A History of Costume

By Carl Köhler and Carl Kohler

Book Overview

"A History of Costume" offers an exhaustive and scholarly exploration of the evolution of human dress from the ancient world to the late nineteenth century. Carl Kohler provides a meticulous account of the styles, materials, and tailoring techniques that defined various historical periods, including Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance, extending into the sophisticated fashions of the 1800s.

This work is distinguished by its emphasis on the practical aspects of costume design. Rather than merely describing the appearance of garments, Kohler delves into their construction, often providing insights into patterns and the way fabric was draped or stitched. The book serves as an essential resource for historians, costume designers, and students of fashion, illustrating how social status, cultural shifts, and technological advancements influenced the silhouette and functionality of attire throughout history.

By documenting the transition from simple tunics to elaborate court dress, "A History of Costume" remains a foundational text in the study of material culture. It captures the artistic and social significance of clothing, making it an invaluable guide for anyone interested in the rich tapestry of sartorial history.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025714385
• ISBN13: 9781025714387
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 498 Pages
• Weight: 1.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A must for costumers!

As it covers all eras, from ancient to present, mainly the western world, I believe that it does a great job. Patterns are great, and useful. The description of each era is great.

Favorite

This was one of my favorite books as a child. I took it out of the library dozens of time to look at the beautiful illustrations and try to draw them or make doll clothes like them. So many great memories!

Interesante

Es un libro muy interesante, con muchas ilustraciones que dan apoyo al texto. Trae varios patrones para la confección de éstos; sin embargo, no puedo comentar si son de ayuda pues no los he utilizado aún. Considero que es un buen libro para consultar por diferentes períodos de la historia, para obtener ayuda y sacar ideas.

Good detailed reference

The text of this book is dry, but very informative. There are many sketched and black and white illustrations, but not enough to fully support the text. (I recommend Boucher's 20,000 Years of Fashion as a companion). The patterns give a better idea of the construction of the clothes, but they are approximations and no tips are given for making your own. Make sure you refer to other sources before using his patterns. This book is most useful for its detailed descriptions of specific periods, including not just the cut and style of the period, but also material, shoes, hairstyles, accessories, and who wore what and how and on what occasions.

A wonderful book, indespensabl when costuming

This book has helped me enormously when I was trying to costume many plays and events. Though the patterns in the book are not quite exact, they give so good of a beginning for costume work that they have helped so much in the detail work.