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Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century (Taschen, No. 25) (2 Volumes)
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
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
736 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
February 23, 2018
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!
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!
October 27, 2022
I've returned to this reference book a lot over the years.
It is outstanding and ideal for historical research.
It is outstanding and ideal for historical research.
April 28, 2021
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.
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.
December 5, 2009
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).
May 30, 2020
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.
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.
August 6, 2017
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.
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.
January 22, 2009
who wants to join a five minute book club with this
book? who's with me?
book? who's with me?
July 23, 2020
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.
September 2, 2021
This was SO very fetch. !
January 4, 2012
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.
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.
October 20, 2012
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!
February 3, 2008
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.
Needless to say almost ALL of the clothing in that period is very inaproprate.
February 24, 2015
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.
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.
November 12, 2018
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.
December 21, 2016
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.
January 27, 2020
Sumptuous! Thank you, Kristin!
April 11, 2022
shocked to learn that the cardigan wasn't invented by taylor swift.
July 22, 2022
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.
August 8, 2022
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.
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.
June 15, 2021
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.
March 23, 2022
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.
October 9, 2020
Taschen reste identique à lui-même en publiant des beaux et grand livres accessibles.
Peu de texte, comme souvent mais les illustrations, grandioses et précises.
Du rêve, de l'inspiration, ... appelez cela comme vous voulez.
Peu de texte, comme souvent mais les illustrations, grandioses et précises.
Du rêve, de l'inspiration, ... appelez cela comme vous voulez.
January 7, 2018
Beautiful selection and presentation of photographs and historical references.
February 23, 2018
Justo lo que esperaba, me dio la dosis perfecta de historia e imágenes.
December 11, 2018
A gorgeous look at fashion in the 18th-20th century. Mostly couture, not day wear or common wear. The photographs are stunning. A lovely coffee table book.
October 22, 2020
beautiful photos but was annoyed by the "WOMEN WERE TRAPPED IN RESTRICTIVE CORSETS" sentiment throughout
relevant - https://youtu.be/fB4FVq8MltI
relevant - https://youtu.be/fB4FVq8MltI
July 27, 2021
ótimo para referência. as imagens são incríveis e os textos também são relevantes.
January 16, 2022
OMG the photos!
September 6, 2022
so easy to flip through, learn some history, and fawn over designs from ages ago. gonna have to scan back through and tag some of my favorite garments.
October 22, 2019
Ce coffret est un must have pour quiconque s'intéresse à la mode ou à l'histoire du costume!
J'ai adoré le premier volume, qui met en images une impressionnante collection de vêtements d'époque, présentés par ordre chronologique. Les photographies de grande qualité permettent de voir tous les détails des étoffes, des broderies et des froufrous!
Le deuxième volume présente plutôt les grands créateurs du siècle dernier et leurs styles respectifs. J'ai trouvé les photos présentées dans ce volume moins spectaculaires, mais les informations fournies, plus détaillées.
Un objet de collection délicieux pour les yeux!
LES HAUTS : De grandes et nombreuses photographies détaillées...
LES BAS : Des répétitions dans les textes...
Visitez mon blog : https://chroniquesbookaddict.wixsite....
Suivez-moi sur Facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/Les-chroniqu...
J'ai adoré le premier volume, qui met en images une impressionnante collection de vêtements d'époque, présentés par ordre chronologique. Les photographies de grande qualité permettent de voir tous les détails des étoffes, des broderies et des froufrous!
Le deuxième volume présente plutôt les grands créateurs du siècle dernier et leurs styles respectifs. J'ai trouvé les photos présentées dans ce volume moins spectaculaires, mais les informations fournies, plus détaillées.
Un objet de collection délicieux pour les yeux!
LES HAUTS : De grandes et nombreuses photographies détaillées...
LES BAS : Des répétitions dans les textes...
Visitez mon blog : https://chroniquesbookaddict.wixsite....
Suivez-moi sur Facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/Les-chroniqu...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews