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Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic Survey
A noted photohistorian documents bonnets, capes, frock coats, caps, shawls, bodices, and crinolines as people actually wore them from 1840 through 1914. More than 200 photos depict aristocrats and the middle class as well as Oscar Wilde, Lillie Langtry, Winston Churchill, Queen Victoria, and others. Commentary and annotations describe and identify the costumes.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 24, 2009
Imagine trying to research late 20th century fashion with nothing but Vogue magazine as a reference. Naturally you would assume that everyone had a BMI of 14%, bizarre hair was the rage, visible hard nipples were just part of the fashion, and we were all running around in the snow like suicidal mantis bugs with lipstick smeared halfway up our cheeks and nothing but the most outre $5000 tank tops money could buy.
This is effectively how we are presented with Victorian fashion. Illustrated high style fashion magazines like La Mode Illustree have become our "references" while it's relatively rare to see realistic depictions of the actual fashions of the time, and so illustrated example models of idealized bodies wearing idealized fashions has become the assumed norm.
This book is about the best remedy for that short of a trip in a time machine. 235 photographs spanning the period from the introduction of the photograph in 1839 to the years leading up to WWI with heavy annotation present a fairly realistic overall picture of what a fashionable person of each age would be swishing about town in. The main focus is England though there are a few references to other countries (primarily France), and while there are references to the clothing of people of lesser means, this is primarily an investigation of those who had enough money to actually keep up with the fashions of the time.
Don't let the page count fool you, what this book lacks in size it makes up for in information density. Descriptions of fashions from both modern points of view and period text references are cross referenced with the included photographs and give a pretty complete picture of each trend and clothing item described. There is a fair amount of men's fashion described as well, which is pretty damn rare in Victorian references. My only issue with this book is the relative difficulty of following the photographic references as they are grouped together in four large clumps distributed throughout the book. The photographs are numbered sequentially but the photographic sections do not have page numbers, so finding the photographs referred to in a single sentence can take you flipping through half of the book. Given that there are in text references every 50 words or so this gets old extremely quickly, but even so it was worth the effort.
I expect this to become a go-to reference for Victorian clothing and it is highly recommended as such for those with more then a passing interest in Victorian and Edwardian fashion, though I will likely add some tabs to the photograph sections to make it easier to find the referenced images and I suggest doing the same.
This is effectively how we are presented with Victorian fashion. Illustrated high style fashion magazines like La Mode Illustree have become our "references" while it's relatively rare to see realistic depictions of the actual fashions of the time, and so illustrated example models of idealized bodies wearing idealized fashions has become the assumed norm.
This book is about the best remedy for that short of a trip in a time machine. 235 photographs spanning the period from the introduction of the photograph in 1839 to the years leading up to WWI with heavy annotation present a fairly realistic overall picture of what a fashionable person of each age would be swishing about town in. The main focus is England though there are a few references to other countries (primarily France), and while there are references to the clothing of people of lesser means, this is primarily an investigation of those who had enough money to actually keep up with the fashions of the time.
Don't let the page count fool you, what this book lacks in size it makes up for in information density. Descriptions of fashions from both modern points of view and period text references are cross referenced with the included photographs and give a pretty complete picture of each trend and clothing item described. There is a fair amount of men's fashion described as well, which is pretty damn rare in Victorian references. My only issue with this book is the relative difficulty of following the photographic references as they are grouped together in four large clumps distributed throughout the book. The photographs are numbered sequentially but the photographic sections do not have page numbers, so finding the photographs referred to in a single sentence can take you flipping through half of the book. Given that there are in text references every 50 words or so this gets old extremely quickly, but even so it was worth the effort.
I expect this to become a go-to reference for Victorian clothing and it is highly recommended as such for those with more then a passing interest in Victorian and Edwardian fashion, though I will likely add some tabs to the photograph sections to make it easier to find the referenced images and I suggest doing the same.
