a la moda a lo largo de la historia. Si bien me aburrí un toque porque nombra cada uno de los materiales con los que se fabricaba ropa y tiene muy poco de lo social, está bastante bien y tiene una GRAN selección de imágenes.

[Brittany-Marie Aarons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first text for college and boy did it open my eyes. It was for a Freshman seminar class titled 'Fashion Forward' and believe it or not, it led me to do my final project on skin bleaching in the African diaspora. Yeah, this book was something.

[su · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very brief but comprehensive but it should've been titled "A Concise History of West European Fashion" because it isn't even a look into European fashions in general but mostly English and to some extent French.

[Kosch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um livro extremamente detalhado sobre as transformações da moda pelos séculos, o autor nos leva numa jornada afim de nos fazer entender como os acontecimentos do mundo influenciam que roupas usamos.
Essencial para todo amante da moda!

[Ana Tatay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bueno para acercarse al mundo de la moda. Deja ver periodos por los que el lector puede sentir curiosidad y ganas de aprender más. Por la parte negativa, se me han hecho pesadas y repetitivas algunas partes, y me parece q está desactualizado al ser la última edición de los años 80.

[CharlotteReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this history, and it is fairly far reaching. Some terms could have had more illustrations or a glossary. After centuries of fashion documented via illustrations and paintings it felt quite odd for fashion to be shown in photographs. A worthwhile read and reference book.

[Syahroni Arby]

fff

[Liselotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked this one. It had some good photos in it and chapters on periods that are overlooked in most fashion history books. Was it amazing? No, but I'm glad it's in my collection.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book ended up being one of my primary resources for a research paper I wrote for school, about fashion and the French Revolution. It perfectly describes many aspects of fashion, and additionally the social causes for the changes that occur, which was the primary emphasis of my paper. Though it is, as the title suggests, a concise history, it goes into just enough detail about each fashion era that it never feels incomplete. There is no in-depth discussion about the influence of Marie Antoinette or the rise of Charles Worth and haute couture, but that's okay. It's essentially a timeline of Western fashion, covering the beginnings of clothing, people's attitudes towards clothes in the ancient and classical eras, and how the fashions of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (which derived from barbarian clothing, interestingly enough) developed into what we wear today. Of particular interest to me was the way fashions have tended to follow a cycle of excessive decadence, followed by simplicity, then becoming more elaborate as people once again try to incorporate novel and unique elements into their manner of dress. Many of these abrupt changes are influenced by war or other social upheaval — think of how women traded panniers for empire waists and men discarded powdered wigs after the French Revolution, or how everyone dressed in a more practical manner during the two World Wars. I hadn't realized this, but apparently the fashion world was ready to start with crinolines and tight-laced corsets again towards the end of the 1930s, until WWII shattered that. But in any case, it's interesting the degree to which fashion changes are consciously conducted by the people wearing them, not merely being random developments or ways for designers and tailors to convince customers to "update their wardrobe".

Since the copy I had was the version that was first printed back in the sixties, it didn't have the updated chapters on the late 20th century, but I'll see if I can find one of those to read later. In any case, I'd like a copy of it whether or not it's the updated edition since the copy I had was borrowed and I was actually very sorry to have to return it. Since the book ended with the sixties, though, it was interesting to read his thoughts on how fashion might continue to develop, as of course for me that has already long since happened. Not that his predictions are very specific — they are of course stated in a way to suggest that they are only predictions and not definite truths — but it's fascinating to see what someone writing in the sixties might think of contemporary fashion, what with the crazy designs and patterns that were becoming popular then. It's really worth reading, if only to get an idea about how fashion is so closely interwoven with our lives and history in a way that most people rarely or never think about.

[christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

um fashionably NOT concise

[Kristenyque · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't something that I would typically pick up but after looking at the first chapter I was hooked. This is a very concise description of fashion throughout all of history. I found myself thinking about how the dress of the different eras spoke to the roles of men and women for the time periods. Sometimes the costuming changed the social roles. I read the 2012 version which included the wedding gown of Kate Middleton. (I found myself thinking what that gown said of our culture now!)