Victorian Costume for Ladies 1860-1900
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource!, May 3, 2012One of the best costume books I've seen. The author divides the time period into trends, and points out the fashionable skirt shape, bodice style, hair, jewelry, sleeves, and so on. Then each chapter includes many pages of examples showing exactly what she just covered so it really gels in your mind. She even discusses what it was like to wear the clothes of the time: not just the constricting whalebone corset but such things as the weight of the multiple layers of skirts and the restricted arm movement that comes with the drop-shouldered sleeve. This book also covers things such as how laundry was done and the tricks women used at the time to reduce time spent laundering clothes and to extend the life of a garment. I just wish the book had also covered men's clothing! --By Julia Smith book wyrm (CA United States)5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing reference, June 5, 2011I love the Victorian Era and I also write historical fiction. I'm always looking for good resources and this book is an excellent addition to my collection.The author gives a brief introduction about the time period and what people were wearing. Ms. Setnik then explains what dresses looked like, and what they were made from. She then has a category in each chapter for sleeves, hair and jewelry(which I found very helpful). Within the chapters there are a ton of pictures which were great examples of what she already wrote about. I'm no seamstress so occasionally I wasn't sure what she was talking about but the pictures helped me understand.Included in this book are chapters on laundry, cosmetics, hygiene and so much more.There were only two problems I had with this book. One, it doesn't come in hardcover, which is a huge disappointment for me. The other issue I had was the book is large, so it was cumbersome for me to hold. I wish it had been smaller, though I suppose if it had then the reader wouldn't get all of the great photos. And some of the photos are very large showing off great details.Anyone who is interested in the Victorian Era and what women wore needs to buy this. Its a great reference. Highly recommended. --By YA Librarian (Always Cloudy Upstate NY)5.0 out of 5 stars The best book for ID of 19th C. clothing, December 3, 2004This is a great book for anyone who collects victorian clothing. It is the one I refer to when trying to find the date of a particular piece. It goes into the detail of what was fashionable for the bodice, skirt, sleeve, etc. broken down into approximately two-six year periods. The pictures are of old CDV's so you can see how the dresses were actually worn (most originating from California). There are no pictures of period garments up close as some other books have. Still, the best book at mentioning fashions in detail for dating and illustrates tricky terms such as basque and cuirass bodices. --By Garnet (New York, NY United States)