August 9, 2020
Actually hard to score - some of it is a clear 5-star, other more around the 3-star mark.
The good:
The fundamental idea of the book: presenting photographs as a contrast to (drawn) fashion plates, thus translating the fashion ideas to how it was used by real people.
The depth of knowledge of the fashion evolution.
The wealth of material. The book includes 235 photo.
The a bit more annoying:
The constant flipping. All those photos are referenced in the text, but not always in order, but the photos are in blocks, so you will spend a lot of time going back and forth, which breaks the reading experience a bit.
The selected material. The author states in the beginning that she has chosen photos of just the upper classes (not even the middle classes get a chance to show up). The point is to see how high fashion looked like in reality. But most people don't wear high fashion. It would have been so interesting to see how that fashion translated to people with less means, how long different parts of fashion survived in different parts of society (and, at least in the later part of the period, almost everyone - even people we would call "poor" - went to the photographer, so getting material would not have been an issue).
But all in all, a good reference book - as long as you keep in mind that it might not reflect how everyone dressed at any specific time.
The good:
The fundamental idea of the book: presenting photographs as a contrast to (drawn) fashion plates, thus translating the fashion ideas to how it was used by real people.
The depth of knowledge of the fashion evolution.
The wealth of material. The book includes 235 photo.
The a bit more annoying:
The constant flipping. All those photos are referenced in the text, but not always in order, but the photos are in blocks, so you will spend a lot of time going back and forth, which breaks the reading experience a bit.
The selected material. The author states in the beginning that she has chosen photos of just the upper classes (not even the middle classes get a chance to show up). The point is to see how high fashion looked like in reality. But most people don't wear high fashion. It would have been so interesting to see how that fashion translated to people with less means, how long different parts of fashion survived in different parts of society (and, at least in the later part of the period, almost everyone - even people we would call "poor" - went to the photographer, so getting material would not have been an issue).
But all in all, a good reference book - as long as you keep in mind that it might not reflect how everyone dressed at any specific time.
November 1, 2011
Love the Victorian/Edwardian era and I love looking into the past with all these pictures.
June 22, 2022
I am absolutely kicking myself for not getting this book sooner. This has wonderful pictures that describe fashion at the time better than most fashion plates. Not only is it great if you are into fashion history, but if you are a collector of photos and CDV like me, it really helps a lot to date them as well!
June 8, 2022
The content in this book is 5 star, wonderful pictures, but the book itself is cheaply produced, so that takes away from the overall effect. (I kept thinking how glorious it would have been with cleaner, crisper reproductions on slick paper.)
May 5, 2012
This was a really interesting, in-depth look at Victorian fashion. There was a lot of information to absorb, and a lot of the details I very quickly forgot (like which years bodices were pointed and what sort of angle at which women were wearing hats that year), but it was really helpful to get a sort of overview of how fashion transformed through the years.
There are also notes throughout the text referring to pictures in the book, so rather than just reading, "A variety of small cloth or felt country caps and hats were in use, and for several decades a square-crowned hard hat," and trying to figure it out for yourself, there are numbers of corresponding pictures in the text so you can flip through and see an example for yourself.
I also liked the variety of sources used. There is information about what royals were wearing, but also about what regular people wore. There are notes on high fashion, but also information to let the reader know that sometimes no one was wearing what high fashion would have us think they were wearing. And there was also information about people who were critical of the trends of the times. It was even fascinating to see some comments on how slow England was to catch up with some trends (like the bustle).
Then, of course, there were the pictures, which is the main reason I bought the book, and they were wonderful.
There are also notes throughout the text referring to pictures in the book, so rather than just reading, "A variety of small cloth or felt country caps and hats were in use, and for several decades a square-crowned hard hat," and trying to figure it out for yourself, there are numbers of corresponding pictures in the text so you can flip through and see an example for yourself.
