Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Always on the lookout for any new costume reference, I was
eager to leaf through this one. Unfortunately, it was nearly
a waste of time.
I say "nearly", because Cosgrave provides quite a few helpful
illustrations, though the objects depicted are often mislabelled and period paintings are seldom fully cited.
In general, I found this volume to be shallow and badly researched. It's full of bad generalizations and misused terminology. Cosgrave makes numerous statements which are at odds with everything I've come to know about historical costume. Seldom are these bald statements backed by sources discussed in the text. She also has a 'thing' about Byzantine costume. Everything worn in any other place or time suffers in her constant comparisons.
One of my favorite absurdities is that her entire discussion of medieval jewelry is a dismissal of the same as "crude". (Though she does allow that the Irish did some nice work. And, of course, it suffers by comparison to Byzantine jewelry.)
Another example: The caption regarding a painting of people in Burgundian Court Dress urges the reader to "Note the Byzantine influences". Huh?!!
In general I'd recommend that the re-enactor or Costume History
student look at the pictures and ignore the text.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Complete History of Costume & Fashion: From Ancient Egypt to the Present Day
The Complete History of Costume and Fashion is a comprehensive illustrated guide to the history of clothing and fashion. At different times in history, fashionable dress has taken very different forms. From the first fashion style of the Egyptians to the extravagant clothes of the Romans, from the birth of the Dandy to haute couture in the twentieth century, this book chronicles the evolution of style for both males and females from a social, cultural, and historical perspective.Organized by specific time periods, coverage includes:The Ancient Egyptians: Noble garments, wigs and hairpieces, eye make-up, jewelryGreece and Rome: Classical elegance, the Etruscan wardrobe, bright colors, the togaMiddle Ages: Medieval Europe and Byzantine fashion, age of chivalry, trains and sleevesEarly Renaissance: Damask, taffeta, velvet, tight-fitting bodicesSixteenth Century: Flowering of the arts, science and fashion, doublets and ruffs, bodicesSeventeenth Century: Influence of the Baroque, ribbons and embroidery, wigs for menEighteenth Century: Extravagance and excess, masks, buckled shoes, three-cornered hats, hoop skirtsNineteenth Century: Victorian values, crinolines and bustles, artificial hair color, double-breasted jacketsTwentieth Century: The age of diversity, global style, mini-skirts, supermodels, street fashion, new fabrics.
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