Well-illustrated view of Western dress, from prehistory to mid-20th century. Footwear, headgear, accessories, typical colors and materials for each era. 491 black-and-white illustrations.

Here is an updated edition of Joan Nunn's detailed survey of costume in the Western world over the past eight centuries. She not only gives the reader a vivid visual impression of the clothes themselves, but also outlines the historical and social background and the changes in manufacturing techniques and fashionable life that have influenced the way costume has developed and the manner in which it has been worn. The book is illustrated throughout with hundreds of line drawings.

"A survey of 'Western costume from ancient Egypt to 1980. Presented chronologically, the 8 to 10 illustrations per page are lavishly colored and use color schemes appropriate to each period. All illustrations are labeled with country of origin and wearer's societal status. Every century is followed up by concise captions corresponding to the illustrations.'" Booklist.

"The definitive guide to the history of western costume."—AntiquesInfo

In the Preface of the 5th Edition of Survey of Historic Costume, Tortora and Eubank conclude with the following: "In the history of dress at the beginning of the 21st century, costume might be compared to a constantly moving river. This river divides into many narrower channels that separate, cross, come together, and separate again, and yet that river continually moves on." Building on the previous editions, the authors update their analysis of Western dress to 2008. Survey of Historic Costume has, from its beginnings, taken seriously the need to accompany the text with appropriate illustrations and the major change in the 5th Edition is the move to full color throughout the book to enrich the text and the concepts. Perfect for anyone interested in historic costume, fashion, textiles, drama, and design, this beautifully illustrated book is full of interesting facts and commentary.New to this Edition:-- Over 500 four-color photographs and illustrations-- Updated text to 2008-- Additional influences from one period or civilization to another, including influences from other cultures-- Index - updated and organized to be utilized as glossary with terms defined and page numbers printed in boldface-- Instructor's Guide provides sources for visuals, websites, teaching strategies and evaluation techniques-- PowerPoint® Presentation contains interactive visual presentation with links to Internet

Introduction -- Dictionary -- Appendix A: Garment types -- Appendix B: Garment by country -- Appendix C: Garment types by era

Well organized survey of the history of dress in the Western world. Examines the development of styles in relation to the cultural contexts of the time.