Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 391.00973
EAN num: 9780300095807
ISBN number: 0300095805
Label: Yale University Press
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 256
Printing Date: November 01, 2002
Publishing house: Yale University Press
Sale Popularity Level: 672021
Studio: Yale University Press
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Product Description:
Paintings of upper-class men and women tell an important part of the history of costumes, but surviving garments themselves reveal even more. Every crease, stitch and stain in a piece of clothing supplies information about its wearer and its era. This volume features 18th- and early 19th-century garments from the collection of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Illustrated with more than 300 colour photographs, including many details and back views, the book treats not only elegant, high-style clothing in colonial America but also garments for every day and work, the clothing of slaves, and maternity and nursing apparel. Drawing on contemporary written descriptions and on actual costumes of the period, the text analyzes what Americans in the 18th century considered fashionable and attractive and how they used clothing to assert status or to identify occupations. It also examines the myths and meanings of clothing in British and American society, clothing for the entire life cycle, and a history of clothing alteration. There are informative sidebars on a variety of topics.
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Rated by buyers -
I haven't finished reading this book, but it's a real treasure. The pictures even brought me to tears at a couple of points -- yes, I'm a sap. Truly, though, the clothing just seems to resonate with lives long past. They were painstakingly made by hand and worn by men, women and children of varying walks of life, not just the wealthy, although their clothing survived most often, of course. The clothes have stories to tell that in most cases the people who wore them never put to pen and paper.
The book is exactly what the title says -- a look at how surviving articles of clothing (including shoes, hose, etc.) reveal the circumstances and stages of a person's life in colonial and federal America, not to mention the wider forces at play around them.
I can definitely recommend What Clothes Reveal for history buffs and writers -- not sure about costume designers, but perhaps that's covered in another review.
Rated by buyers -
After spending a whole day at a Living History event, trying to justify spending that sort of money on a book. Which at the time was sealed and the vendor would not allow it to be opened. I finally bit the bullet and made the purchase. It is one of my all time favorite clothing books. The images are stunning, both full shots of pieces and close-ups. There are accessories, undergarments, et cetera. It includes a range of styles in the 18th century for men and women. Some children's garments. It is not all just aristocratic or high fashion, though it isn't lacking it either. But, the uberness of this book does not stop there. After I stopped devouring the pictures like a kid in a candy shop I started reading. I was impressed with the practical approach to fashion history that the author took. Instead of focusing on the outrageous and bizarre fads of fashion. The book also touches on how historians have identified, classified and labeled garments. And how they have been right or wrong in their theories, going on to explain the current position of opinion yesterday with scholars in the field. The text flows with interesting facts and a keen wit and humor. There are quite a few amusing side bars, and a lot of "myth busters". I think this would be a welcome addition to any collection.
Rated by buyers -
"What Clothes Reveal" is very first and foremost a history of American and British wearing apparel from the 18th and early 19th centuries found in the Colonial Williamsburg collection. It is also a social history of the period illustrated by garments and accessories that allows the reader to delve beneath the outer surface silhouette seen in paintings, prints, and on museum mannequins to reveal garment construction, fit, underpinnings, alterations, and simple thrift. While many costume histories focus on a single gender and social class, "What Clothes Reveal" includes examples for men, women, and children--not only gentry but also common folk. While author Baumgarten's "Eighteenth Century Clothing at Williamsburg" was intended to be a catalog of the collection, "What Clothes Reveal" goes several steps further. Baumgarten explores the deeper meaning of individual items and their construction, offers an curatorial interpretation of the garments and objects, and places them in a historical context by identifying details about the original owner where possible. While not intended to be the minute examination of garments in her "Costume Close-up: Clothing Construction and Pattern, 1750-1790," it is an important companion. While the general photos are typical, the detail photos are rare in costume histories. Readers shouldn't ignore the sidebars, the timeline, or the footnotes. The extensive bibliography offers a superb list of additional titles to assist with further research. This book is a must for costume historians, curators, collectors, re-enactors, and others who seek to understand 18th and early 19th century garments and the lives and times of those who wore them. Baumgarten unbuttons many mysteries in a thoroughly readable style, leaving the reader anxious for her subsequent contribution to the field of costume history.
Rated by buyers -
This remarkable reference book consists of six chapters and a conclusion segment. So much information is included in this work that one can review it on many levels. My interest in this book is 18th century embroidery. The work of an 18th century surface embroiderer is foretold in this book and is portrayed in many venues. Embellished textiles such as stomachers, heavily embroidered pudding caps, women's cord quilted waistoats, swaddling bands for the new infant, and a orange silk infant gown with a matching embroidered satin cap. Also, stunning embelishments on items such as spangled men's waistcoats, still unmade but outlined, on a large piece of silk are displayed with magnified detail allowing stitch colors, patterns, and directions to be studied. Included in What Clothes Reveal are beautiful examples of embroidered aprons for both the gentile ladies and the common women, different styles of pockets, covered and embroidered buttons, men's embroidered bargello wallets, and impressive men's caps. Baumgarten also included beautiful examples of ladies' fans, a wedding gown, and full maternity and nursing gown details including stays.
I ordered this book upon its release and studied it relentlessly. Afterwards I went to Colonial Williamsburg and experienced very first hand this entire collection. With knowing and understanding the inside workings of this display, I was able to totally appreciate and understand the items in front of me.
Rated by buyers -
I am a historical seamstress that uses this book to copy the shape and style of Rev.War garments. I really love this book and go back to it over and over. It is a very useful book in my reference library.
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