How to Read a Dress : A Guide to Changing Fashion From the 16th to the 21st 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 easily identifiable. With overviews of each key period and detailed illustrations for each new style__, How to Read a Dress__ is an appealing and accessible guide to women's fashion across five centuries. Each entry includes annotated color images of historical garments, outlining important features and highlighting how styles have developed over time, whether in shape, fabric choice, trimming, or undergarments. Readers learn how garments were constructed and where their inspiration stemmed from at key points in history – as well as how dresses have varied in type, cut, detailing and popularity according to the occasion and the class, age and social status of the wearer. This new edition includes additional styles to illustrate and explain the journey between one style and another; larger images to allow closer investigation of details of dress; examples of lower and working-class, as well as middle-class, clothing; and a completely new chapter covering the 1980s to 2020. The latter demonstrates how the late 20th century and early 21st century firmly left the dress behind as a __requirement,__ but retained it as a perennially popular __choice__ and illustrates how far the traditional boundaries of 'the dress' have been pushed (even including reference to a newly non-binary appreciation of the garment), and the intellectual shifts in the way women's fashion is both inspired and inspires. With these new additions__, How to Read a Dress__, revised edition, presents a complete and up-to-date picture of 'the dress' in all its forms, across the centuries, and taking into account different sartorial and social experiences. It is the ideal tool for anyone who has ever wanted to know their cartridge pleats from their Récamier ruffles. Equipping the reader with all the information they need to 'read' a dress, this is the ultimate guide for students, researchers, and anyone interested in historical fashion. Contents Acknowledgments Preface Introduction Chapter 1 1550-1600 Silk velvet gown Unknown, Portrait of a Young Woman Christoffel van Sichem I, Elizabeth, Queen of Great Britain Crispijn de Passe I, Queen of England Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Anne, Lady Pope with her children Brassende bedelaars, Pieter Serwouters after David Vinckboons Chapter 2 1610-1699 Marketa Lobkowicz burial gown Anthony van Dyck, Lady with a Fan Anthony van Dyck, Queen Henrietta Maria Full figure of woman wearing ruffled collar and wide-brimmed hat Silver tissue dress La Sage Femme La Belle Plaideuse Mantua Chapter 3 1710-1790 Silk mantua Pale blue silk mantua gown Robe Volante Shot taffeta robe à la française Open robe, England or France Silk faille robe à la française, England Silk robe à l’anglaise with skirt draped à la polonaise Robe à la Polonaise (or à la Circassienne) Robe à l’anglaise Silk and satin redingote Cotton dress Chemise à la reine Silk dress Day dress (round gown) Chapter 4 1790-1837 Cotton gown Muslin dress Silk twill evening dress Robert Havell after George Walker, The Cranberry Girl (from The Costume of Yorkshire) Spencer jacket and petticoat Evening dress Taffeta day dress Taffeta day dress Riding habit Summer dress Silk satin wedding dress Silk day dress and cape Chapter 5 1837-1869 Dress, c.1836-41 Green silk dress Dress of light blue mousseline de laine Two-piece dress Wedding dress Brown silk moiré taffeta afternoon dress Evening dress Striped silk taffeta wedding dress Chapter 6 1870-1889 Silk taffeta promenade dress Dress, c.1870-73 Evening dress Silk taffeta afternoon dress Silk and satin reception dress Plaid silk dress Taffeta dress Maternity dress Silk and wool wedding dress Wedding dress Taffeta dress Dress of black Chantilly lace and pink satin Chapter 7 1890-1916 Wedding dress Day dress Dress with exchange sleeves Dress Day or afternoon dress Wool mourning dress (skirt and bodice) Lady Curzon’s evening dress Wedding dress Wedding dress Summer dress Summer dress Black silk satin and lace dress Evening dress Woman’s suit, wool Woman’s suit Evening coat of gray satin Woman’s three-piece costume Chapter 8 1918-1929 Net and silk evening dress Tea gown by Mariano Fortuny Black crêpe de chine day dress Day dress Evening dress Evening dress Little Black Dress-”The Ford,” model 817 Coco Chanel wearing a suit of her own design Evening dress Chapter 9 1930-1946 Silk dress Evening dress Migrant mother, Belle Glade, Florida Aqua linen day dress Jeanne Lanvin evening dress Bone linen day dress Jewish refugee’s dress Chapter 10 1947-1959 “Bar” suit by House of Dior Day suit by Hardy Amies Day dress by Claire McCardell Wedding dress Green faille dress Summer day dress Day dress Evening dress and jacket designed by Christóbal Balenciaga Chapter 11 1960-1979 Black satin evening gown Coat and mini dress by Andre Courrèges Evening dress “Going away” dress and jacket Orange and teal silk print dress Dress by Ann Lowe, 1966-67 Red mini dress Yellow crepe dress Dress by Laura Ashley Wool “crochet” dress Maxi dress with empire line and lace sleeves Wrap dress by Diane von Fürstenberg Evening dress “Conceptual Chic” by Zandra Rhodes Model wearing dress from Jardine Wicking collection Chapter 12 1980-2020 Wool and leather day dress Dress by Jean Paul Gaultier Evening dress by Christian Lacroix Dress by “Droopy and Browns “Graffiti” dress by Yuki Kihara “Bump” dress by Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons Dress by Issey Miyake Fibre reactive by Donna Franklin “Prairie” dress by Lena Hoschek Dress and hijab Black velvet gown with tuxedo jacket Glossary of Terms Bibliography Photographic Credits Index "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 easily identifiable. With overviews of each key period and detailed illustrations for each new style, How to read a dress is an authoritative visual guide to women's fashion across five centuries. Each entry includes annotated color images of historical garments, outlining important features and highlighting how styles have developed over time, whether in shape, fabric choice, trimming, or undergarments. Readers will learn how garments were constructed and where their inspiration stemmed from at key points in history -- as well as how dresses have varied in type, cut, detailing and popularity according to the occasion and the class, age and social status of the wearer. This lavishly illustrated book is the ideal tool for anyone who has ever wanted to know their cartridge pleats from their Récamier ruffles. Equipping the reader with all the information they need to 'read' a dress, this is the ultimate guide for students, researchers, and anyone interested in historical fashion" -- Publisher's description Fashion is ever-changing. While some styles mark a dramatic departure from the past, many exhibit subtle differences from year to year that are not always easily identifiable. With overviews of each key period and detailed illustrations for each new style, Edwards provides an authoritative visual guide to women's fashion across the centuries. This revised edition incorporates a more global, inclusive reach to illustrate and explain the journey between one style and another. Edwards also includes a non-binary appreciation of modern garments, and the intellectual shifts in the way women's fashion is both inspired and inspires. -- adapted from back cover Acknowledgements -- Preface -- Introduction -- 1. 1550 - 1600 -- 2. 1600 - 1699 -- 3. 1710 - 1790 -- 4. 1790 - 1837 -- 5. 1837 - 1869 -- 6. 1870 - 1889 -- 7. 1890 - 1916 -- 8. 1918 - 1929 -- 9. 1930 - 1946 -- 10. 1947 - 1959 -- 11. 1960 - 1979 -- 12. 1980 - 2020 -- Glossary of Terms -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Photographic Credits -- Index -- List of Fashion Designers "With lavish color images and commentary on the key features of every major dress style across five centuries, How to Read a Dress is the ultimate guide to how fashions change and the ideal tool for identifying historical styles"-- Provided by publisher