The Complete History of Costume and Fashion from Ancient Egypt to Present Days
By Bronwyn Cosgrave
Table of Content:
Introduction
The Ancient Egypt: The first fashion style
Crete: Minoan splendor
Ancient Greece: Classical Elegance
Ancient Rome: Roman Extravagance
The Byzantine Period: Lavish Imperialism
The Middle Ages: Medieval Europe
The Renaissance: Early Renaissance Style
Baroque Period: The Age of French Dominance
Eighteenth Century: The Rococo
Nineteenth Century: The Birth of the Dandy
Twentieth Century: The Age of Diversity
Index
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
256 p
First published in Great Britain in 2000, by Hamlyn, a division of Octopus Publishing Group Limited
My Notes:
- There are beautiful pictures of historical sources, sometimes 2 per page, and sometimes one picture covers the whole page.
- There are not too many details about costumes or ornaments, just basic information and description, enough for a nonprofessional reader.
- As a plus, the book offers a short overview of the historical period covered in every chapter, as well as an overview of the status of women.
- It is very fun to stroll through fashion from ancient Egyptians, with their simple wrap-up loin clothes, through the Middle Ages with its awkward poulains (the long pointy shoes), through the baroque with the sophisticated wigs, and finally, arriving at our days with the emancipation of the woman body, almost a 360-degree turn, to the simplicity of the first fashion styles.
