The Story of Costume

Hunting for suitable attire for a Trafalgar dinner last year sent me in search of my copies of books on costume by James Laver and Phillis Cunnington (now long out of print but included here in the excellent list of further reading). I realised that there were few good books available for children today, so John Peacock’s pictorial history of costume is to be welcomed. A former costume designer for the BBC and author of many fashion sourcebooks, his detailed drawings reflect the artistic style of the period, from the profiled figures of Ancient Egypt to the gracefully swaying figures of the Medieval Age of Romance. The notes accompanying each costume frieze include information about how a particular style of garment evolved over a period of time, as well as detail about fabrics, accessories, shoes, hats and hairstyles. Annotation would have helped to draw out more information from the illustrations. Nevertheless this is a useful reference tool for history projects, students of fashion, school plays or authentic dressing up.