Product Description

"Meticulously detailed as well as gorgeous....The color photographs-which cover page after page and capture these intricate designs in close-up-are the main source of delight."-Time Out (London)

Now available in paperback, this lavishly illustrated book celebrates the Victoria and Albert Museum's magnificent collection of dress from around the world. A source of inspiration to many of today's top designers, these colorful items of clothing, seen here in glorious close-up, will delight all lovers of fashion. The detailed line drawings are of special interest to professionals in any aspect of the fashion field. AUTHOR BIO: Rosemary Crill is a curator in the department of Asian art at the V&A. Jennifer Wearden is a curator in the department of furniture, textiles, and dress at the V&A. Verity Wilson is a curator in the department of Asian art at the V&A.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #108539 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author
Rosemary Crill is a curator in the department of Asian art at the V&A. Jennifer Wearden is a curator in the department of furniture, textiles, and dress at the V&A. Verity Wilson is a curator in the department of Asian art at the V&A.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful but did not meet my needs.
I returned this book to Amazon because it did not meet my needs. Each garment portrayed in this book is portrayed in the same way. There are 2 graphics for each garment portrayed. One is a detailed drawing of each complete garment and the other is a detailed or close-up photograph of a small portion of the garment. My problem is that there were no complete photographs of any of the garments. I was surprised the authors chose not to photograph any of the garments portrayed in their entirety. Not one! A drawing doesn't come close to a photograph. And a close-up photograph of only a portion of the garment is not enough as well. You need a complete photograph of the entire garment in order for the reader to get the proper feel for a garment.

What's Missing
This is indeed a beautiful book, but it is also maddening! A full length color photo of each garment should have been included to demonstrate how the detail relates to the whole and the black and white line drawings don't do it.

Interesting and well laid out
This book features pictures of details from extant ethnic costumes from more than fifty countries. Next to each picture is a flat (line drawing) of the whole garment, which allows you to see construction and some stitching details, as well as the overall shape. Descriptions alongside each flat include mention of the gender, class, time period, and ethnicity of a person who might wear the garment, as well as a context in which they might do so.

The organization is a little odd, since it relates to the particular detail featured (e.g. "Necklines", or "Pleats and Gathers") but the index allows a search by place, which is very helpful. It also includes a map, glossary, and suggestions for further readings. Students interested in cultural dress will enjoy this brief introduction, though for more in-depth studies of a region, they should look into other resources.