What People Wore: 1,800 Illustrations from Ancient Times to the Early Twentieth Century

by Douglas W. Gorsline

Book Overview

"The book is an invaluable guide to all things fashion." -- Collectors' Corner
Spanning nearly 5,000 years of clothing styles, this splendid sourcebook presents a fascinating panorama of wearing apparel, beginning with the ancient Egyptians and continuing through the early decades of the twentieth century.
Over 1,800 drawings -- meticulously researched and accurately rendered by the author -- depict garments ranging from diaphanous gowns...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486281620
• ISBN13: 9780486281629
• Release Date: August 1994
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 2.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 9.1" x 12.0"

Customer Reviews

What People Wore

Very informative and exactly what I was looking for: dress for nearly two thousand years and attached pictures.

Good secondary resource

The black and white illustrations are well researched, and many are reminiscent of fashion plates and other primary resources. While designers and historians should be skeptical of original illustrations because of artistic liberties and accidental changes to the shape, style, and accuracy of the garment, this book is pretty decent/trustworthy. Gorsline also gives specific dates for the illustrations, which is very helpful in researching, and puts in helpful details like accessories (corsets, gloves, hats, shoes, etc.) and hairstyles. It mentions nationality, when appropriate, as well as the style (the name of the artist, when applicable, that inspired the illustration). It shows a range of variations within a given period, demonstrates different ways to wear various garments, and provides a wonderfully diverse sampling of clothes to give any researching a great start in their exploration. As with all secondary resources, be sure to cross-reference for accuracy.

Probably one of the 2 best costume books ever compiled!

If you design costumes or want to do any type of research on them ... you cannot survive without this book. For a broad cross-section of clothing across the ages, this has it covered. For a more in depth look at Victorian Era costumes, try Victorian fashions and Costumes from Harper's Bazaar 1867-1898.

Best Reference Book

Every library has this book; every one. But if you'd just pull out that card and take a look at the last recent signout date, as I did, you might be surprised. Almost no one has heard of this book, which really is a shame. As a writer, this is the first book I purchased for reference...and just for browsing through. It's just so neat!