Chronicle of Western Fashion

Rating:
Summary: a good basic reference
Review: This book is good for peliminary research, as illustrated in the previous reviews. However, I find that the blocky figures sometimes interfere with capturing the right period sillouette. As mentioned before, this book depicts costumes almost year-by-year. But this doesn't provide a wide variety of clothing from one period. For example, you will see how women dressed in various countries for a stretch of five years or so, but nothing as to how men dressed, or regional variations in costume.

Rating:
Summary: An extensive overview of fashion history
Review: While this book isn't strong on text nor has any detailed clothing construction information, I do find it very inspiring when I'm looking for ideas for my own fashion designs. It's an excellent idea book and a general reference to those only superficially interested in fashion history in the western world. For something more in-depth for a seamstress or historian, you'd need to look elsewhere.