THE Antique & Vintage Clothing Book List!

Thanks Linn, I edited the 20th century fashion category and added it in.

Keep it coming guys as I want this to be a useful list for everyone to refer to :)

Lei
 
Lei -

I posted earlier in a different thread that I also really think the series Everyday Fashions from the Sear's Catalogs are very helpful in dating pieces. I have all of them from the 1920's -1960's. I also recommend Ellie Laubner's "Fashions of the Roaring '20's" and "Fashions of the Turbulent Thirties". I have lots and lots of books and will add more later.

Linn
 
Wonderful lists, Lei, and thanks for your fantastic work on this! Jonathan's book, The Seductive Shoe, is indeed fabulous!!!!!!

A great general-purpose book (at least I have found it so) for beginning research is the Antique Trader Vintage Clothing Price Guide, edited by Husfloen & Kirsh. Not necessarily for the prices (though those are more realistic than other price guides I've seen), but for the plethora of photos of garments from pre-1850 up to 1980. A bit light on menswear, but has separate sections on hats (lots & lots of pics and different styles), purses & bags, shoes, and other accessories. A great help in dating, I think.
 
I like that Antique Trader price guide too. I found mine 2nd hand at an antique fair a couple of years ago, think I paid £3 for it. I take the prices with a grain of salt (by now, they are probably outdated) but I find the photos are helpful for beginning research too.

Lei
 
Uh, looks like I could stock up my little "library" forever :hysterical:. I have a few suggestions too, depending on interest. Of some of them I do not have the English issue, but German or French, but I've looked up the original English title if applicable.

Reprint of the 1927 Sears catalogue

François Boucher - Histoire du Costume / A History of Costume - has been published and re-published for quite a few times I think. History of fashion from the beginning of man up to about 1947 (I have a 1965 French edition). Lots of pictures - mostly of pictures of statues, paintings of the era represented and a few photos of pieces that have been preserved in museums. Lots and lots of details on different styles in different regions of Europe etc. in the text. I find it fascinating all the same. Has a big glossary of terms too. Something for costume history buffs.

Harriet Worsley - Decades of Fashion (Getty images). Photos of fashion, underwear, hats, hairstyles etc. from 1900 to 2000. Lots of celeb photos, but not only.

Vintage Fashion: Collecting and Wearing Designer Classics (several contributing authors, foreword by Zandra Rhodes). Designer fashions from 1900-1990 - beautiful book, also lots of new photos of vintage pieces, info on looks and designers.

Tracy Tolkien - Vintage - The Art of Dressing Up
Book on buying, collecting and wearing vintage, but also on styles 1940s-1990s.

Bags - The book of the Handbag Museum in Amsterdam (Tassenmuseum Hendrikje), published by Pepin Press - handily comes in 7 languages and has loads of photos of handbags. There's also a bit of text on the history and the different kind of bags, though not much information on the bags pictured (usually just one line).

50s Fashion (edited by Jim Heimann)
60s Fashion (edited by Jim Heimann)
Published by Taschen, in their Icons series. Two small books with vintage fashion and beauty ads. Fun to look at, and might maybe help sometime. I think a 1970s book exists as well.

Karin
 
Thanks Lei, Got loads of books on order from this great list, ok they're from the library, but then I can decide which ones I want to buy...which will probably be all of them! One of the books I borrowed awhile back I really miss (so got to buy) and is good for newbies like me:

Vintage fashion : collecting and wearing designer classics / foreword by Zandra Rhodes (Publisher Carlton 2006)
"It provides an awareness of the fashion skills and techniques, as well as pointers on what to look for when sourcing original vintage pieces"

Sarah
 
Lei, you're a marvel! :drinkingtoast: I will be adding some of these wonderful books to my Christmas list. Looks like I'll have a lot of reading and researching to do next year! :excited: Thank you for taking up your valuable time to do this. It's very much appreciated :)
 
Hi Lei,

When I was looking up some of the books listed, I noticed that there's now a revised edition of John Peacock's The Complete Sourcebook which now includes 155 new drawings called:

Fashion since 1900 : the complete sourcebook / John Peacock (2007) IBSN 9780500513453

Sarah
 
Yes it is a lovely book. lots of lovely illustrations and I like the summary at the end of each decade. I will check out Anthropologie....thanks!

Sarah
 
What a fantastic and comprehensive list! It had me running to my shelves to see if there was anything I could add. And making notes for Santa too . . . ;)

I hope I've not duplicated any here, but here's some books that I've found useful and/or gorgeous:

'In Vogue: Six Decades of Fashion' by Georgina Howell - this is quite old but it gives a year by year account of all the major trends from 1916 to 1975 and is chock full of lovely pictures. It was my first dress history book, and I still consult it to this day.

The Look: Adventures in Pop & Rock Fashion by Paul Gorman - recently revised and republished, this one is particularly good for pop/youth culture and menswear.

'Mrs Tinne's Wardrobe: A Liverpool Lady's Clothes 1900-1940' by Pauline Rushton - this was published by National Museums Liverpool to coincide with their wonderful exhibition, which was basically the wardrobe of a wealthy Liverpool woman with a bad shopping habit! This really is an excellent book which catalogues every item in the 700 piece collection - including her children's clothing - and is beautifully photographed.

'Through the Looking Glass: A History of Dress from 1860 to the Present Day' by Elizabeth Wilson and Lou Taylor - a great primer on dress history that was published to coincide with a BBC tv series (that they should repeat!) Its essential reading. And no, I'm not the least bit biased because Lou Taylor was my tutor at university ;)

'A History of 20th Century Clothing' by Elizabeth Ewing - another great general history of dress, which is particularly strong on the growth of the ready-to-wear industry in Britain.

'The Savile Row Story: An Illustrated History' by Richard Walker - I think this is out of print, which is a shame because there's very little published about Savile Row. This is the only one you need!

There's a ton more I could add, but I've gone on long enough, sorry! :embaressed:

Sarah
 
Wow Sarah! Can't wait to check your library out! I'm off to find the Vogue (6 decades) and Mrs Tinne's Wardrobe - it's the nosey nature in me! I just can't wait to see what she had in her wardrobe. Sounds fascinating! Thanks for sharing. :)
 
I don't mess about! Just ordered 3 of your recommendations Sarah. :) Total price including shipping came to £21.15 - what a bargain!! hehehe! Ordered used copies of Vogue and Through the Looking glass and new copy of Mrs Tinne's wardrobe. Check the prices out!

In Vogue: Six Decades of Fashion' by Georgina Howell - £2.97
Mrs Tinne's Wardrobe: A Liverpool Lady's Clothes 1900-1940 - £9.39
Through the Looking Glass: A History of Dress from 1860 to the Present Day - £0.54p :jawdrop:

Postage was almost as much as the books but £21.15 is still an absolute bargain and will provide me with hours and hours of drooling time! :rolleyes:

All purchased from Amazon.co.uk

Thanks again for the book info and the link. It's just up my street! :USETHUMBUP:
 
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