The most ambitious and comprehensive book on women’s vintage fashion ever published, featuring over 1,000 garments dating from the 1920s to the 1980s

This is not just another history of fashion: it is a survey of how fashion past continues to inspire fashion present. It features over 1,000 stand-out pieces, together with over 300 contextual illustrations, dating from the 1920s to the 1980s, including many icons of vintage fashion, from Marilyn Monroe’s bra to the Ossie Clark dress made so famous by David Hockney’s painting. Each garment is explored from the viewpoint of the contemporary fashionista looking to build a vintage wardrobe.

The book is organized into three main sections. 'Decades' explores the shapes and fabrics that define the look of each period. 'Elements' explores the individual components of a vintage look, everything from hat to shoes. 'Hallmarks' explores fashion’s perennial themes, from florals to the ever-popular Little Black Dress. Finally, a reference section includes invaluable practical advice for fans and collectors of vintage.

About the Author:

Nicky Albrechtsen was a costume designer and stylist and is the director of the vintage archive Vintage Labels Ltd, which sources inspirational clothing and printed textiles for fashion brands worldwide and costume designers in film and television. She is the author of several books, including Scarves (with Fola Solanke), also published by Thames & Hudson.

The definitive work on scarves in the 20th century

Indispensable accessories and sought-after collectors’ items, scarves were an important innovation in 20th-century fashion. From Art Deco through 1950s Hollywood, the Swinging Sixties and beyond, scarves have been represented in every major decorative arts movement over the past century and into the present one.

This marvellously illustrated compendium showcases the work of a wide range of international designers: Paul Poiret, Elsa Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, Mary Quant, Gucci, Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent, Zandra Rhodes, Nicole Miller, and many more. It features more than 250 scarves, beautifully reproduced in colour and all specially photographed, and many never before seen in print.

Contents List:

Introduction • The Style of an Era • Artists’ Scarves • Textile Designers • Scarf Companies • The Couture Scarf • Social Documentary • The Travel Scarf • Advertising • Collectables • A–Z Biographies of Designers • A–Z Index of Companies • Guide to Fabric Types • How to Date a Vintage Scarf • Conservation and Storage • Resource Guide • Further Reading

About the Authors:

Nicky Albrechtsen is the proprietor of the Vintage Resource Studio in Brick Lane, London, which provides costumes and props to the theatre and media. Fola Solanke is a costume designer for film and television historical dramas.

The most ambitious and comprehensive book on women’s vintage fashion ever published, featuring over 1,000 garments dating from the 1920s to the 1980s

Unlimited inspiration for fashion designers, stylists, collectors and style-setters everywhere

• Explores every aspect of a woman’s vintage wardrobe in over 1,000 stand-out examples, from dresses and skirts to hats, shoes and bags, drawn from fashions from the 1920s to the 1980s.
• Not just another history of fashion, this is a survey of how fashion past continues to inspire fashion present – as seen on the street, on the catwalk, and on devotees such as Kate Moss and Sienna Miller.
• Designs by world-famous names feature alongside lesser-known brands beloved of collectors, such as Lilli Ann and Horrockses Fashions.
• Unique handmade pieces as well as icons of vintage fashion, from Marilyn Monroe’s bra to the Ossie Clark dress that famously features in David Hockney’s painting.
• Includes invaluable practical tips on how to build a collection, and how to date, clean and care for vintage clothing.

About the Author:

Nicky Albrechtsen is the proprietor of the Vintage Resource Studio in Brick Lane, London, which provides costumes and props to the theatre and media.

Vintage glasses of all shapes, styles and sizes – the very best of 20th- and 21st-century spectacle design for fashion designers, stylists, lovers of vintage, and anyone seeking spectacle inspiration.

Beautifully illustrated with specially commissioned photographs by Drew Gardner, it is based on Simon Murray’s amazing collection, built up over decades of avid collecting from optometrists, markets and antique shops across the globe.

Examples of pre-20th-century glasses and contextual shots of film and style icons sporting spectacles illustrate not only the finest innovations of the past, but also their evolution into the eclectic range of styles available now.

The book comes complete with information on where to find and collect vintage spectacles, advice on conservation, and a visual timeline of key shapes of the modern period.

Vintage handkerchiefs have been an unsung source of inspiration for many of the world’s most exciting brands. This volume written by vintage clothing and textiles experts, will appeal to collectors of printed textiles, fashion lovers and designers, and provide a visual feast for anyone with a passion for pattern.

Over 200 beautifully designed handkerchiefs have been selected to reflect the magnificent array of printed designs that emerged between the 1920s and 1950s, a particularly innovative period in handkerchief design that produced small squares exploding with colour and pattern. The book comes complete with a short history of the subject, an analysis of the fabrics used, a detailing of the design characteristics of each decade, information on where to find and collect, and advice on conservation, storage and use.

Organized for inspiration into 11 sections by colour, this is a fresh and covetable volume targeted at fashion professionals, designers, or a new young generation in search of old chic in new chic forms.

About the Author:

Nicky Albrechtsen was a costume designer and stylist and is the director of the vintage archive Vintage Labels Ltd, which sources inspirational clothing and printed textiles for fashion brands worldwide and costume designers in film and television. She is the author of several books, including Scarves (with Fola Solanke), also published by Thames & Hudson.