Kristina Seleshanko Boeken

With opulent fashions the ultimate in style, women of the late Victorian era wore a great deal of silks and satins. Daring combinations of bright colors were in. So were large hats, profusely trimmed. But by the end of the nineteenth century, ladies' tastes in fashion were changing, along with female lifestyles. Larger numbers of women were not only working outside the home, they were also playing tennis and golf, and riding bicycles and horses. All these activities called for a definite change in female fashions. Women came to rely on tailored suits with full skirts and fitted jackets over simple blouses. Riding habits called for a long, draped skirt worn over a pair of trousers.With the dawn of the twentieth century, professional tailors turned to the comprehensive 1895 "Keystone" guide to create office outfits, riding pants, shirtwaists, and other garments. Filled with more than eighty patterns, the handy resource provided tailors with suggestions for fabric choices as well as instructions for the proper measurement, fitting, cutting, and sewing of such items as a bolero jacket, a shirtwaist with yoke, a single-breasted vest, and riding breeches.Supplemented with a selection of newly captioned illustrations from The Delineator magazine, this volume will be a valuable reference for costume designers and fashion historians, and a fascinating window on the past for nostalgia enthusiasts.

Although Edwardian-era clothing remains popular among fashion enthusiasts, there are very few books focusing on styles of the early 1900s. This compilation bridges that gap with dozens of authentic images from the period, selected from 1906 editions of Harper's Bazar. Since its first publication in 1867, the magazine has reflected contemporary styles and trends, and these illustrations — from spring hats and fancy aprons to French evening gowns and bridal attire — offer an intriguing reflection of American values at the turn of the twentieth century.The four-part collection begins with everyday fashions, including sweeping gowns for home, travel, and outdoors. A section of seasonal fashions features spring and summer ensembles, followed by an assortment of styles for weddings, the theater, and other special occasions. The final section, For the Young and Old, includes simple gowns for both ends of the age spectrum as well as graduation gowns. Costumers, fashion designers, and anyone interested in the history of style and couture will welcome this choice assembly of genuine Edwardian fashions.

This revealing history of corsetry ranges from the 19th through the mid-20th centuries to show how simple laced bodices developed into corsets of cane, whalebone, and steel. Lavish illustrations include line drawings and photographs from a diversity of sources, such as clothing catalogs, newspaper and popular magazine advertisements, and magazine articles.