I also liked the variety of sources used. There is information about what royals were wearing, but also about what regular people wore. There are notes on high fashion, but also information to let the reader know that sometimes no one was wearing what high fashion would have us think they were wearing. And there was also information about people who were critical of the trends of the times. It was even fascinating to see some comments on how slow England was to catch up with some trends (like the bustle).
Then, of course, there were the pictures, which is the main reason I bought the book, and they were wonderful.
February 28, 2016
Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic Survey is an excellent title both for the historical researcher and for authors. I am currently writing a story set in 1862 and bought this book to ensure my characters were dressed correctly for the period. For that purpose, it did not disappoint. The text is informative and the images help to illustrate each point. Don't be put off by the small page count as that only includes the pages of text, not all the additional pages of images interspersed throughout the book. The only thing I might have liked in addition is some sketches of certain details where they are unclear in the photos.
June 15, 2010
One of the perks of this book as a visual reference is that it does use authentic photos instead of drawings, so there's also a lot of great atmospheric detail. You know, it never hurts to throw a Victorian urn or two in your drawing. Plus an astonishing number of these ladies look ill-tempered if not downright insane, and I personally can never get enough of crazy ladies in hats. I hope they are not cursing me from beyond the grave.
September 8, 2022
This interesting book has 235 photographs of middle-upper class people taken during the two eras. I expected them to be from England, but there are also photographs from Prague, Germany, America, Scotland, France, Prussia, Brussels, Austria, Italy, Ireland, and Greece. So many of the dresses were works of art. It's a shame color photography wasn't possible at the time, but the detail and even the fabrics used are easy to detect (esp. velvet.) Some of the photographs made me think of "Downton Abbey" or other period dramas. People changed their clothes several times a day, so their clothes were made for different times of the days and for various activities. There are examples of walking dresses, evening gowns, visiting dresses, riding habits, women's hockey costumes, archery, yachting, boating, tennis (played in long tied-back skirts with trains for heaven's sake), cycling, and sunbathing (in a long dress for the ladies and a suit for the man.) There's even a photograph of a woman climbing Grindelwald Glacier in a crinoline. They all look very fashionable, BUT how on earth did they manage to EVER be comfortable? Unfortunately, it wasn't a time of flattering hair styles and very little or no makeup was worn, but many women were very beautiful, nonetheless. Alison has included quite a bit of information along with the photographs. I wish the photograph descriptions were below each photograph, but they're in a long list of notes, which makes it difficult for the reader.
May 15, 2020
The book was thoroughly researched and I loved the images. I appreciated all the descriptions and details. I found the layout and format difficult to navigate. I’m not a fan of reading and then having to flip back and forth to find the images that corresponded to the text. I wish they were inset so there was more of a flow to the book. It took the joy out of it for me and made it so much longer to read.
November 18, 2018
Excellent beginning resource for students of costume and social history. The only complaint is that it should have been even more detailed, which is not a fair one, but the author's choices include just enough rare and tantalizing snapshots into the lives of commoner and Royal alike, that it is a shame there isn't more.
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October 22, 2021Other reviews refer to the problems of flipping pages, etc, that make this book an awkward resource. What sets it apart is the author is happy to offer her own opinions, making for an entertaining read. Like other readers I would liked to have read more about the fashion moving down through the classes, but definitely a useful reference to how the upper class reacted to the mode of the day
June 13, 2021
Absolutely magical. The best kind of picture book.
January 30, 2023
Being a thorough collection of (wealthy Caucasian-European) photographs of the time, this is almost an impassable source; fashion plates, the contemporary equivalent of fashion magazines, were then hand-drawn and could therefore portray a completely idealized picture. Seeing what clothing looked like on actual people, and what people actually wore despite what was being advertised, is invaluable.
