Costume

books can be addicting whether you are doing historicals or time travels or are just plain curious about the accuracy of the costumes in movies like Braveheart and The Madness of King George. I had only one costume reference book in my personal library a couple of years back when I needed to find out what an elegant, nineteenth century ghost might wear to come calling on the heroine in the story I was working on at the time. It proved so useful and so interesting that I’ve since made friends with many more useful costume references, each with their own particular strengths.

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beautiful coffee-table book that is also crammed with useful information and gorgeous color illustrations is 20,000 YEARS OF FASHION: THE HISTORY OF COSTUME AND PERSONAL ADORNMENT by Francois Boucher. This is a wonderful work that uses the artwork of the time to show what people wore. The book goes into detail on everything relating to costume including the economic and social conditions, the state of textile manufacturing, and various other factors influencing fashion development.

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CHRONICLE OF WESTERN FASHION: FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO THE PRESENT DAY by John Peacock is also a top-notch reference source which includes page after page of lovely color drawings along with explanations of the articles of clothing displayed. The only drawback is that the descriptions are located apart from the illustrations. However, the Illustrated Glossary of Terms in the back more than makes up for this. You can look up a Pagoda Sleeve and see exactly what it is or you can search the illustrations for a particular piece of clothing and discover what it’s called. The work is very thorough, covering 10-15 year periods at a time, so you can track the exact progression of fashion styles.

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clarity and ease of reference, one of the most useful works is SURVEY OF HISTORIC COSTUME: A HISTORY OF WESTERN DRESS by Phyllis Tortora and Keith Eubank. The text describes everything from underwear to accessories and covers day and evening wear as well as sportswear and indoor and outdoor garments for adults and children. The authors provide nicely accessible sidebars filled with information as well as lively illustrations. The text is concise and to the point, and especially useful when doing research. The selected readings at the end of each chapter are helpful in tracking down more detailed information on a particular era.

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THERE BE CLOTHES by Lynn Schurnberger is an irreverent look at the foibles of fashion throughout the ages. This work bills itself as a century-by-century romp through civilization’s wardrobe, and trends. The author assumes you know the general progression of historical dress and covers all the interesting sidelights to go along with the clothing styles people wore throughout the ages. It includes such useful information as to How To Dress For a Ninth Century Costume Party, The Top Ten Medieval Pastimes, Tips From the Renaissance Spa, Clothes Horse Case Study (Queen Elizabeth I), How To Walk Like A Victorian Lady, Necking (concerning the plunging necklines of 1910), and a recipe for medieval toothpaste.

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OF COSTUME is a classic work which approaches the subject from a more theatrical point of view, showing the development of dress through practical examples of how the clothing was made. It includes over 600 patterns and illustrations, providing a good idea of how it might feel to actually wear the garments in question.

RAIMENTS

is also useful on this score. It is a catalog "for the costumer" and contains patterns for historical costumes. The line drawings are nice and simplified, giving a good general idea of the clothing. The patterns cover everything from kirtles and men’s tunics to Victorian dresses to folk costume. The catalog also carries a nice selection of reference books, and the necessary supplies and accessories to add the finishing touches to any historical dress including belts, handbags and purses, and hats. It costs $5.00 and can be ordered from : Raiments, P.O. Box 93095, Pasadena, CA 91109.

Marilyn Jordan is the author of WARRIOR MOON.