julian wilson wrote:
As a Christmas Present, my Lady and I would like to give our grand-daughter a couple of
profusely-illustrated reference books about 18th C. Fashions as "starters" for
a personal reference library for her new interest.
These are not cheap books (most of them anyway) but they are some of the
best for the period. Amazon.com carries most of them, but not always at
the best price.
_Patterns of Fashion I: 1660-1860 , by Janet Arnold. Photos, close-ups,
description, and scale diagrams of actual garments. I highly recommend
this.
_Historical Fashion in Detail: The 17th and 18th Centuries_ by Avril
Hart, Susan North. Eye candy, close-ups, and some detailed drawings --
but no patterns. Recommended.
_The Cut of Women's Clothes, 1600-1930_ and _The Cut of Men's Clothes:
1600-1900 _ by Norah Waugh. Pictures, scale diagrams of surviving
garments, textual discussion and descriptive quotes from period sources.
Highly recommended.
_Everyday Dress of Rural America, 1783-1800: With Instructions and
Patterns_ by Merideth Wright. Drawings, descriptions, and scale
diagrams of early every day dress. Aimed at the beginning re-enactor,
but good for someone who's not making a silk ball gown right off the
bat. Recommended.
_Fitting & Proper_ by Sharon Ann Burnston. Photos and instructions.
Another book aimed at re-enactors, very nicely done. Recommended.
_Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the Eighteenth Century_
(Metropolitan Museum of Art) by Harold Koda, Andrew Bolton, and Mimi
Hellman. Eye candy. Photos and text. Gorgeous, but maybe not as useful
for a beginner.
_What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal
America_ by Linda Baumgarten. I'm not familiar with this one, but it
looks promising and has good reviews.
_Costume Close Up: Clothing Construction and Pattern, 1750-1790_ by
Linda Baumgarten, John Watson, and Florine Carr. Photos, descriptive
text, and scale diagrams with instructions. Based on the collection at
Williamsburg. Aimed at the re-enactor, very nicely done.
Dawn
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