Fashion - A History from the 18th to the 20th Century

Dress codes: The ultimate compendium of clothing

 

Clothes define people. A person’s attire, whether it’s a sari, kimono, or business suit, is an essential code to his or her culture, class, personality, even faith. Founded in 1978, the Kyoto Costume Institute recognizes the importance of understanding clothes from sociological, historical, and artistic perspectives. With one of the world’s most extensive clothing collections, the KCI has amassed a wide range of historical garments, underwear, shoes, and fashion accessories dating from the 18th century to the present day.

Showcasing the Institute’s vast collection, Fashion is a fascinating excursion through the last three centuries of clothing trends. Featuring impeccable photography of clothing expertly displayed and arranged on custom-made mannequins, it is a testimony to attire as “an essential manifestation of our very being” and to the Institute's passion for fashion as a complex and intricate art form.

The book's authors include some of the smartest minds and sharpest eyes in fashion studies: Akiko Fukai (Chief Curator of The Kyoto Costume Institute), Tamami Suoh (Curator of The Kyoto Costume Institute), Miki Iwagami (Lecturer of fashion history at Sugino Fashion College (Tokyo)), Reiko Koga (Professor of fashion history at Bunka Women’s University), and Rie Nii (Associate Curator of The Kyoto Costume Institute).

 

About the series:

Bibliotheca Universalis Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price!

Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, the name TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together nearly 100 of our all-time favorite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia.

Bookworm’s delight never bore, always excite!

Hardcover: 648 pages

Publisher: Taschen (November 20, 2015)

Language: English

Product Dimensions: 5 x 1 x 7 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

Reviews

"700+ pages, covering three centuries of fashion in close-up detail. The photography provides close-ups of detailing such as seams, embroidery, buttons/closures, and the like, which is very important to costumers and designers.

A must for your fashion library."

- A. C.

"If you like costume and fashion history, this is the book for you. It is everything I look for in a book on this subject...a detailed, clear picture on every page, a brief description of what I am looking at, and a sensible timeline. This book is a grand overview of the Kyoto Costume Collection which, in less than 30 years, has become one of the major collections and resource centers for fashion. It shows many pieces that I have not seen in other books and collections, and includes detail photographs of the outfit as well as a full length view. I own 2 copies and tirelessly recommend this book and give it out as gifts."

- Patrick J. Bevilacqua

"This book is nothing short of amazing!! The entire book is detail color photos of existing historical costumes. You get intimate with the weave of fabrics, types of trims, and brilliant colors. Additionally, the book offers historical portrait paintings of the era which contain fabrics or details similar to the photographed costumes, so you can compare and see these costumes in context!"

- R. Parks

"This book is spectacular. I have nothing bad to say about it at all. It chronicles fashion from the 18th century to today, and it shows as well as tells you clear examples of every changing detail. I'm interested in both historical and modern fashion, and this book is a fantastic resource for both victorian fashion and current fashion and everything in between. the picture quality is top notch and every item is displayed and photographed flawlessly. the text is interesting and informative. i'd say this is a must have for any fashion student, especially ones interested in alternative or historical fashion. I like that this book chronicles western fashion, but since it was published in japan from a japanese school, it examines the effects that the east had on western fashion. they also include lots of women designers even from historical times when women were not commonly coture designers. there is detailed information about why fashions changed and the influences impacting the changes without getting off the subject and turning into a history lesson. this book gets an A+ and is worth every penny i paied for it."

- EP Trauma

"Gorgeous photography and design, beautiful pieces. This one is a feast for the eyes and an incredibly helpful body of information for designers and artists. I would love to see this collection in person, but this book is the next best thing."

- Theresa May

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