Women's Wear of the 1930's


Book Description

A survey of women's patterns for the 1930's, from original garments, aimed at designers, costumers, historians and re-enactors, this book includes the patterns, sketches, notes and photographs of some original and reconstructed garments.




1930s Fashion: The Definitive Sourcebook


Book Description

From the turbulence of the 1930s emerged the Golden Age of Glamour. Framed by two world-changing events – the economic crash of 1929 and the outbreak of the Second World War – the 1930s saw new looks emerge and thrive, despite economic and social uncertainty. This was the decade of the bias cut, the statement shoulder, the puff sleeve, the tea dress, the fur shrug and the floor-length evening gown. It was also the era that saw Hollywood challenge Paris's fashion crown and its stars become fashion icons, signalling a new grown-up direction in womenswear design. Packed with over 500 original photographs, illustrations and sketches from the decade, this is an essential guide for any fashion historian, student or vintage enthusiast. These classic images have been selected from popular fashion publications of the day, mail-order catalogues and Hollywood studio press shots, including material from Chic Parisien, Harper's Bazaar, Sears, La Femme Chic and film studios Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Paramount. Authored and edited by renowned design historian, Charlotte Fiell, this volume also contains an authoritative introduction by fashion historian, Emmanuelle Dirix, as well as the biographies of the key designers and fashion houses of the period.




The Little Black Dress and Zoot Suits


Book Description

Looks at the different modes of dress in America in the mid twentieth century, from every day clothes to high fashion.




The 1920s and 1930s


Book Description

The time between the wars, the 1920 and 1930s, differed from each other in almost every respect. “The Roaring ’20s” ushered in a period of optimism and frivolity, complete with daring fashions for women that broke from the Victorian standard of dress. With the stock market crash of 1929, the 1930s were markedly more subdued. As the United States struggled through the Great Depression, the somber tones were reflected in people’s everyday wear, though cinematic stars still wore dazzling outfits. The 1920s and 1930s details how men and women dressed during the periods between World War I and World War II, giving ample examples of the style of costumes and fashions popular at the time. Chapters include: New Clothes for a New Age Gentlemen and Gangsters 1920s Casual and Day Wear 1930s Women's Wear 1930s Men's Wear The Golden Age of Glamour 1930s Day Wear, Sportswear, and Children's Wear Accessories.




The Cut of Women's Clothes, 1600-1930


Book Description

Originally published: New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1968.




Compacts and Cosmetics


Book Description

Cosmetics have been used to increase attraction since Ancient times whilst Compacts have been a symbol of love for generations but especially since the 1920s. In this fascinating book, vintage accessories expert, Madeleine Marsh, discusses just what makes compacts so desirable and reveals their hidden secrets from cameras to cigarettes. Madeleine shows what to buy and where, what to spot when buying and how to make the most of your compacts, vintage cosmetics or beauty accessories."




Tiffany Girl


Book Description

From the bestselling author of It Happened at the Fair and Fair Play comes a compelling historical novel about a progressive “New Woman”—the girl behind Tiffany’s chapel—and the love that threatens it all. As preparations for the 1893 World’s Fair set Chicago and the nation on fire, Louis Tiffany—heir to the exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry empire—seizes the opportunity to unveil his state-of-the-art, stained glass, mosaic chapel, the likes of which the world has never seen. But when Louis’s dream is threatened by a glassworkers’ strike months before the Fair opens, he turns to an unforeseen source for help: the female students at the Art Students League of New York. Eager for adventure, the young women pick up their skirts, move to boarding houses, take up steel cutters, and assume new identities as the “Tiffany Girls.” Tiffany Girl is the heartwarming story of the impetuous Flossie Jayne, a beautiful, budding artist who is handpicked by Louis to help complete the Tiffany chapel. Though excited to live in a boarding house when most women stayed home, she quickly finds the world is less welcoming than anticipated. From a Casanova male, to an unconventional married couple, and a condescending singing master, she takes on a colorful cast of characters to transform the boarding house into a home while racing to complete the Tiffany chapel and make a name for herself in the art world. As challenges mount, her ambitions become threatened from an unexpected quarter: her own heart. Who will claim victory? Her dreams or the captivating boarder next door?




Regency Women's Dress


Book Description

The distinctive style of the Regency period is a source of endless fascination for fashion academics and historians, living historians, re-enactors and costume designers for stage and screen. Author and fashion historian Cassidy Percoco has delved into little-known museum hoards to create a stunning collection of 26 garments, many with clear provenance tied to a specific location, which have never before been published and never – or very rarely – displayed. Most of the garments have an aspect in their construction that has not been previously documented, from a style of skirt trim to the method of gown closure. This practical guide begins with a general history of the early 19th-century women's dress. This is followed by 26 patterns of gowns, spencers, chemises, and corsets, each with an illustration of the finished piece and description of its construction. This must-have guide is an essential reference for anyone interested in the fashions or the history of the period, or for anyone wishing to recreate their own beautiful Regency clothing.




Elegance in an Age of Crisis


Book Description

A brilliant look at how modernizing technical and stylistic changes of the 1930s gave rise to international trends in fashion Despite the dire financial environment of the 1930s, this decade gave rise to great technical and aesthetic innovations in fashion. This handsomely illustrated book is the first to analyze important developments in both men's and women's fashions of that time. Select experts contribute texts that delve into the economic, political, and cultural influences that shaped these emergent styles. They also explore how industrial capabilities, such as the production of new textiles, allowed couturiers to drape fabric in ways not previously possible, and how revolutionary dressmaking and tailoring techniques gave form to truly modern clothing. Advancements in menswear tailoring in London and Naples paralleled breakthroughs in couture draping in Paris, New York, and even Shanghai. Hollywood also played a role in defining and popularizing this glamorous style. The international trend toward softer, minimally ornamented, and elegantly proportioned clothing differed markedly from the more restrictive attire of the preceding Edwardian era. By contrast, the fashions of the 1930s were made for movement, highlighting the natural and classically idealized body. The revival of classicism and other artistic influences were crucial to the creation of this clean, minimal, and modern new look. Published in association with The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York Exhibition Schedule: The Museum at FIT (02/06/14-04/19/14)




Modern Ballroom Dancing


Book Description

This early work provides a detailed descriptive account of ballroom dancing that is thoroughly recommended for the dance enthusiast or historians shelf. Illustrated with step diagrams. Contents Include: Foreword; Introduction; Anyone Can Become A Good Dancer; How to Gain Self-Confidence; The Correct Dancing Position; First Principles of Dancing; Why Modern Dancing Is Easy To Learn; The Secret of Leading; How to Follow Your Partner; How to Recognize Dance Rhythms; How to Keep Time to Music; Dictionary of Dance Terms; The Fox Trot; The Waltz; The Tango; Collegiate Steps; Etiquette of the Ballroom. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.