Albert Racinet: Illustrated History of European Costume

The changing fashions in costumes and accessories from the medieval period to the 19th century are presented here through the beautiful colour lithographs of the great 19th-century French authority Albert Racinet. His original text has been edited to make his work more widely accessible but his intriguing snippets of information, such as how Renaissance Venetian women dyed their hair, and his personal comments on fashion excesses have been retained. For each period, from Antiquity to the Middle Ages and beyond, figures are drawn in a variety of positions with painstaking detail but with each drawing influenced by the period it is representing. There are also lavish illustrations of jewellery, hats, ruffs, pipes and living interiors. This large format book finishes with patterns for the toga and an assortment of other costumes. An enjoyable and colourful journey through European history.