Review by Choice Review
With the addition of new and revised content, British fashion historian Cumming has expanded and improved on her previous edition of this useful reference resource. As before, the main body of the work is an alphabetical listing of key historical fashion terms, dating from medieval times to the present day. Each dictionary citation includes a brief description, gender and period placement, and cross references, if appropriate. Likewise, three separate glossaries for materials and fabrics, lace, and obsolete color names remain. The amended text and enlarged bibliographical sources section are welcome, but the most significant enhancement is the inclusion of color illustrations. The images range from copies of early prints and fashion magazine plates to high-resolution photographs of apparel items held at the Chertsey Museum in England. Each curated example provides additional visual detail for the primarily Western/European apparel and accessories selections. A concise guide to terms, the Dictionary is a practical tool for students and instructors, particularly those in fashion studies programs. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. --Linda J. Frederiksen, Washington State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
This dictionary is based on A Dictionary of English Costume, 900-1900 (1960), by C. W. Cunnington, P. E. Cunnington, and Charles Beard, which provided the basis for the present status of fashion history as an academic discipline. Cumming, the author of the revised edition, is chairman of the Costume Society in Great Britain and has written other books on fashion and dress. In this updated volume, Cumming has edited some of the original entries, which were mini essays rather than definitions. There is added information abou. people, practices and processes that support the production and wearing of clothing. Most of the definitions are less than three sentences in length and start wit. . (for female dress), . (for male dress), or both. In many cases, the period when the term emerged is also provided. A few definitions have the derivation Costume jewelry was coined by the New Yorker magazine in 1933. The original drawings have been eliminated, but there are a limited number of black-and-white photographs; the author recommends using the Internet for better images. New definitions include Cyber fashion, Jellies, Leg warmers, and Uggs. Glossary: Fibres, Fabrics, Materials . Glossary of Laces ; an. Glossary: Obsolete Colour Name. have been retained. In particular, Fibres, Fabrics, Material. has been updated with new terms, including Kevlar, Microfibre, and Velcro. This specialized dictionary would be useful in large public and academic libraries.--Bulson, Christin. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Edited by Cumming and credited to two of the original (now deceased) editors, C.W. Cunnington and P.E. Cunnington, The Dictionary of Fashion History is an update of the classic work first published in 1960, most recently updated in 1976. This new version boasts photographs, whereas earlier editions included drawings. Concise yet detailed, academic, and fabulous, it is truly a dictionary-a compendium of fashion and fashion-related terms, defined in alphabetical order-and it covers 900 C.E. to the present day. Of a similarly high quality, The Berg Companion to Fashion-edited by Steele, director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology-presents 300 alphabetically arranged articles including topical, modern coverage as well as the expected historical entries. Articles focus on clothing, textiles, adornment, and people. Most are from Gale's 2004 Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion (also edited by Steele); some have been updated. While both titles are excellent, a library owning Gale's work has little need to purchase Companion. BOTTOM LINE The Dictionary of Fashion History is an essential purchase (and great value!) for any library serving patrons with an interest in fashion, clothing, art, history, theater, anthropology, or nearly any area of the social sciences. Likewise, if a library has no fashion reference, at $49.95 The Berg Companion to Fashion is the title to get. The earlier Gale work this is based upon, mentioned above, is even better, though it retails at $540. And finally, the true showstopper in this field is the new ten-volume Berg/Oxford Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion (2010, $1,995). [The online work encompassing this material, Berg Fashion Library, won the 2011 RUSA Dartmouth Medal for outstanding reference.-Ed.]-Lura Sanborn, St. Paul's Sch. Lib., Concord, NH (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
