Fashion Plates: 150 Years of Style
by: Calahan, April

Hardcover. New Haven, CT, Yale University Press, 1st, 2015, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, 440 pages. Hardcover in purple slipcase. Very clean, unmarked copy still in shrink wrap. Gilt lettering on spine. Profusely illustrated with over 200 color plates. Tight copy. Prior to the invention of photography, European and American magazines used colorful prints to depict the latest fashion trends. These illustrations, known as "fashion plates," conveyed the cutting-edge styles embraced by the fashion-conscious elite and proved inspirational to the upwardly mobile. This lavishly illustrated book provides a comprehensive survey of 200 color plates from publications dating from 1778 to the early 20th century, accompanied by authoritative and fascinating texts. Organized chronologically and featuring both men's and women's garments, these lively and colorful vignettes not only are beautiful, but also deftly illustrate the evolution of fashion over time.