Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style Hardcover – October 1, 2012

With 480 10" X 12" glossy pages with full-color illustrations and photographs, in addition to informative text, this is a great coffee-table book. It claims to be "The Definitive History of Costume and Style" and that may or may not be true, but it is certainly one of the loveliest and more impressive books on the history of fashion that I've seen.The book is divided into ten chapters. Chapter One covers fashion from Prehistory to 600 C.E. Chapter Two from 600-1449. Chapter Three from 1450-1624. Chapter Four 1625-1789. Chapter Five 1790-1900. Chapter Six 1901-1928. Chapter Seven 1929-1946. Chapter Eight 1947-1963. Chapter Nine 1964-1979. Chapter Ten 1980 onward. (Since this edition of the book was published in 2012, "onward" only takes us to there.)In addition, following these chapters there are some informative 2-page spreads on 3000 Years of Women's Wear, 3000 Years of Men's Wear, 400 Years of Women's Shoes, 200 Years of Women's Hats, 200 Years of Bags and Purses, 300 Years of Shaping the Body, followed by a 30-page glossary and a 12-page index.This is a great reference book for the layman. Perhaps it doesn't delve as deeply and thoroughly into fashion as a historian or fashion-history expert would like but I am very happy with it, and the illustrations and photographs are gorgeous. As a lifelong reader of historical fiction and historical romance, I find it's a great way to peek at what the characters of these books were wearing at a given period of time. It's also fun to go to my birthdate and beyond to see how fashion has changed just in my lifetime.This book is big and it's heavy. Possibly as I age I can also use it for arm exercises, in addition to using it as eye candy.

What a fabulous book!! Full of beautiful photographs and illustrations, and covering such a wide range of eras and topics, from the Prehistoric to the modern day. This book would be a fabulous gift for anyone even slightly interested in fashion. Every page is inspiring. And at such a reasonable price, you cannot go wrong.Before I purchased this book, I read one of the earlier comments that this book is light on information. I completely disagree. There is a great deal of information on history and fashion, especially given all of the different periods they are covering. This is not meant to be a scholarly textbook analyzing all of the "why's" of fashion - it is a very meaty and beautiful book that would look great on any coffee table.

i received it quickly, it was much much bigger than i expected. the colors are gorgeous. it was in perfect/mint condition. i was surprised at how much information on mens fashions over the years was covered. i thought i would pass over that part but surprisingly it was so interesting and informative. i thought that part would be boring to me but it was not, and the photographs and drawings were so beuatiful. and of course the womens fashions over the years was sooooooooo interesting. i have quite a few vintage fashion books but this is one of the best in my collection. i cant wait to share it with my girlfriends and my daughter who also is very interested in fashion history.

I bought this for my granddaughter, who is interested in fashion. I looked through it before passing it on at Christmas and was very impressed with its scope and layout. Fashion from different periods and for different purposes is presented in sections of several pages each, with copious illustrations from historical sources and drawings. It was not inexpensive but is well worth the price for anyone with an interest in fashion. It should certainly be in any school library where fashion is taught.My granddaughter was thrilled with it!

This is truly the best book if you are looking to expand your knowledge in fashion history or writing a report / thesis. The photographs are beautiful, clean, clear, detailed and concise. It really goes into detail for the styles and development of costume. It contains graphics that furthers the reading experience and helps you understand better the material. Illustrations and combination of images to explain parts of garments. It goes from Egypt and Assyrians to 2012. Includes coverage of the designers era, with their style and most significant contributions.

I bought this title as a gift for my granddaughter who is interested in fashion, but before I gave it to her I enjoyed paging through it. It is divided into historical eras so it's easy to hone in on the period you are most interested in. I personaly enjoyed the 1950s through the 1960s sections. The photography is exquisite and the captions helpful. A great value for the money.

Packaged well- perfect condition. Beautiful coffee table book if you are into fashion and history of fashion. Its actually a very interesting book. Nice and big, the cover is in neutral colors - great pic of model in a haute-couture gown. Excellent price as well.

This book is gorgeous. I hve been venturing out on doing costuming and getting some gigs with local schools for their plays and productions. This book is a life saver and saves me tons of research time! This book takes you through, centuries, decades and years. If covers customs and traditions. It is a great study and a fabulous coffee table book. I just love a coffee table book that is useful. You will NOT be disappointed: The images alone make this book with the price and more!