Clothes of the Modern World 1800‐2000
Christine Hatt
Belitha Press
London
2001
48pp.
ISBN 1 84138 141 1
£10.99
Keywords Clothing, Fashion
This new series from Belitha Press aims to provide a historical survey of the development of fashion and costume around the world for children aged ten upwards.
Clothes of the Early Modern World covers the period 1500 to 1800, from the Tudor period through seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe and USA to the Mughal Indians, Safavid Persians and Chinese during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Clothes of the Modern World surveys from 1800 to the present day, with emphasis placed on twentieth century developments. Other titles in the series include Clothes of the Ancient World and Clothes of the Medieval World. While the focus of the books is on developments in the West, there is good coverage of clothing from Asian countries and also traditional cultures, for example, American Indians.
Each book opens with an introduction to the major developments of the period and the impact of historical events on changes in clothing styles. For example, during the early modern period, the Reformation and establishment of the Protestant church led to a toning down of dress, looser styles and darker colours. In the modern period, industrialisation, the changing role of women and the development of new fabrics all led to changes in clothing styles. The author also outlines sources of information for the costume historian ‐ how and what we can learn from surviving garments, paintings, fashion plates, record books and even diaries.
The main text follows a chronological survey with an accompanying time line on each page outlining historical events. Children will particularly like the use of colour illustrations, which bring the text alive on every page. Also included are sections on “Accessories” and “Material matters”. “Material matters” contains information on the development of fabrics from the introduction of colour to cotton, the growth of the silk industry, through to the impact of industrialisation, automation of looms and development of new types of fabric. Younger readers will also find useful the glossary, index, contents page and maps section.
This is an excellent series and likely to be well thumbed in school and public libraries for all that project work. The books are written and illustrated in a way that children will be able to understand and will, hopefully, excite their imagination and interest.
