Corsets and Codpieces


Book Description

Have you ever wondered why we wear the type of clothes we do? Packed with outlandish outfits, this exciting history of fashion trends reveals the flamboyant fashions adopted (and discarded) by our ancestors. In the days before cosmetic surgery, people used bum rolls and bombastic breeches to augment their figures, painted their faces with poisonous concoctions, and doused themselves with scent to cover body odor. Take a fresh look at history’s hidden fashion disasters and discover the stories behind historical garments: How removing a medieval woman’s headdress could reveal her as a harlot Why Tudor men traded in their oversized codpieces for corsets How crinoline caused a spate of shoplifting among Victorian ladies Karen Bowman charts our sartorial history from the animal skins first used to cover our modesty and show off hunting skills, right up to the twentieth-century drive for practicality and comfort. Corsets and Codpieces is a fascination read for history buffs and fashionistas alike. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.




Frost Burned


Book Description

Patricia Briggs “has reached perfection”* in this #1 New York Times bestseller, as Mercy Thompson faces a shapeshifter’s biggest fear... Mercy’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Alpha werewolf Adam Hauptman has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy’s life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more... After a traffic accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack. They’ve all been abducted. Mercy fears Adam’s disappearance may be related to the political battle the werewolves have been fighting to gain acceptance from the public—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outmatched and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely. *The Nocturnal Library




Fashioning the Body


Book Description

A witty and stylish look into the mechanics employed by men and women to sculpt their figures for fashion This unique survey offers fascinating insights into the convoluted transformations employed by both men and women to accommodate the fickle dictates of fashion. With high design, wit, and style, Fashioning the Body tracks the evolution of these sartorial devices--from panniers, crinolines, and push-up bras to chains, zippers, and clasps--concealed beneath outer layers in order to project idealized figures. Women's corsets constricted waists; exaggerated buttocks and hips counterbalanced jutting bust lines; and chic, aerodynamic silhouettes compressed breasts and flattened bellies. Yet masculine fashion has been no stranger to these tortuous practices. Men flaunted their virility by artificially broadening their shoulders, applying padding to their chests, and slipping codpieces over their groins. With more than 200 beautiful illustrations--including reproductions of superb historic advertisements--Denis Bruna reveals the industry and art of these contrivances meant to entice and beguile as well as assert status and power. Contemporary haute-couture designers Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons, Christian Lacroix, and Vivienne Westwood are featured in this indiscreet tour of intimate fashion history. Published in association with the Bard Graduate Center Exhibition Schedule: Bard Graduate Center, New York (04/03/15-07/26/15)




The Corset


Book Description

Korsettets kulturhistorie fra renæssancen til det 20. århundrede




Underneath It All


Book Description

For most of human history, the garments women wore under their clothes were hidden. The earliest underwear provided warmth and protection. But eventually, women's undergarments became complex structures designed to shape their bodies to fit the fashion ideals of the time. In the modern era, undergarments are out in the open, from the designer corsets Madonna wore on stage to Beyoncé's pregnancy announcement on Instagram. This feminist exploration of women's underwear reveals the intimate role lingerie plays in defining women's bodies, sexuality, gender identity, and body image. It is a story of control and restraint but also female empowerment and self-expression. You will never look at underwear the same way again.




Extreme Beauty


Book Description

Published to accompany the exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 6 December 2001 - 3 March 2002.




Essex Girls


Book Description

The scandalous history of the women of Essex.




Corsets and Crinolines


Book Description

In this classic book, Norah Waugh explores the changing shapes of women’s dress from the 1500s to the 1920s. Simple laced bodices became corsets of cane, whalebone and steel, while padding at shoulders and hips gave way to the structures of farthingales, hoops and bustles. Corsets and Crinolines explains the cyclical nature of these fashions, and how waists and skirts changed shape and size through three distinct eras: The 1500s to 1670—farthingales and whaleboned bodies. 1670 to 1800—Stays and hooped petticoats. 1800 to 1925—corsets, crinolines and bustles. Each section describes how these garments originated, how they became popular and how they emerged as central to the fashions of the time. Extracts from diaries, journals, poems and newspapers, as well as over 100 illustrations, demonstrate the variety of these ubiquitous items of clothing throughout modern history. Corsets and Crinolines also contains a wealth of practical notes and resources for today’s costume makers and designers, including: Scaleable patterns for the construction of 25 different bustles, crinolines, corsets, corselets, stays, pocket hoops, hooped petticoats and bodices. Detailed appendices on the manufacture of corsets and crinolines, including farthingales, supports and hooped petticoats. A list of further reading, including costume histories; textile and weaving histories; reconstruction of period clothing; contemporary application of foundational garments; and a list of museums and institutions with period clothing collections, for first-hand study. A glossary of terms and materials.




Dress Codes


Book Description

A law professor and cultural critic offers an eye-opening exploration of the laws of fashion throughout history, from the middle ages to the present day, examining the canons, mores and customs of clothing rules that we often take for granted




Vesik Box Set 1


Book Description

A crashed wedding. A scorned vampire. A necromancer's fury... Damian Vesik is no hero. At least, not according to the magical community that turns a blind eye to his battles against evil. So he chalks it up as one more thankless mission when he’s forced to stop his vampire sister from murdering her ex’s entire bridal party… Infiltrating the ceremony to protect the innocent, Damian uncovers something more sinister than a massacre. With the help of his berserker fairy friend, he'll need to prevent an unholy union between ancient demons and the walking dead. Damian has one chance to stop his sister and ruin the wedding before one hell of an afterparty dooms the world. Days Gone Bad is the first book in the savagely funny Vesik urban fantasy series. If you like gritty action, undead enemies, and plenty of snark, then you’ll love Eric R. Asher’s heart-stopping tale. Wolves and the River of Stone (Book 2) A jilted ex. An undead army. Never date the damned... Zola thought not seeing her ex-boyfriend Philip for 150 years meant he got the hint that they were over. Or, better yet, that he had taken her advice and dropped dead. No such luck. Not only is he back, he has kidnapped Zola and is using her as a pawn in his plan to raise an army to scour humanity from the earth. Damian Vesik is ready to take Philip on, but he won’t be doing it alone. Flanked by a pack of snarling and snapping werewolves, they are headed to an old battlefield at Stones River to put an end to Philip’s twisted agenda. If they don’t get there in time, however, Zola’s reputation—and life—hang in the balance. Winter's Demon (Book 3) A haunted sanctuary. A deranged god. Some things can never be undone ... The horrors Damian has defeated—or caused—with his own hands are nothing compared to what’s coming. Philip brought his reign of terror down in an assault on Damian’s family. Now, an enraged necromancer hungers for retribution. Philip’s twisted agenda is far from finished. He and his army of necromancers are on the move, descending on the world as harbingers of a great darkness. Aligning himself with Ezekiel, the mad god, Philip plans to unleash a power that will bring mankind to its knees. Now they must seek out an old ally who may hold their only hope of salvation, and perhaps allow Damian and Zola to prevent Ezekiel’s return. As Philip’s ever-growing horde of demons emerge, however, they’ll have to hope their combined efforts will be enough. Read The Vesik Series: Books 1-3 to dance with darkness today!