Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century (Taschen, No. 25) (2 Volumes)

by Akiko Fukai, The Kyoto Costume Institute (Editor), Tamami Suoh

Clothes define people. A person's clothing, whether it's a sari, kimono, or business suit, is an essential key to his or her culture, class, personality, or even religion. The Kyoto Costume Institute recognizes the importance of understanding clothing sociologically, historically, and artistically. Founded in 1978, the KCI holds one of the world's most extensive clothing collections and has curated many exhibitions worldwide. With an emphasis on Western women's clothing, the KCI has amassed a wide range of historical garments, underwear, shoes, and fashion accessories dating from the 18th century to the present day.

Showcasing a vast selection from the Institute's archives of skilled photographs depicting the clothing expertly displayed and arranged on custom-made mannequins, Fashion History is a fascinating excursion through the last three centuries of clothing trends. The KCI believes that "clothing is an essential manifestation of our very being" and their passion and dedication positively radiate from every page of this book.

This special 25th anniversary edition has a chic new format: two volumes packaged in a slipcase

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

736 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Akiko Fukai is a Japanese curator of fashion and textile arts.

Reviews

[Caro the Helmet Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This album and collection presented in it was so gorgeous that I didn't want to part with it but it was a library book, so I had to :'( . Fantastic pieces of art by all standards, not just, you know, dresses and gowns. It's hard to imagine all the work done to preserve and save this aged garments.
Also very interesting and informative descriptions, but it's Taschen after all, so of course.

[Gabrielle Dubois · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bible which an author of historical novel must have!
Gorgeous pictures, details of the costumes, dresses, underwears, fabrics, buttons, coats...
If you don't clearly see how your characters are dressed, get dressed, undressed, night and day, you definitely cannot imagine how they feel in their century.
A book I read and read again, while writing Mistress Mine!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've returned to this reference book a lot over the years.
It is outstanding and ideal for historical research.

[C!NDY L00 · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are in need, or want of a GREAT image clothing reference book from the late 18th Century (Regency) to the 19th Century (Victorian) in addition to the 20th Century (Modern), then 'Fashion' by Kyoto Costume Institute should be it. The images are beautiful, professional and the volume is dense. Over 700 pages thick! There are a few period painting reference images, but most of the book is Hi-res (gorgeous) museum quality photographs of authentic vintage clothing, styled and draped on mannequins, making it easy for the viewer to imagine how the clothing must have looked as they were worn during their time. Page after page of photographs, yummy![return][return]Furthermore, it has some close up shots for those who are in need or want more fabric detail. Most of the clothing are women apparel (including their hats and jewelry for the all-over-effect). However, it has many men garments too. This includes a few lone images of authentic vintage corsets, bustles, gloves, slippers, shoes, hats, stocking, and other (male & female) accessories also... Even so, its main focus is the clothing. The book is fairly large in width and depth, and a tad bit heavy too, so viewing it from your lap nearly engulfs and pulls you into a delightful visual feast. `Fashion' is low on words but high on images. Each image has a good paragraph or two detailing each garment's history, make, year and any other special details are explained as well. Perfect for the fashion historians, fashion design students, 3D clothing creators, clothing history enthusiast, vintage clothing collectors, history art illustrators, artists and just the plain curious. It's also a marvelous visual tool for those who like to "read or write" historical novels or literature and need that added detail for the visual effects.[return][return]I own several clothing reference books, but if I had found this book first I could have saved a lot time and money. If you only need or can afford one clothing reference book, I'd highly recommend this one above all others.[return][return]*NOTE* This book covers only the Western parts of the world of historical fashion, (Europe, Americas..etc).

[Bookishatra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Habla de la historia de la moda entre los siglos XVIII y XX.
Me encantó por lo detallado y explicativo que es. Cada una de sus páginas tiene muchas imágenes y en pequeños párrafos describe los cambios que ha tenido la moda.

