Historical fashion in detail : the 17th and 18th centuries

This volume offers the opportunity to see fragile clothes in detail. Perfection is in the detail: decorative seams, exquisite stitching, knife sharp pleats and voluptuous drapery feature alongside more usual techniques such as stamping, pinking and slashing. Many of the skills displayed have been lost to the modern world: such labour-intensive handwork is no longer done and these effects cannot be replicated by machine. Yet many fashion designers take their inspiration from the past, adapting ideas to a more contemporary idiom. Containing a gallery of photographs, accompanied by line drawings showing the construction of the complete garment, this book should appeal to anyone interested in historical costume and textile history, from cut and construction to fabrics and trimmings. This sumptuously illustrated book offers the first up-close view of the richness and variety of historical dress of the 17th and 18th centuries. Drawn from the Victoria and Albert Museum's world-famous collection, these garments display skills that are now lost, yet continue to inspire today's leading designers. Much of the finery seen here is too fragile to be on permanent display, or its detail too intricate to be captured in conventional photography. Jacobean blackwork, neoclassical tambour work, exquisite stitching, and knife-sharp pleats are pictured in stunning photographs, alongside such unusual techniques as stamping, pinking, and slashing--many of which are rarely employees in the modern world, as they require labor-intensive handwork impossible to replicate by machine. With line drawings showing the construction of the complete garment and a text that sets each in the context of its time, this book is a visual feast for all fashion lovers, and an essential resource for curators, collectors, students, costumers and designers. A Study Of The V&a's Historical Dress Collection, Featuring Dressmaking Techniques Such As Jacobean Blackwork, Neo-classical Tambour Work, Decorative Seams, Delicate Stitching, Knife-sharp Pleats, Drapery, Stamping, Pinking And Slashing. Stitching, Seams, Quilting And Cording -- Gathers, Pleats And Looped Drapery -- Collars, Cuffs And Pockets -- Buttons -- Trimmings -- Applied Decoration -- Slashing, Pinking And Stamping -- Knitting, Lace And Openwork -- Stomachers -- Gloves And Shoes -- Glossary. Avril Hart And Susan North ; Photographs By Richard Davis ; Drawings By Leonie Davis. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 223). This volume offers the opportunity to see fragile clothes in detail using a gallery of photographs, with line drawings, showing the construction of each garment. This book should appeal to those interested in historical costume and textile history, from cut and construction to fabric and trimmings. A study of the V & A's historical dress collection, featuring dressmaking techniques such as Jacobean blackwork, neo-classical tambour work, decorative seams, delicate stitching, knife-sharp pleats, drapery, stamping, pinking and slashing