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100 Years of Fashion
100 Years of Fashion documents in pictures the most exciting and diverse period in from 1900 to today, covering high society, uniforms, sportswear, streetwear and couture. It will appeal to everyone with an interest in fashion as well as students.
The last hundred or so years bore witness to the transformation of women's fashion. The restrictive corsetry of the early twentieth century gave way to looser styles such as those made fashionable by French fashion designer Paul Poiret. As women's lives changed dramatically under the shadow of two World Wars, so the style of female dress was altered beyond recognition. From home dressmaking to couture, from rationing to 'The New Look', from the birth of the teenager to mass manufacture, from high society to celebrity culture.
Over 400 photographs and illustrations, many published for the first time, tell the stylish story of a fashion revolution. This is the third in Cally Blackman's series of fashion titles, previously publishing 100 Years of Fashion Illustration and 100 Years of Menswear with Laurence King Publishing.
As featured in The Cut Magazine
"If you need a book with visual representation of the history of fashion this one is one of the best" - Goodreads reader
"Wonderfully illustrated history of fashion from the early 1900's to now. Discusses styles, materials, trends and famous icons of style. Comprehensive and a great read." - Amazon review
The last hundred or so years bore witness to the transformation of women's fashion. The restrictive corsetry of the early twentieth century gave way to looser styles such as those made fashionable by French fashion designer Paul Poiret. As women's lives changed dramatically under the shadow of two World Wars, so the style of female dress was altered beyond recognition. From home dressmaking to couture, from rationing to 'The New Look', from the birth of the teenager to mass manufacture, from high society to celebrity culture.
Over 400 photographs and illustrations, many published for the first time, tell the stylish story of a fashion revolution. This is the third in Cally Blackman's series of fashion titles, previously publishing 100 Years of Fashion Illustration and 100 Years of Menswear with Laurence King Publishing.
As featured in The Cut Magazine
"If you need a book with visual representation of the history of fashion this one is one of the best" - Goodreads reader
"Wonderfully illustrated history of fashion from the early 1900's to now. Discusses styles, materials, trends and famous icons of style. Comprehensive and a great read." - Amazon review
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 16, 2012
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711 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 19, 2022
Interesting to see how fashion has changed. This book seems to revere the 'big' names in fashion, some of whose designs never see the light of day, or at least not in my neck of the woods. But I'll never understand the ripped jeans, the juxtaposition of extremes of patterns, colors, and textures sometimes used in 'high' fashion. Thank goodness, I don't want to know there's a deeper meaning to clothes I wear.
April 3, 2015
A very stimulant book. Many pictures and references that lead us to know the humanity and the fashion too.
March 16, 2019
A very interesting visual history of fashion! I read a lot of books like this, and this isn't a book for you to learn anything, but it does show the evolution of fashion unlike any other book I've read. It even tries to be diverse, which most books don't even dare to do. It isn't a perfect book by all means, but it's one of the better ones for sure! If you are on the hunt for a book where you have a lot of text on the history of fashion, this isn't it, but if you need a book with visual representation of the history of fashion this one is one of the best!
May 16, 2016
A nice review of 20th century fashion in snapshots. More of an overview than an in-depth look at each major trend or style, but still really fun to flip through.
July 9, 2024
It was a good look into fashion, gorgeous pictures but not in yearly order which was annoying, kinda just a glorified magazine tbf 😭
March 6, 2018
A great collection of photos with informative captions covering many aspects of fashion since the Edwardian era. (Full disclosure: the book caught my eye with Audrey Hepburn on the cover.) I found I enjoyed the first half a bit more than the second, though that is probably just a matter of personal taste. The first half included photos of Edwardian nobility, the early Hollywood starlets, and the make-do and mend fashion sense of WWII, and perhaps captures the timelessly elegant styles that I like. The section on 1960s to modern day seemed slightly more focused on high/experimental fashion rather than the everyday style highlights of each decade, though it's an interesting contrast, and an excellent way to divide the book. (The comments that passed over the appropriation of cultures in describing various designers and collections didn't quite sit well with me, though.) Still, I enjoyed the overview with details I hadn't thought of before. Multiple reads are perhaps best suited to those who are more interested in the finer details of fashion, but the book makes for a fun browse for anyone interested in flipping through the lovely photos.
April 28, 2013
The book is totally amazing and worth the price. Although, I didn't find anything new for myself, I still enjoyed reading it very much. I think, it would be a wonderful present for those who has just started to become interested in fashion.
August 25, 2012
took me a long time to read this; kept finding new books to take its place :) excellent reference for historical fashion
August 26, 2012
Wundaful. I want to buy this book just so I can look at it every day.
August 31, 2013
This book is not only divided by decade, but also by genre of style. In my opinion it is a good reference book for basic fashion of the past.
March 10, 2019
It is as beautiful inside as its cover promises and each time period is treated with equal care. Many, many amazing pictures, which is what we look for when we purchase a book on fashion. The only reason I'm not five-starring this is because the reading gets a bit tiring sometimes.
August 1, 2021
Originally published in 2012, this book is now 9 years old and obviously does not include designers or designs past its publication date. Nevertheless, a very enjoyable read. A look at fashion from 1900-today is a must for all fashion lovers.
July 29, 2019
[coffee table book] one of the best collections with fashion photography that I've seen so far.
June 15, 2021
Fascinating. Fashion is always changing and yet fashion is often drawn from the past making new looks with old looks. Wonderful Illustrations.
July 22, 2024
A really beautiful book.
From the last empress of Russia to Hollywood stars and wartime snapshots to Lady Gaga, every important change in women's fashion is illustrated by photos or magazine illustrations, often in colour. Each picture has a short description with details about cut, material, designer etc. and the individual chapters are headed by a short quote from literature of the time about fashion. There are two essays, one covering the time from 1900 to the 1950s and a second one about the time between 1960 and today. The essays are very informative and I would have liked more of this - as it is, this book is mostly a picture-book, but nevertheless very informative and definitly lovely to look at.
In short, this book provides a very good visual overview over fashion trends from 1900 to today.
From the last empress of Russia to Hollywood stars and wartime snapshots to Lady Gaga, every important change in women's fashion is illustrated by photos or magazine illustrations, often in colour. Each picture has a short description with details about cut, material, designer etc. and the individual chapters are headed by a short quote from literature of the time about fashion. There are two essays, one covering the time from 1900 to the 1950s and a second one about the time between 1960 and today. The essays are very informative and I would have liked more of this - as it is, this book is mostly a picture-book, but nevertheless very informative and definitly lovely to look at.
In short, this book provides a very good visual overview over fashion trends from 1900 to today.
March 26, 2015
The book chronicles the changes in fashion trend in the last century. It is fascinating to see how the two Wars had influenced designed and things became very utilitarian afterwards. Yet, it is equally sad to see that couture is fading out and has become a tool of media attention for fashion houses' pret-a-porter collections.
Nice collection of pictures and it is here to stay at my bookshelf.
Nice collection of pictures and it is here to stay at my bookshelf.
May 31, 2015
4,5 stars
It should have end with some reflections on fashion.
Anyway I still really like this book, it was a fun read.
It should have end with some reflections on fashion.
Anyway I still really like this book, it was a fun read.
July 16, 2024
Very interesting but it was very focused in what i call "rich people fashion", i wanted to know a bit more about the everyday fashion of the common people as well.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews