Book Reviews

This is the third in a series of the essential books in VFG member Maggie Muellner’s vintage fashion library. Read about the others in previous recent blogs.

The subtitle of this little book is “Repairing and Preserving Garments and Bedding”. It is such a gem! The author—who had a long career as a physician and psychiatrist—became chair of the “mending committee” for a Vermont charity after her retirement. The group became increasingly expert menders as the years went by, learning by doing and sharing, as well from feedback given by recipients of their efforts. I love the picture this conjures for me of that group—I wish I could sit in with them for a session or two!

The book is slim at 180 pages, but it is dense with the kind of handy advice your grandmother might have given you if she was a domestic goddess. For example, I have a sewing machine and know about “machine darning”—I rescued the torn seat of the bib overalls I wear for gardening using machine darning recently. Lucky for me that denim fabric is fairly firm and dense, and the repair went smoothly. One of Ms. Foote’s tips for machine darning is to stretch the area you are working on using an embroidery frame so the fabric won’t get puckered during the process.

The manual is sprinkled with simple pen and ink illustrations—73 in all, covering tasks such as crotch repair, frayed cuffs folded inside, and invisible woven-in mending.

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This is the second in a series of the essential books in VFG member Maggie Muellner’s vintage fashion library. Her previous pick is here.

Dover put out Mary Brooks Picken’s A Dictionary of Costume and Fashion, Historic and Modern in 1999. It’s an unabridged republication of Picken’s Fashion Dictionary, originally published in 1957. This one covers more ground than Essential Terms of Fashion (reviewed here), both in breadth and depth. It is a true dictionary, but focuses on words associated with wearing apparel and accessories and their components. From “aal” (a red dye obtained from the root of an Indian shrub) to “Zulu cloth”, there are more than 10,000 entries and nearly 1,000 illustrations.

The entries include “groups”, similar to the focused chapters in Essential Terms, but covering a wider range – examples include “Lace, Weaves and Embroideries” in addition to the more obvious elements like “Sleeves, Collars and Necklines”. There’s a lot here for historical costumers as well as students of fashion like me.

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Maggie Muellner of Mags Rags and MagsRagsVintage on Etsy shares one of her essential vintage fashion reference books.

I’ve been collecting vintage clothing & accessories since I was 20 years old.  As a visual learner and voracious reader, it was probably inevitable that I would accumulate an extensive library of books about vintage fashion, some for reference, and many for the sheer eye candy indulgence. Here’s an introduction to one of my favorites.

The single reference book that I use the most is Essential Terms of Fashion: A Collection of Definitions by Charlotte Mankey Calasibetta, published in 1985.

I keep this book next to me when I’m working on writing descriptions. As you can see from my photo, I’ve used it so much the binding has cracked. Sometimes I need to confirm that I’m using the correct term for a design detail (is that deep set sleeve dolman or raglan or batwing?). In the process of double-checking, I often stop to browse. Then the next time I’m faced with an unusual collar I know just where to go. I can open the book to the collar chapter and pinpoint that long collar that’s rounded at the end instead of pointed – aha! It’s a dog’s-ear collar!

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Reviewed by Gayle MacGregor – Sideshow Alley

Couture Sewing: The Couture Cardigan Jacket. Sewing secrets from a Chanel collector
by Claire. B. Shaeffer
The Taunton Press: ISBN. 978-1-60085-955-7 BUY NOW

This fascinating book with accompanying DVD is the latest in the Couture Sewing series by acclaimed author Claire Shaeffer, and explores the construction techniques developed by the author to create a Chanel style Jacket.

Through meticulous research based on the Authors collection of original Chanel Jackets and Museum archival research, the reader is treated to a step by step tutorial.

The text and accompanying DVD demonstrate every process required including:

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Reviewed by Liza D – Better Dresses Vintage

Edwardian Fashion
by Daniel Milford-Cottam
(© 2014 by Shire Publications, ISBN: 978-74781-404-7) Buy Now

This compact little book is a quick and helpful read for anyone interested in learning more about dress in the first part of the 20th century. It is written from a British viewpoint, but the bountiful content applies across the Western world. Milford-Cottam begins by “Setting the Scene.” This first chapter delineates the differences between pre- and post-Victorian dress, explaining both why and how fashion changed following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and ascension of her stylish son, Edward VII. We learn that the Edwardian period includes not only the years of Edward’s reign, but also those of his less sartorially influential son, George V, ending with the outbreak of WWI in late 1914. In the remaining chapters, broken down in roughly 5-year increments, we learn about the start of modern fashion reporting, the rise of female designers, and the most notable trends of each period. The focus is mainly on women’s clothing, but there is a chapter devoted entirely to menswear. Children’s dress is touched on only briefly throughout.

Particularly interesting was the notion that styles newly introduced in the Edwardian era became the basics of contemporary Western dress. The suit, the skirt and blouse, leisure wear worn in public. All were first seen during this brief span. The writing style is straightforward and scholarly, but clear. A basic knowledge of dressmaking terminology, and British-specific terms, would be helpful. The beginner may need to consult other sources, as not every term is defined or illustrated.

Numerous illustrations support the text, including photographs of well-known and anonymous individuals, advertisements, pages from Edwardian periodicals, and artwork. Milford-Cottam ends with a brief but well-illustrated overview of dress in the years 1914-1919, explaining how the First World War changed fashion irrevocably. The book closes with suggestions of museums and galleries to visit in the U.K., Ireland, U.S., and Canada to learn more about fashion history. There is also a helpful index.

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Reviewed by Gayle MacGregor – Sideshow Alley

Fashion in the Time of Jane Austen
by Sarah Jane Downing
(Shire Library, ISBN-10: 0747807671) Buy Now

This compact book examines British fashion history from 16th December 1775, when Jane Austen was born, to 1819, as seen through the eyes and words of Austen herself.

The book is a comprehensive overview of clothing worn by women, men and children of the upper and aspirational classes, as well as the social, political, and military influences on the fashions of the period.

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Reviewed by Gayle MacGregor – Sideshow Alley

Beauty and Cosmetics 1550-1950
by Sarah Jane Downing
(Shire Library, ISBN: 978-0-74780-839-8) Buy Now

Beauty and Cosmetics 1550-1950 is a comprehensive history of Beauty and Cosmetics from Pagan cultures to Christian cultures through to the 1950s.

The small size of this book belies the extent of information contained within, including a rich social history.

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Reviewed by Gayle MacGregor – Sideshow Alley

Fashion in the Time of the Great Gatsby
by LaLonnie Lehman
(Shire Library, ISBN: 978-0-74781-299-9) Buy Now

Fashion in The Time of The Great Gatsby, aims to explore 1920s fashion in America as seen through the world of Gatsby’s author- F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The book touches on the changes to society and the consumerism that influenced 20s fashion, from emancipation to both men and women embracing leisure pursuits, sports, jazz music, dancing, silent film and automobiles.

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Reviewed by Gayle MacGregor – Sideshow Alley

Wig, Hairdressing and Shaving Bygones
by Gail Durbin
(Shire Library, ISBN: 978-0-85263-663-3) Buy Now

This small but informative book covers a topic not often explored: The history of wigs, hairdressing and men’s shaving accoutrements.

Starting from 1624 the author explores the reasons why wigs became fashionable from their practical beginnings to becoming the fashion of the court, the clergy and of upwardly mobile society.

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Reviewed by Gayle MacGregor – Sideshow Alley

Fashion in the 1920s
by Jayne Shrimpton
(Shire Library, ISBN: 978-0-74781-308-8) Buy Now

Fashion in the 1920s explores the fashion worn in the 20s from a British perspective, along with the social history that influenced the fashion of the time.

The effects of the Great War along with the rapid industrialisation of major cities in Britain are examined, along with the rise of consumerism, and the changes to the rigid class system of the time.
Jazz music, along with film, technological advances, and the availability of the motor car and the effect of these changes on fashion and society are explored in depth by the author.

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Reviewed by Gayle MacGregor – Sideshow Alley

Gear Guide 1967: Hip-pocket Guide to Britain’s Swinging Carnaby Street Fashion Scene
by David Johnson and Roger Dunkley
(Old House Books & Maps, ISBN-10: 1908402563) Buy Now

This quirky, fascinating little book was originally published in 1967 by Atlas Publishing, London.

A facsimile of the original pocket guide to the boutiques of Swinging London, this book is a must- have stocking filler for Christmas, or just a neat affordable addition to your own fashion library.

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Reviewed by Lizzie Bramlett – The Vintage Traveler

Jean Muir: Beyond Fashion
by Sinty Stempe
(Antique Collector’s Club, ISBN-10 1851495215) Buy Now

I’m always hesitant about one-topic fashion books, especially when written by someone who was involved professionally with the subject. Seems like you either get an emotional homage or an insider-tell-all. In this case, the insider is Sinty Stempe, who was Jean Muir’s personal assistant, and who is still employeed at Jean Muir, Ltd. She has managed to honor Ms. Muir without being overly sentimental, and at the same time, she gives us a wonderfully detailed look inside the design house that made simplicity chic.

The book is beautifully illustrated, not just with fashion shots, but also with sketches, personal photos, newspaper clippings and magazine pages. There are photos from all the decades of her career, and it makes clear not only the progression of ideas, but also the themes and fabrics to which Muir turned to again and again.

