Description

A sweeping, storehouse of costume and culture that brings Victorian rooms, backstage lamps, and theatre crowds to life. This is not only a guide; it is an invitation to see how clothing shapes memory, identity, and performance. English Costume surveys a century of dress through a theatre lens, blending vivid detail with thoughtful analysis. Its pages offer a concise yet lavish journey through historical costume, theatre costume history, and the rich history of British theatre, inviting readers-whether costume design students, theatre historians, or curious readers-to trace the forces of fashion and identity on stage. The text becomes a period dress collection you can walk through, from the masquerade to pageantry, and a reliable classic costume reference for scholars and fans alike. The book's literary and historical significance endures: it captures sartorial illustration and practical insight into how designers read era, form, and function to craft performances that resonate beyond the footlights. A treasure for casual readers and classic-literature collectors, it connects fashion history to theatre scholarship and cultural memory, highlighting victorian era fashion and the evolution of stage costume trends in a way that is accessible and deeply humane. Selling points shine through in every page: out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions; restored for today's and future generations; more than a reprint - a collector's item and a cultural treasure. This is the definitive, enduring companion for any historical costume guide, a bridge between fashion and theatre that honours the past while inspiring contemporary gaze.