This book has one glaring flaw that impedes it from being the perfect resource or even reading material: its layout. One must constantly reference three separate sections while reading: the notes on images, the main text, and the images themselves, which are kept completely separate. While it is understandably the way books were designed at the time, with images all in one section for ease of printing, it is really the Notes on the outfits portrayed in the photographs being separated from the image that is truly baffling. If the Notes were supplemental or bibliographical information it would be perfectly alright for them to be separate, but as it is the information is actually critical to understanding what is being worn in the photographs and how. This invaluable source is more than deserving of a more dynamic, modern edition but screaming for it.
This book has one glaring flaw that impedes it from being the perfect resource or even reading material: its layout. One must constantly reference three separate sections while reading: the notes on images, the main text, and the images themselves, which are kept completely separate. While it is understandably the way books were designed at the time, with images all in one section for ease of printing, it is really the Notes on the outfits portrayed in the photographs being separated from the image that is truly baffling. If the Notes were supplemental or bibliographical information it would be perfectly alright for them to be separate, but as it is the information is actually critical to understanding what is being worn in the photographs and how. This invaluable source is more than deserving of a more dynamic, modern edition but screaming for it.
January 18, 2009
A quick read, but this book is most essential because of the real photographs. The photographs range from 1840 to the 1910s. That was the main thing for me: Photographs. No drawings or illustrations. Tons of photographs of real people.
The only qualm I had while reading is that when a picture was referenced, I had to flip back to find it. Also, it would be nice if the photos were in order of year, but these are small things. The real photographs are both fascinating and stunning.
While I probably won't need to read through this book again, I'll be constantly going back to it to gaze and study the photographs. Essential to someone studying the period.
The only qualm I had while reading is that when a picture was referenced, I had to flip back to find it. Also, it would be nice if the photos were in order of year, but these are small things. The real photographs are both fascinating and stunning.
While I probably won't need to read through this book again, I'll be constantly going back to it to gaze and study the photographs. Essential to someone studying the period.
September 29, 2014
I really bought this book just to see the photographs. I only skimmed through the written sections, which seem very detailed and useful to someone with a real interest in the fashion of this era. The photos were fantastic; there is a smattering of royalty and personalities that are well known, as well as pictures of average middle class people.
It’s interesting and a good addition to my collection of art and fashion books.
It’s interesting and a good addition to my collection of art and fashion books.
November 23, 2022
VERY good book! The scholarly information in regards to the fashion is a little out dated in its tone (when you read it you'll see what I mean), but the photographs are invaluable. Most of them I've never seen on all my (extensive) research on the internet and through digital archives. It also has a lot of its photographs from middle class people which is really helpful in getting a feel for the "average" and what the general populus was wearing day to day.
January 20, 2012
the writing is a little dry (what do you expect, i guess) but the pictures are great and you get a good idea about the historical context of victorian and edwardian clothing. now when i watch films set in the 1800's i can totally say "oh my god, what do they think i am, an idiot? that bustle was totally not even in style until 1880!"
January 20, 2016
A rather interesting book. I think there should have been a glossary added since there are a number of fashion-related terms that are not defined. I also think that some diagrams of the fashion pieces could have helped, along with some explanation of why the fashions changed over time and who was determining what was "correct" to wear. Still, the photos were quite neat.
July 25, 2014
A good resource for anyone interested in historical clothing styles and the changes in fashion through the 1800s and early 1900s. My only complaint about the book is the layout of it - it was tiresome to flip back and forth to the image plates every time the author mentioned a detail of clothing.
January 18, 2009
Wonderful pictures and commentary.
(thank you, Caitlin!)
(thank you, Caitlin!)
May 6, 2010
An excellent overview how how men and women dressed.
September 14, 2011
A rich source of photographs of historic costume as actually worn. A densely packed, useful little book.
September 20, 2013
I didn't actually read this book entirely. I skimmed the written sections. I had primarily gotten it for the historical photographs. I really enjoyed it though.
August 4, 2012
I just wish I could see the details more clearly. That said, the text is quite informative.
December 28, 2013
Excellent reference. I am currently making two dresses based on pictures from this book.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews