How to Read a Dress : A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 20th Century

Fashion is ever-changing and while some styles mark a dramatic departure from the past, many exhibit subtle differences from year to year that are not always easy to identify. With lavish illustrations and concise notes on each new style, How to Read a Dress provides the ideal visual guide to women's fashion across five centuries. Each entry includes annotated images of historical garments, outlines key features and highlights how it has changed (whether in shape, fabric choice, trimming, undergarments) from that shown previously. Readers will learn how garments were constructed and where their inspiration stemmed from at key points in history, as well as the differences between dress types for various occasions, variations in trimming and cut, fabric type and popularity, and the class, age and social status of the wearer. This beautifully illustrated guide will equip students, researchers, curators and anyone interested in historical dress with the tools to identify specific styles and to know their cartridge pleats from their R�camier ruffles.