It's easy to keep an eye on modern fashion trends — just open the pages of almost any magazine! But for historic fashion styles from ancient times through the 20th century, Dover books are a treasury of authentic and rare sources of fashion, costume, and textile designs.
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Recommendations... Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper's Bazar, 1867-1898
by Stella Blum
Day costumes, evening wear, sports clothes, shoes, hats, other accessories in over 1,000 detailed engravings. Very thorough identification of styles, materials, colors by editor. "An endlessly entertaining book." — Theatre Design and Technology.
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 The History of Underclothes
by C. Willett Cunnington, PhiIlis Cunnington
Fascinating, well-documented survey covering 6 centuries of English undergarments, enhanced with over 100 illustrations: 12th-century laced-up bodice, footed long drawers (1795), 19th-century bustles, 19th-century corsets for men, Victorian "bust improvers," much more.
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| |  60 Civil War-Era Fashion Patterns
by Kristina Seleshanko
Assembled from issues of a popular 19th-century periodical, these patterns include dresses, pants, jackets, and other apparel for women and children, plus suggestions for employing modern tools and techniques.
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Products in Costume, Textiles | | |  | The "Keystone" Jacket and Dress Cutter: An 1895 Guide to Women's Tailoring
by Chas Hecklinger, Kristina Seleshanko
Professional tailors of the time turned to this comprehensive resource to create office outfits, riding pants, blouses, and other garments. Filled with more than 80 patterns, it's an invaluable reference for costume designers and fashion historians. 92 black-and-white illustrations.
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|  | 120 Great Fashion Designs, 1900-1950, CD-ROM and Book
by Tom Tierney
Fashions by Lanvin, Poiret, Worth, Adrian, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, Balmain, and other prominent designers have been carefully researched and re-created for either computer or traditional cut-and-paste use. 120 full-color figures.
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|  | 140 Great Fashion Designs, 1950-2000, CD-ROM and Book
by Tom Tierney
Royalty-free designs by Chanel, Balenciaga, St. Laurent, Courrèges, Mary Quant, Bill Blass, Halston, Laura Ashley, Carolina Herrera, Galliano, and many others, for computer or cut-and-paste use.
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|  | 1920s Fashions from B. Altman & Company
by Altman & Co.
Over 700 black-and-white illustrations, detailed descriptions, and prices for a vast array of upscale women's clothing and accessories — dresses, bathing suits, cloche hats, shoes, much more. Attire for men and children, too.
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|  | 20th-Century Fashion Illustration: The Feminine Ideal
by Rosemary Torre, Harold Koda
This captivating retrospective explores the social context of fashion with informative text and over 70 striking images. Profiles include flappers, glamour girls, flower children, and the modern obsession with celebrity styles.
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|  | 59 Authentic Turn-of-the-Century Fashion Patterns
by Kristina Harris
Over 575 illustrations detail 59 different garments that first appeared in the 1880s in issues of the quarterly The Voice of Fashion. Most of the patterns are for women, but there is a selection for men, boys, and girls.
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| | 60 Civil War-Era Fashion Patterns
by Kristina Seleshanko
Assembled from issues of a popular 19th-century periodical, these patterns include dresses, pants, jackets, and other apparel for women and children, plus suggestions for employing modern tools and techniques.
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|  | American Victorian Costume in Early Photographs
by Priscilla Harris Dalrymple
Over 280 rare photographs document "Sunday best" clothing from the 1840s to the 1890s. Bustles, pantalets, top hats, waistcoats, bowlers, other attire, as well as hairdressing and tonsorial styles.
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|  | Ancient Egyptian Costumes Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
16 dazzling costumes for 2 figures, among them colorful sheath dresses, and sarilike cloaks for the lady; kilts, royal robes, and soldier's uniform for the man.
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|  | Ancient Egyptian Fashions
by Tom Tierney
Magnificent ready-to-color illustrations of authentic clothing styles worn in ancient Egypt. Kilts, headdresses, gowns, ceremonial robes, much more, plus weapons, fans, other accessories. 45 black-and-white illustrations.
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|  | Ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian & Persian Costume
by Mary G. Houston
Over 250 illustrations, drawn in the artistic style of the period, depict apparel worn by Egyptian royalty, manual workers, and military, as well as by ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Flat patterns show cut of the garments.
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|  | Ancient European Costume and Fashion
by Herbert Norris
Clothing styles from prehistory to A.D. 1066 displayed in over 160 illustrations. Draped robes of classical Greece, the apparel of a 10th-century Byzantine emperor, garments of peasants, as well as footwear, hairstyles, jewelry, more.
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|  | Ancient Greek, Roman & Byzantine Costume
by Mary G. Houston
315 renderings of Doric and Ionic styles of dress for women, gracefully arranged Roman togas, vestments of the Eastern Orthodox Church, hairdressing, jewelry, and other decorative elements. Includes instructions and flat patterns.
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|  | Art Deco Fashions Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
A spectacular review of the innovative work of Paul Poiret, Georges Barbier, Sonia Delaunay, Jeanne Lanvin, Jeanne Paquin, Chanel, and others. Two dolls and 28 costumes plus accessories.
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|  | Art Deco Fashions: 24 Cards
by Tom Tierney
Alluring ladies in outfits by Poiret, Lanvin, Chanel, and other designers. Lavish costumes for dining, dancing, promenading are set against backdrops adapted from period posters, photographs, and images. 24 cards.
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| |  | Authentic Victorian Dressmaking Techniques
by Kristina Harris
Vintage guide offered turn-of-the-century seamstresses clear instructions for altering patterns and creating shirt-blouses, skirts, wedding gowns, coats, maternity wear, children's clothing, and other apparel.
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| |  | Best Actresses of the 1990s Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
Kathy Bates got one. So did Jodie Foster, Helen Hunt, Hilary Swank, and 6 other talented ladies of the silver screen. These 1990s Oscar recipients model gowns and costumes. 10 dolls, 32 costumes.
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|  | Bloomingdale's Illustrated 1886 Catalog
by Bloomingdale Brothers
Famed merchants' extremely rare catalog depicting about 1,700 products: clothing, housewares, firearms, dry goods, jewelry, more. Invaluable for dating, identifying vintage items. Also, royalty-free graphics for artists, designers. Co-published with Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village.
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