Auguste Racinet. The Costume History (Bibliotheca Universalis)

This is one of those books that is just fun to have around. It's easy to get lost in the pages and wonder where the depicted people were going all dressed up, or whether they felt comfortable in the styles of their times. Costume design fascinates me, and I don't even have much interest in the theater.

The book is quite heavy for it's medium size. Page after page of glorious, colorful images, some in black and white. A treasure trove of history. Just by learning the period costumes one can guesstimate the era. A great addition to any library!

I adore everything about it. Explains exactly what they wore in detail then share descriptive pictures about them.

Terrific book! I didn't expect it to be so inclusive but it really represents all time periods.

I studied Fashion at the university and the history of costume has been always my favorite. This book is not ideal textbook which has lots of information to read. Rather it is close to the pictorial archive book which has so many pictures that are hard to be found even in the usual textbooks. I would recommend this book to someone who needs to search for various costume designs through ages or, someone who already has some basic knowledge of the costume history. I think, for me, this book would be a wonderful reference for my further study because this book has a huge collection of pictures.

I enjoyed learning about clothing from other eras.

Very detailed and descriptive regarding dress and furniture designs. Lots of beautiful color illustrations.

So many amazing images! Well organized and easy to follow if you're researching authentic looks from various periods. Also nice to have an affordable option to Racinet art. Would be nicer if it were in a slightly larger page size.