[Roxana Chirilă · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, look at the smaller print before the title on the cover of this book - "The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute". Put a pin in it, because we'll come back to it in a second.

This book was published by Taschen, who specialize in art books, and it shows. It's beautiful, and they paid great care to make it wonderful to hold and browse.

Here's a picture! (It's from the larger edition of the book - I have a smaller one, but it's lovely, too.)



It's a pleasure to see Western fashion evolve from the first half of the 18th century up until today, to see close-ups of various pieces, and admire intricate embroidery. You can see shapes and styles changing over time, going from wide skirts that make you feel doors must have been larger back in the day, to simple dresses with incredibly high waistlines, to complicated fashions where behinds were so exaggerated that we'd be hard pressed to find them attractive nowadays, before slowly coming into the 20th century and reaching fashions we might still wear today.

But while it takes you on a wonderful journey through the ages, it's good to keep in mind it showcases one museum's collection, and not a comprehensive history of fashion. You get lovely explanations about developments, materials used, and inspiration, but they follow the collection at hand. Which absolutely makes sense, by the way, and I'm not complaining, but it's a thing to keep in mind, because this is a Japanese collection, albeit of mostly Western fashion, with a focus on women's clothes. As such, we get to find out more than we normally would about Japanese influences in the West, which is fascinating.

But this is mostly about higher fashion, upper classes, and later designer clothes, rather than the everyday clothes of lower classes, which starts sticking out in the section dedicated to the 20th century, especially the second half of it. Clothes become more and more experimental, and eventually lose all relation to what we know was actually worn at the time. We step into a world of experimenting with shapes and fabrics, in which you can build a dress out of wood, or out of metal and wires, or even paper. Creations start being statements rather than actual clothes.

This isn't bad, but it is a reminder that the scene of fashion is very different from what it used to be, and also that novelty and experimentation seem to drive what happens on catwalks, while real people move in a different direction entirely.

It's also fascinating to see Japan make its own statement regarding Western and global fashion. It's a Japan-centric view of the West, and it's worth checking out.

[Ruth B · Rating 5 out of 5]

who wants to join a five minute book club with this
book? who's with me?

[Sirvinya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stuffed full of beautiful photography of almost 300 years of clothing. There is a very high level of detail shown and this would be extremely useful for those interested in making period clothing. Most items are shown on mannequins which show how the clothes would drape when actually worn, so much more useful that being shown flat!

The book relies heavily on the photography with minimal test within the chapters. Each picture is accompanied by a short paragraph detailing the designer, country and year. The book is divided up into centuries (with the 20th century being split further into the first and second halves). At the start of each of the chapters an overview is given of the progression of the fashion.

It's not limited to ladies fashion, though that does make up the bulk. The mens fashions shown early in the book are just as ornate as the ladies.

Of course, emphasis is placed on the most recent 100 or so years. I should imagine that's simply due to a larger quantity of surviving items. It's quite interesting to see just how shapes and patterns have repeated in the last 80 years. Many of the clothes shown in the last sections wouldn't look out of place today.

Definitely worth a look if you have any interest in clothing or fashion.

[Beatriz Chaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️

[Redfox5 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my cup of tea, one for the fashionistas. Vaguely interesting to read about how politics & society influenced fashion and the pictures are nice. I'm still waiting for huge dresses to come back in style.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

shocked to learn that the cardigan wasn't invented by taylor swift.

[Ciara Fennessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, colourful, glossy fashion from the Kyoto institute, spanning from the early 18th to late 20th century. An absolute joy to consume. Accompanied by text outlining the context and sociopolitical links that followed trends. Written in such a way that it is not repetitive when reading from cover to cover but could still be dipped into at random.
Only criticism is in the closing remarks, when summing up the narrative, they mention ‘how fashion is cyclical naturally due to the restrictive form of the human body - there are only so many iterations that can occur.’
I wholeheartedly disagree with the above statement and it feels a little naive and disconnected to me. Fashion is cyclical, not because there are only so many options for cut and style (there are infinite options), but because history and the drivers of trends are cyclical. That, and the urge to reference periods of past in modern trends.
Also really like that there was a Japanese perspective, thanks to the Kyoto institute. Hammered home the message that fashion and design can be steered from beyond the West.

[lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SO very fetch. !

[Seine Seine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fashion history nerd, I LOVED this book. the quality of the pictures is amazing.
The only thing I would've preferred is a little more depth in the additional theory the book discusses.
It is also very easy and fast to read through; it took me two days.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book-my art teacher brought this into class for me and i spent two classes reading it.
Lets just say i was in love.
its full of Clothing form the 1800's-the 70's or 80's. Its Beautiful and i was in love and considered running off with the book and not giving it back to my teacher.
Its Enormous and heavy-and the uk/irish price is 40 pounds/euros.
Which is a bit much for a book- but it is filled with full coloured images and info.
I was drolling over the pages-and i plan to buy a copy for my self as soon as possible.

Reccomended for Fans of fashion of the eras and the growth of fashion through out the years.

[Mina LaFleur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time favourite visual reference books. If you love historical costumes, and especially if you make reproductions, you owe it to yourself to have this on hand for drool-worthy inspiration! The pictures are glorious; well-lit, nicely fitted on the perfect forms, and the detail of embellishments and textiles is photographed splendidly. The writing is informative, though the emphasis is really on the visuals here. If you're new to background information on 18th and 19th century costume, this will likely be informative. It will, however, make you want to plan a trip to Kyoto to see the collection in person!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book , there are so many wonderful close up photos of 18thc. gowns. I love all the close ups of the fabric , that is something I always need when ever I am making a historiclu accurate Gown. The only bad thing about this book is it goes from the 18thc. all the way to th 1990s.
Needless to say almost ALL of the clothing in that period is very inaproprate.

[Pan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must for any fashion student/fashion enthusiast.
I cannot sing it's praises enough, with stunning pictures and detailed history and notes it is something anyone should have to hand.

A two volume edition, in a slipcase, both bound in hardback.
A beautiful addition to any library.

My preference is volume I, 18-19th century, however both volumes are abundant in style and content.

[April Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm happy to add this to my collection of books on costume and fashion history. This ambitious book covers a lot of ground, with its information on dress, accessories and history. The large photos make up most of this book. I really like the closeups on several garments. It will be a handy reference guide when I need to research something on dress.

[Bianca Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a lovely curated collection of fashion from this time period. The essays at the beginning of each section do a fantastic job of giving the collection context, both with the history of fashion and the world history that affected it.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sumptuous! Thank you, Kristin!

[GiuCo5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro illustrato veramente piacevole, le immagini sono bellissime e i commenti interessanti, lo consiglio a chiunque sia appassionato di moda.

[MikelAnt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book of all the fashion books I own, but its value lies not in its content (which is excellent) but in the fact that it was the first fashion book I ever bought and the one that sparked my curiosity to learn more about a subject that is now, and always will be, my greatest passion. The author demonstrates this same passion in every word she writes in this wonderful book. Accompanied by beautiful, detailed images of impressive quality, Taschen and the author take us on a journey through the history of fashion from the 18th century with those Rococo dresses to the 20th century with designers such as Dior, Chanel, Schiaparelli, and even Alexander McQueen.
The content is divided into texts that explain the centuries covered, and each page has a short accompanying paragraph. For many, the content could take a back seat when we consider that, in relation to the number of images, the text is much smaller in quantity but not in quality.
One of the strongest aspects of the book is how the author approaches fashion from multiple angles without artificially separating them. Fukai analyzes clothing as a construction of the body, as a social symbol, as an artistic object, and as a cultural product, all at the same time. There is no single dominant point of view: sometimes the garment is understood from its function, sometimes from its symbolic meaning, and sometimes from the technical innovation or silhouette it proposes.
The tone of the book is sober, elegant, and precise. Each text serves a clear function: to accompany the image, raise questions, and provide historical context, but with a constant desire not to impose closed interpretations, but rather to invite the reader to look more closely, train their eye, and think of fashion as something that transforms along with society. In this sense, the book functions both as a study tool and a source of inspiration (which is one of the uses I personally get the most out of it because of how rich its images are), something especially valuable for designers, artists, and people who understand fashion as an art.
It shows that fashion is beautiful, yes, but also intelligent, contradictory, political, and human. Rather than teaching what was worn in each era, it teaches us to look at clothing with different eyes and to understand that behind each garment there is a complex story that deserves to be told with sensitivity and love for art.