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Reviewed by Jonathan Walford – Fashion History Museum

Couture and Commerce: The Transatlantic Fashion Trade in the 1950s
by Alexandra Palmer
(October 2001 ISBN: 0-7748-0826-8) Buy Now

Let’s face it, the world of couture clothing has not been a rare subject for publication lately as probably more has been written on the subject this past decade than all combined from previous generations. Palmer’s book however, focuses on the real mechanics of couture from design to sale, and its practical use by real women.

First of all, the pragmatic definitions of fashion: haute couture, couture, designer, bonded model, toile, pattern, licensed copy, “adaption”, boutique, prêt-a-porter, and the other various terms are delineated in the book (although not readily) – and that itself is not an easy task.

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Reviewed by Lizzie Bramlett – The Vintage Traveler

Radical Rags: Fashions of the Sixties
by Joel Lobenthal
(Abbeville Press ISBN 0-89659-930-2) Buy Now

The book is look at the fashions and fashion influences of the 1960s. The book focuses on the fashion scenes in London, New York, Paris, Rome and the US West Coast and it also profiles the major designers of the time.

Every fashion history fan knows about Mary Quant and Andre Courreges, but where does one go to learn about Deanna Littell and Emmanuelle Khanh? To “Radical Rags”, of course!

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Reviewed by Lizzie Bramlett – The Vintage Traveler

The Costume Collector’s Companion 1890-1990 by Rosemary Hawthorne
(Aurum Press ISBN 1-85410-552-3) Buy Now

This is a decade by decade guide to collecting clothes and accessories from the 20th century. The focus is on fashions from the UK, where the author is located. Included are descriptions of clothing items that were typical of each decade.

Rosemary Hawthorne has written the most charming and interesting guide to a collection that I’ve ever read. She approaches the subject of vintage fashion by writing about her own collection.

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Reviewed by Lizzie Bramlett – The Vintage Traveler

Secondhand Chic: Finding Fabulous Fashion at Consignment, Vintage, and Thrift Stores
by Christa Weil
(Pocket Books: ISBN: 0-671-02713-1)Buy Now

This book is a guide to shopping the secondhand market for wearable clothing. It tells how to identify the elements of a top-quality garment, discusses labels and designer diffusion lines, and discusss when not to buy a flawed item. It also compares and contrasts the various types of secondhand stors in which clothing is generally found.

I love this book. It is a guide to buying quality clothing: spotting construction techniques that indicate quality, telling the difference between types of fabrics, knowing the difference between Geoffrey Beene and Geoffrey Beene Sport.

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Reviewed by Lizzie Bramlett – The Vintage Traveler

Dressing Up Vintage
by Tracy Tolkien
(Pavilion Books Ltd ISBN 1-86205-305-7) Buy Now

Mainly a guide for what to collect from the second half of the 20th century, the emphasis is on designer fashion. The book employs a mixture of vintage photographs and modern pictures of vintage clothes. There is a small section on how to go about starting a vintage fashion collection.

This is the kind of book that I could recommend to a beginning collector, but there’s really not much in the book that an experienced student of fashion history would not already know, or at least have access to in other resources.

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Reviewed by Lizzie Bramlett – The Vintage Traveler

Collector’s Guide to Vintage Fashions Identification and Values
by Kristina Harris
(Collector Books ISBN 1-57432-096-3) Buy Now

This book is a basic how to collect vintage clothing primer. The author discusses the various areas of collectible clothing and she addresses the steps involved in building a collection of antique and vintage clothing. The book has many illustrations with prices given for the items illustrated.

The most important thing to remember about this book is that it was written for collectors, not necessarily for wearers, of vintage clothing. A person who is looking for information about the styles of the past because she or he is wanting to fit a few retro pieces into the wardrobe needs to look elsewhere for that information.

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Reviewed by Lizzie Bramlett – The Vintage Traveler

Floral Frocks: A Celebration of the Floral Printed Dress from 1900 to Today
by Jo Turney and Rosemary Harden
(Antique Collectors’ Club, Ltd. ISBN-10: 185149538X) Buy Now

From the 1920s through the end of the 20th century, the floral frock was an important player in the fashion scene. This book, Floral Frocks, explains the garment in the context of its times, from the 1920s when florals became a “fashion fabric,” to the hey-day of the 1950s Horrockses floral frock, to the 1970s Laura Ashley nostalgia-inspired frock.

The book is lavishly illustrated not only with views of the dresses, but also close-ups of the prints. There are also numerous period photographs of women in their floral frocks. Best of all is when we are given both – the frock as it is displayed today and the vintage photo of the original owner wearing it.

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