From the heavily beaded tubular dress of the 1920s through to the body-skimming shift dress of the 1960s, this book looks at and celebrates the historic shapes, detailing and romance of vintage wedding gowns. Equipped with instructions, patterns and photos, it explores the history of wedding wear and explains how to make a vintage wedding gown inspired by historical fashions and trends. A beautiful and practical book, it will inspire everyone who wants to express themself through timeless and elegant styles. Step-by-step instructions are given for making each dress and are complemented by close-up photographs of historic details and decoration. This beautiful book will be of particular interest to wedding dress designers, seamstresses and brides, vintage enthusiasts of 1920s-60s and theatre designers. Beautifully illustrated with 105 colour close-up photographs of historic details and 21 patterns with step-by-step instructions.

With the echo of regal church bells still ringing in the ears of royalists and well-wishers worldwide, Fiona Macdonald take a look at the quirky, odd and downright bizarre circumstances surrounding the weddings of the kings, queens, princes and princesses of Britain. One must leave one's sense of decorum at the palace gates as the author tells the wacky stories surrounding the preparations, dresses, ceremonies and national moods that went with the excitement of a royal wedding, from England's resident marriage addict Henry VIII, through Anne Hyde, the 'commoner' who birthed two queens, right up to Prince Charles, Princess Diana and their son and daughter-in-law to be. Featuring facts, figures and family trees, Royal Weddings, A Very Peculiar History is sure to keep one in the spirit of things, even after the last fleck of confetti has touched the ground.

Design and Heritage provides the first extended study of heritage from the point of view of design history. Exploring the material objects and spaces that contribute to our experience of heritage, the volume also examines the processes and practices that shape them. Bringing together 18 case studies, written by authors from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Norway, India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, the book questions how design functions to produce heritage. Including provocative case studies of objects that reinterpret visual symbols of cultural identity and buildings and monuments that evoke feelings of national pride and historical memory, as well as landscapes embedded with trauma, contributors consider how we can work to develop adequate shared conceptual models of heritage and apply them to design and its histories. Exploring the distinction between tangible and intangible heritages, the chapters consider what these categories mean for design history and heritage. Finally, the book questions whether it might be possible to promote a truly equitable understanding of heritage that illuminates the social, cultural and economic roles of design. Design and Heritage demonstrates that design historical methods of inquiry contribute significantly to critical heritage studies. Academics, researchers and students engaged in the study of heritage, design history, material culture, folklore, art history, architectural history and social and cultural history will find much to interest them within the pages of the book.

'I loved this book!' - Alison Weir '[A] lively, gossipy forage through royal wardrobes' - Daily Mail 'A sparkling history' - Dr Kate Strasdin Peek into the wardrobes of history's most fashionable royals Why did women wear such heavy and uncomfortable skirts in the Elizabethan era? What the hell happened to Charles II's pubic hair wig? How did Princess Diana's revenge dress become so iconic? Fashion for the royal family has long been one of their most powerful weapons. Every item of their clothing is imbued with meaning, history and majesty, telling a complex tale of the individuals who wore them and the houses they represented. From the draping of a fabric to the arrangements of jewels, the clothing worn by royals is anything but coincidental. King at just nine years old, Edward VI's clothes were padded to make him seem stronger and more manly; and the ever-conscious Elizabeth II insisted her coronation gown include all the representative flora of the commonwealth nations, and not just that of the United Kingdom. Yet reigning monarchs are not the only ones whose fashion sensibilities could mean make or break for the crown. Original and enlightening, Rosie Harte's complete history delicately weaves together the fashion faux pas and Vogue-worthy triumphs that chart the history of our royals from the Tudors to the Victorians right through to King Charles III and our twenty-first-century royal family. Travelling far beyond the bounds of the court, The Royal Wardrobe reveals the economic, social and political consequences of royal apparel, be it breeches, tiara, wig or waistcoat. Each stitch has a story, you just need to know how to read them

Provides complete coverage of the wedding with details on the early lives of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, their romance, and a behind-the-scenes look at the preparations, the wedding itself, and the celebrations afterwards.