[Sarah Dunmire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because one of the hosts of “Dressed: The History of Fashion” podcast said it was one of her favorites. I can definitely see why. The book is huge, so you’re seeing large, detailed pictures of the clothing. The scope is 18th to 20th centuries. They mostly show French fashion, then a bit of British, then some American, and finishes out with Japanese. Most of it is haute couture, so clothes that were worn by nobility and rich people…which means it’s beautiful to look at. There are written explanations before each century and then inset explanations on most pages. Some of it is repetitive. I learned a lot about the development of women’s garments and undergarments in shape, fabric, and aesthetic, tied in with the politics, economics, and culture of the time. Since it was written and collected by the Kyoto Costume Institute, there was an outsider perspective on western fashion and also a lot about Japonism and the influence of “exotic” countries and cultures like Japan, China, and India.

[Francine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first volume the most, those were some gorgeous dresses oml. The second volume I had some trouble getting into: it was a really big juxtaposition to suddenly see, like, meat shoes, or a dress made of wood.
I think for me the first book was just drooling over all the gorgeous textures and bustle shapes, very classical stuff; and the second book was fashion as modern art, it's meant to make you think and see the objects not as clothes, but as commentary on whatever current events or issues the costume was inspired by.

I didn't actually read the text, just looked at the photos, so can't comment on that. But I'm looking forward to that the next time I pick this up.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an incredibly well-executed and educational photographic history of western fashion. The gorgeous photos really showcased the fabulous collections, and the concise text giving context and explaining trends was enough to ground you in history without overwhelming.

I did feel the focus on haute couture and the lack of what the "common man" were wearing in the 20th century, especially the latter half, deserved one less star, especially since the book carefully covered a broader range of classes in the early segments.

[Delmma Vazquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super heavy paper stock, 2 giant volumes, high quality detailed pictures. My favorite pic was one where they had multiple colors of Fortuny's Delphos dress swirled together. If I ever open that boutique of my dreams, I want that image as a mural. Many pictures of Worth, Madame Gres, Balenciaga, Gabrielle Chanel, Madame Vionnet, designs. It was unreal how pristine the condition was of the lace flounces were on these reeeeeeeally old ensembles.

[Luxa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vom 18. bis zum 20. Jahrhundert war ganz schön viel los in der Mode. Dieses Buch veranschaulicht die Fluktuation in der Rocklänge und die der Tallienhöhe anhand Fotos von wunderschönen Exemplaren von Kleidern aus einer japanischen Sammlung. Nicht nur zum gucken ist das Buch sehr schön. Jeder Trend wird anhand kurzer Texte erklärt.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating walk through the progression of clothing over four centuries. The predominantly visual story allows the mind to appreciate the exquisite detail of the fabrics and the succession of styling as time opens up from the past to the present. My favourites are the floral, silk embroideries of the late 18th Century and the beautiful buttons that were tiny works of art.

[Luka · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent collection and I love the pieces they've chosen to present. Probably super valuable for artists as a reference book, but I personally just wanted to look at pretty garments and learn a thing or two so that I'm not entirely lost in every HauteLeMode video lol. I also really appreciate the glossary and collection of designers and houses at the end, for the lost and uninformed like me