Chronicle of Western Fashion

Here, in more than 1,000 full-color illustrations, is the unrivaled sourcebook of fashion in the Western world - spanning forty centuries from ancient Egyptian robes to today's latest Parisian designs. The Chronicle of Western Fashionrecords the astonishing variety of ways in which the human form can be adorned - from the relative simplicity of the classical world, to the elaborate social distinctions implicit in the clothing of the Middle Ages, through the exotic richness of the Renaissance, on to the changing conventions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and the vibrant diversity of twentieth-century fashion. John Peacock's meticulous color drawings are based on a lifetime of extensive research. Organized chronologically, the drawings are accompanied by detailed descriptions of each figure, including the individual items of dress shown and the fabric, cut, pattern, and color that have been used in each instance. The vast range of clothing reveals not only national characteristics but also social divisions: young and old, rich and poor, countryfolk and town dwellers, clergy and tradesmen, royalty and commoners. A fully illustrated glossary explains technical terms and features a wide range of hats, hair decorations, gloves, and other accessories.

The Chronicle of Western Fashionis the indispensable reference work on its subject. No student, amateur, or professional designer, costume or fashion enthusiast, collector or social historian will want to be without it.