Vintage Fashion Complete by Nicky Albrechtsen (Chronicle Books, 432 pages) $102
Fashion is always simultaneously looking forward and back.
Elements of previous decades can show up in tailoring, textiles, embellishments or other aspects of a garment's construction. A constantly changing notion, fashions will come and go but within it a sense of style will always stand out.
In vintage fashion it is important to seek out those clothes and accessories that demand to be worn because they are the most attractive and the most wearable items from past years.
Albrechtsen presents this look at past fashions into three sections: Decades, Elements and Hallmarks. In Decades, the 1920s through to the 1980s are examined with an eye to the iconic styles from each era. In Elements, fashion is looked at by genres including everything from bathing suits to wedding dresses, with special sections on those accessories that stood out. The last part, Hallmarks, looks at those unique themes that have come to represent vintage fashion, such as nautical and botanical themes, or the Little Black Dress that has been reworked for every decade.
Throughout the book hundreds of garments are shown, mostly on mannequins, but also with fashion photos of the day and illustrations. The information that appears with every photo is a mini history lesson and offers great background details on the specifics of each item.
