Skip to content
Scan a barcode
Scan
Added to your cart
Paperback What People Wore: 1,800 Illustrations from Ancient Times to the Early Twentieth Century Book

ISBN: 0486281620

ISBN13: 9780486281629

What People Wore: 1,800 Illustrations from Ancient Times to the Early Twentieth Century

Select Format

Select Condition ThriftBooks Help Icon

Recommended

Format: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

$8.99
Save $19.01!
List Price $28.00
Almost Gone, Only 2 Left!

Book Overview

"The book is an invaluable guide to all things fashion." -- Collectors' Corner
Spanning nearly 5,000 years of clothing styles, this splendid sourcebook presents a fascinating panorama of wearing apparel, beginning with the ancient Egyptians and continuing through the early decades of the twentieth century.
Over 1,800 drawings -- meticulously researched and accurately rendered by the author -- depict garments ranging from diaphanous gowns of Egyptian royalty, ornate robes of Byzantine dignitaries, and elegant dresses worn by eighteenth-century Parisians, to picturesque outfits of American frontiersmen and the revolutionary 1930s wardrobe of the American flapper.
Here also are informal portraits of Byzantine commoners and religious figures, Elizabethans in lace collars and ruffs, upper-class Venetians, English dandies, and French gentlemen of the mid-eighteenth century as well as detailed illustrations of nineteenth-century New York farmers, western fur trappers, cowboys, mountain men, and lumberjacks, Klondike prospectors, Mississippi rivermen, and many more. A brief historical survey precedes the chronologically grouped illustrations of each period, and an overall list supplies the source for each drawing. A comprehensive reference for artists, designers, and social historians, this invaluable treasury will also intrigue anyone interested in the evolution of wearing apparel.

Related Subjects

Cooking Cooking

You Might Also Enjoy

The Minimalist Cooks Dinner
The Minimalist Cooks Dinner
Mark Bittman

from: $4.49

The Everyday Meat Guide: A Neighborhood Butcher's Advice Book
The Everyday Meat Guide: A Neighborhood Butcher's Advice Book
Chris Peterson, Ray Venezia

from: $7.99

The Food Matters Cook Book
The Food Matters Cook Book
Mark Bittman

from: $6.09

The Mini Minimalist: Simple Recipes for Satisfying Meals: A Cookbook
The Mini Minimalist: Simple Recipes for Satisfying Meals: A Cookbook
Mark Bittman

from: $7.69

Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix: More Than 700 Simple Recipes and Techniques to Mix and Match for Endless Possibilities
Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix: More Than 700 Simple Recipes and Techniques to Mix and Match for Endless Possibilities
Mark Bittman

from: $9.09

The Minimalist Cooks at Home: Recipes That Give You More Flavor from Fewer Ingredients in Less Time
The Minimalist Cooks at Home: Recipes That Give You More Flavor from Fewer Ingredients in Less Time
Mark Bittman

from: $5.49

Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times: Featuring 350 recipes from the author of HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING and THE BEST RECIPES IN THE WORLD
Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times: Featuring 350 recipes from the author of HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING and THE BEST RECIPES IN THE WORLD
Mark Bittman

from: $4.69

Leafy Greens: An A-To-Z Guide to 30 Types of Greens Plus 200 Delicious Recipes
Leafy Greens: An A-To-Z Guide to 30 Types of Greens Plus 200 Delicious Recipes
Mark Bittman

from: $5.39

Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes
Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes
Mark Bittman

from: $4.09

The Essential New York Times Grilling Cookbook: More Than 100 Years of Sizzling Food Writing and Recipes
The Essential New York Times Grilling Cookbook: More Than 100 Years of Sizzling Food Writing and Recipes
Mark Bittman

from: $5.59

Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal: A Food Science Nutrition History Book
Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal: A Food Science Nutrition History Book
Mark Bittman

from: $4.99

How to Cook Everything: The Basics
How to Cook Everything: The Basics
Mark Bittman

from: $5.59

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food
Mark Bittman

from: $6.09

How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food
How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food
Mark Bittman

from: $4.42

Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express: 404 Inspired Seasonal Dishes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less
Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express: 404 Inspired Seasonal Dishes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less
Mark Bittman

from: $4.59

Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking
Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking
Mark Bittman

from: $5.29

The New York Times Cook Book
The New York Times Cook Book
Craig Claiborne

from: $5.49

The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan: Simple Rules for Losing Weight While You Sleep
The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan: Simple Rules for Losing Weight While You Sleep
Debra Fulghum Bruce, Michael Breus, Debra Fulgham Bruce

from: $5.79

Your Body in Balance: The New Science of Food, Hormones, and Health
Your Body in Balance: The New Science of Food, Hormones, and Health
Neal D. Barnard

from: $6.29

Customer Reviews

8 customer ratings | 1 review

Rated 5 stars
What People Wore

Very informative and exactly what I was looking for: dress for nearly two thousand years and attached pictures.

1Report

Rated 5 stars
Good secondary resource

The black and white illustrations are well researched, and many are reminiscent of fashion plates and other primary resources. While designers and historians should be skeptical of original illustrations because of artistic liberties and accidental changes to the shape, style, and accuracy of the garment, this book is pretty decent/trustworthy. Gorsline also gives specific dates for the illustrations, which is very helpful...

1Report

Rated 5 stars
Probably one of the 2 best costume books ever compiled!

If you design costumes or want to do any type of research on them ... you cannot survive without this book. For a broad cross-section of clothing across the ages, this has it covered. For a more in depth look at Victorian Era costumes, try Victorian fashions and Costumes from Harper's Bazaar 1867-1898.

1Report

Rated 5 stars
Best Reference Book

Every library has this book; every one. But if you'd just pull out that card and take a look at the last recent signout date, as I did, you might be surprised. Almost no one has heard of this book, which really is a shame. As a writer, this is the first book I purchased for reference...and just for browsing through. It's just so neat!

2Report

Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
GoDaddy Verified and Secured