MELISSA LEVENTON is a freelance consultant curator, and was Chief Curator of Textiles at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco until 2002. She teaches Fashion History at the California College of Art.
"What People Wore When combines the studies of two classic
nineteenth-century illustrators, Auguste Racinet and Friedrich
Hottenroth. According to the book's introduction, their work is
presented first by era and then by subject, so that illustrators,
historians, and students can choose to follow the path of fashion
through the centuries or study in detail the contrasting styles of
individual clothing and accessories....
In the first section of the book, 'The Grammar of Costume, '
drawings portray the changing trends of fashion worldwide from
ancient times to the mid-nineteenth century. The second part, 'The
Elements of Costume, ' surveys types of clothing and accessories,
for example, 'Women's Dress, 1300-1600' and 'Regional Headwear.' In
both sections, cross-references and navigation bars draw attention
to recurring motifs. A glossary defines most, but not all, of the
terms that are italicized in the text, which was written by leading
experts in the field of costume history. Detailed annotations of
the drawings and illustrations, along with the glossary and index,
provide an interesting study of the vocabulary of style through the
ages." --Booklist
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