400 Years of Fashion

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful gowns, wonderful pictures, not enough detail...
Review: 100 years of Fashion was an excellent read for the more scholarly-minded costumer in need of an accurate source book for their historical costuming. Although it provided plenty of close up pictures and trim details about the garments profiled in the book, it didn't cover sufficient enough details about the garment's construction for one to reconstruct a replica from this book alone. I highly suggest owning this book as an addition to one's library of period sources for research, but if you need a book on how to actually construct a period garment, I suggest using a Janet Arnold book.

Rating:
Summary: Historical Costume collection...
Review: Colored and black & white plates from the historical dress collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. William Collins, 1984. 8 1/2x11 in. softcover. Many plates are full-page and color, and high-quality paper was used. Construction details and historical annotations are provided. Discussion of the fashion background of each piece is provided.

Rating:
Summary: Historical Costume collection...
Review: Colored and black & white plates from the historical dress collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. William Collins, 1984. 8 1/2x11 in. softcover. Many plates are full-page and color, and high-quality paper was used. Construction details and historical annotations are provided. Discussion of the fashion background of each piece is provided.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent reference book...
Review: I was very pleased with this book. It is all about the costume (dress) collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The book shows both color and black and white photos of virtually every costume on display with detailed captions (a hole section is nothing but photos and descriptions of the collection). The photos are amazing. The book covers the years in which the garments were made as well as the history surrounding each item. It is one of the most accurate references you can find on historical costume. I highly recommend it.