The Historical Encyclopedia of Costume

by Albert Racinet, Aileen Ribeiro (Introduction)

Genres: Fashion History, History, Fashion

320 pages

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The introduction is helpful in pointing out the limitations of Racinet's original book.
1. Racinet's works were initially published in magazines that spanned time. All the works were collected and published as a book in 1888.
2. Racinet's works reflect a phenomenon in 19th-century Europe -- being curious about costume history rooted in the need to find old-day glories.
3. All the non-European costume accounts are based on travelers' descriptions, and being affected by Racinet's prejudice.

[Gaile · Rating 5 out of 5]

A huge heavy book containing color pictures and descriptions of fashion through the centuries. Several countries are included in here but it doesn't extend into modern times.