Vecellio’s Renaissance Costume Book

Rating:
Summary: Very useful for costuming ideas
Review: I bought this book with the expectation that it would cover all of Renaissance Europe and not just the usual area of focus for this subject (i.e. Elizabethan England). However, to my disappointment at least half the book concentrated on Italian costuming, which in retrospect is to be expected, since the author was Italian! The author definitely focuses on middle to upper-class clothing and will not be helpful to someone who may be looking for lower class clothing.

However, in general, the woodcuts are exquisite and the organization is very easy to use. It is certainly a 'must have' for anyone looking for historical pictures of Renaissance period clothing, written by someone who was a contemporary of the time.

Rating:
Summary: Not authentic
Review: While this book is fascinating as a means of seeing how dress was perceived, and as a primary resource (as the woodcuts are not modern), the costumer should keep in mind that these drawings are not always accurate, esp. regarding details. Many of the woodcuts have minor mistakes, some are gross misrepresentations of costumes Vecellio had no knowledge of. An interesting resource for the historian, but don't use this for costuming ideas unless you either don't care for accuracy or know enough to sift the false from the true.