JoAnne OlianVictorian and Edwardian Fashions from "La Mode Illustrée" (Dover Fashion and Costumes)

I love this book and use it for ideas when making outfits for antique dolls. It's also very helpful when I'm researching antique clothing and great for helping date the antique Victorian clothes in my collection. The pictures are wonderful!

Dresses were often made of loose flowing material, sashes and bows. The fabrics were rarely plain and featured detailed ornamentation such as lace or silk flowers. Embroidery could include giant purple flowers sewn onto the main skirt. Jewelry, often a strand of white pearls, acted as the final detail. Women went out in public decorated like Christmas trees.Ladies of the Edwardian era loved ornament, the more the better. Nothing could be too fancy. Not only did they love flowered fabrics, they loved flowers themselves. Since real flowers from the garden tended to wilt, they had them recreated in silk. Silk flowers could go anywhere --- a belt, a cuff, a collar. One of the Edwardian lady's favorite places for silk flowers was on top of her hatA huge sea change in the way people think separates us from the clothes ladies would have worn in 1915. One hundred years ago women were concerned with being as different from men as possible. They accentuated their curves and emphasized their rounded shoulders. They draped cloth around themselves to evoke the temptress and the woman worth marrying. Nowadays clothes are much more unisex. The sea change? World War 1 and the Industrial Revolution.This book on the history of fashion, Victorian and Edwardian Fashions from La Mode Illustree, makes the reader acutely aware of these points.by Linda Cargill, author of Key to Lawrence

💕 it. A great guide to help me with my short story writing and a wonderful way to learn about fashion styles and how they changed through the ages. Great 📖!!

I found this an excellent reference for art work.

I bought this book for my teenage daughter who is very interested in historic fashions. This book is wonderful as it is arranged chronically and illustrates the shift in 'fashions' from 1860 to 1914. The pictures are beautiful and very well done, and easy to see the detail of the dresses, swimming outfits, riding habits etc..The only drawback to this book is that it gives you so many ideas, it is hard to decide what to sew next. I would recommend this book to all re-enactors of this historic time frame.

If you are looking for a comprehensive book about victorian fashion, this is it! look no further. My one and only complain is that I would have loved to get fashion examples from the early victorian period, as it is something almost impossible to find. However I was very satisfied with the book. Worth every penny.

The book is beautiful but the pictures are in B & W. Each page has a description of the item shown. It would be a much nicer book if in colour.

I have used this book as a resource to help in creating historically accurate Victorian ball gowns. I am not Cinderella, but I do get to go to the ball once in a while, and I want to be as historically correct as possible! Great for those who want accuracy.