Survey of Historic Costume

This should be a familiar title to anyone who has ever been involved in Occidental fashion history. After 25 years in print, this survey can reliably be called a classic in its field. Outstanding features include lavish full-color photographs, maps, diagrams, and other graphic material; numerous sidebar articles show, for example, how past clothing styles have influenced modern designs ("Global Connections") and what people of various eras had to say about dress in their own day ("Contemporary Comments"); careful documentation, as references to sources consulted appear at the end of each chapter; and finally, an ample bibliography that concludes the text. Ancillary materials include online access to "Studio," which is a set of electronic enhancements, such as flash cards, self-quizzes, videos, and so forth. Tortora (emerita, historic costume & furnishings, textiles, Queens College, City Univ. New York; coauthor, The Fairchild Books Dictionary of Textiles; The Fairchild Books Dictionary of Fashion), who has been the lead author of this volume from its inception, and new coauthor Marcketti (apparel, events & hospitality management; associate director, Ctr. for Excellence in Learning and Teaching; formerly curator, Textiles & Clothing Museum, all at Iowa State Univ.) offer not a reference book per se but rather a college textbook for use in coursework in Western fashion history. Judicious use of headings and subheadings divide the text into almost encyclopedia-style entries, giving details on specific aspects of personal adornment, such as "Garments," "Hair and Headdresses," "Footwear," and "Jewelry," for men, women, and children. The material is arranged chronologically, beginning with the ancient Middle East and progressing through the eras and empires of Greece, Rome, and the Middle Ages, right up to present-day Europe and the United States.