From Native American rituals to the court of Versailles, this fashion archive presents finery from around the world. Focusing chiefly on Western styles, it spans centuries of attire from every walk of life. 206 illustrations.

Providing a convenient and unique look at fashion and costume literature and how it has developed historically, this volume discusses monographic and reference literature and provides information on periodicals, research centers, and costume museums and collections. It also provides a new way of looking at the literature through a database of 58 Library of Congress subject headings. It covers topics from jeans to wedding dresses and features popular examples of how clothing is used and reflected in our culture through the literature discussed. Of interest to scholars, students, and anyone curious about the unique power clothing holds in our lives. Various types of reference sources are discussed including other guides to the literature, encyclopedia, dictionaries, biographical dictionaries, specialized bibliographies, and indexing and abstracting services. Electronic CD-ROM and online databases equivalents are included in the presentation of indexing and abstracting services with major networks such as OCLC, RLIN, Lexis/Nexis, and Dialog mentioned as well. In addition a list of 123 research centers, mainly libraries, is provided and arranged geographically by state, some 176 costume museums and collections of costumes located at colleges and universities are listed alphabetically, and a list of 278 periodicals on fashion, costume, clothing and related topics is provided. A database of some 58 clothing and accessory subject headings is analyzed in the Worldcat database with the literature of the top ten specific clothing and accessory subject terms limited to media publication format are covered. Additionally, histories of costume and fashion in the U.S. and works which concentrate on psychological, sociological or cultural aspects are outlined. An appendix, including the clothing and accessory database, and author and subject indexes conclude the volume.

An updated edition of Joan Nunn's detailed survey of costume in the Western world over the past eight centuries.

Meticulously researched text and nearly 700 illustrations depict wide range of apparel -- from fur-trimmed cloaks and brocaded robes worn by courtiers and the nobility to simpler mantles, tunics, gowns, and more.

Authoritative, exhaustive guide provides detailed descriptions and accurate representations of conventional early-16th-century fashions for women; doublets of mid-century; Spanish trunk hose and ruffs from the early 17th century; an early-18th-century cousin of the modern suit for men; along with cravats, parasols, bustles, grandiose coiffures, and more. 211 illustrations.

Exuberantly written reference presents a kaleidoscopic panorama of clothing styles worn in period covering the last years of George III to latter part of Victoria's reign. Charming descriptions and illustrations of such authentic outfits as a French court dress (1818), Garibaldi shirt (1861), and evening dress (1865). 200 black-and-white, 27 color illustrations.

Here is an updated edition of Joan Nunn's detailed survey of costume in the Western world over the past eight centuries. She not only gives the reader a vivid visual impression of the clothes themselves, but also outlines the historical and social background and the changes in manufacturing techniques and fashionable life that have influenced the way costume has developed and the manner in which it has been worn. The book is illustrated throughout with hundreds of line drawings.