History of Twentieth Century Fashion

By Elizabeth Ewing and Alice MacKrell

Book Overview

The first edition of this book established itself as required reading for all those interested in the development of the fashion business. There are other books on contemporary dress, but this account gives particular weight to the commercial organization of the industry; from designer and textile manufacturer right through to the consumer. This completely revised edition brings the story up to the 1990s with new text, 280 illustrations and 16 color plates.
Fashion in this century has ceased to be the private domain of the wealthy. The era when such names as Worth, Paquin and Sciaparelli could dominate has given way to one where style and 'look' can be taken from a host of various sources: designers and manufacturers, department and chain stores, the boutiques or the streets.
This established reference work looks behind the scenes for an understanding of the social, economic and technical changes that have caused this revolution. It is a story of fashion shocks: two world wars, the impact of new fibers and manufacturing techniques, and the succession of youth explosions: mini-skirts, punk and sportswear. The narrative is based on research into the history of couture houses, retailers and manufacturers and the authors' experience and contact with the fashion business.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0713468181
• ISBN13: 9780713468182
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 2.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

A good basic review of 20th century fashion, but make sure to check which edition you have

_A History of 20th Century Fashion_ is best appreciated as what it is; a basic, introductory text to the subject of fashion history in the past century. Author Elizabeth Ewing doesn't aim at extremely detailed, in-depth examination of every subheading of the subject of fashion, preferring instead to show the major trends, ideas and designs of the century. The book is very well-illustrated, _always_ a plus in a book on such an inherently visual topic (in fact, I consider good illustration so important in a book on fashion that I'll deduct a full star from my review of any book on the topic that doesn't have a decent selection of pictures). Be sure to check which edition you're buying if you want the latest one; the book has been updated several times since its original publication (the edition listed here is the 4th revised edition, dated 2001). Best appreciated in conjunction with other good texts on the subject (such as Caroline Millbank's _Couture_ and Ruth Lynam's _Couture_, or James Laver's _Fashion and Costume_), but nonetheless definitely recommended for a costume student's library.

History of 20th Century Fashion

History of 20th Century Fashion contains information on the styling and designers that made them. It starts in the 1900's and goes to 1980's. It tells about the trends and fashions of that era and the designers who made them. The book goes into detail about some of the designer's life and his or her achievements. The book also makes the connection to the Paris inspirations. Not only does this book discuss the clothing but it also discusses the shoes and the hairstyles. History of 20th Century Fashions covers everything that happened from 1900 to 1980. if you need a book for fashion history this is it this is extremly detaled and self explanatory.