Edwardian Fashion (Shire Library, 798)

This book is an expert and valuable examination of Edwardian period fashion. What’s perhaps most admirable about Milford Cottam’s book is the author’s ability to pack a great deal of information into a relatively short number of pages. Viewing fashion from every angle, he notes the impact of societal changes, economic developments and changing gender roles and pinpoints how these factors influenced the silhouettes, construction of garments, fabrics, and accessories from one decade to the next. In addition to in depth discussion of evening and day wear for the upper crust, he looks at the wardbrobes of regular folk, evolution in men’s fashions, and stylistic developments in headwear, footwear and underwear. The writing is always clear, engaging and succinct and photographs and engravings are used well to shed more specificity. As a fashion enthusiast and writer myself, I congratulate Mr. Milford Cottam for his highly informative volume and look forward to reading his other books.

Succinct yet thorough is this brilliant evocation of the Edwardian era through the prism of the extravagant couture of the first 15 years of the 20th century. From the deliciously frou-frou fashions of the first decade to the sleeker styles that replaced them as the First World War approached, Daniel Milford-Cottam utilizes fresh research and fascinating images to tell the story of the evolution of women's wear during this critical period of social and political change. For such a slim volume, the author offers an amazingly comprehensive analysis of the epoch, paying special attention to the work of leading designers Lucile, Poiret and Paquin as well as to the innovative contributions of other, now-forgotten couturiers, such as Margaine-Lacroix. The book's writing is crisp, the documentation sound and the illustrations stunning. For the seasoned connoisseur or the Downton Abbey-loving enthusiast, Edwardian Fashion is an ideal handbook of the trends that revolutionized women's lives a century ago.

The main problem with this book is that it's much too small, and at 64 pages, really too short, in physical format/size for the subject. A book on Edwardian fashion in all its stunning beauty and opulence from 1900 to 1914 really deserves, in fact requires, a coffee-table-sized book, such as Pauline Stevenson's older "Edwardian Fashion". That being said, however, this book is a fine, concise, and reasonably comprehensive study of one of the most gorgeous and revolutionary, if shorter-lived, periods in fashion history. The text is well-written and quite readable, covering the period broken down into 3 distinct phases (1901-5, 1906-10, and 1911-14), showing the evolution of women's fashions through those all-too-brief 14 years, as well as a separate chapter dedicated to men's clothing. The illustrations are well-chosen and of high quality, a mixture of color and black-and-white, with many photographs as well as paintings, drawings and advertisements. I'd pair this book with Stevenson's (which is long out of print, unfortunately, though available from several sellers on Amazon) for a complete view of Edwardian costume, but it's a fine digest-sized introduction to the topic.

Great little book, only 64 pages including index, but packed with information of the Edwardian Era and the fashions therein. Lovely photos and illustrations of clothing and explanations. A good fit for any costumers book shelf, or anyone who's curious.

AMAZING well written book that gives plenty of detail in a fun easy to read way! Have recommended this to several friends.

Very readable and excellent photos and illustrations. Short book, but valuable.

I read the entire book in 30 minutes total reading time. While some of the the information that was in this slim small book was worthwhile and well written, the book was much smaller and thinner than I had anticipated, and the extremely small print was impossible to read without a magnifying glass. The author's writing aside, the ink had a very strong and unpleasant chemical odor that made the book unable for me to read for more than a few minutes at a time. This is not a comment on the author and his knowledge, which is well written and some of it was very informative, some of it was basic known facts on the fashions of the time. I was a bit disappointed in the amount of text, although what is in here is useful and well written. A good book for the beginner.

Excellent details, going into the minutia of fashion changes, year in and out.

Very informative book and nicely illustrated

Interesting but it’s a very thin book and in that case way too expensive

I must declare an interest. I am related to the author. I am not familiar with the Shire Library of specialist non fiction titles but this is a beautifully produced volume. The illustrations are charming and very well chosen to complement the text which is lucid, witty and very informative about the social changes following Victoria's death and the new trends in fashion. By placing fashion in its broader social context the author has made a book that is interesting to the general reader , as well those who are dedicated followers of fashion. It is both erudite and entertaining.

I would have to recommend this book to anyone with an interest in not just the time period, but in fashion as a whole. It is clear from Mr Milford- Cottam's prose, that he has a true love of all things fashion and his encyclopaedic knowledge and intricate research is presented in a way that draws the reader in, both learning and explaining, in a way that is a joy to read. A book, upon this subject matter, that would be hard-pressed to better. Highly recommended.

It's a great taster towards getting yourself immersed into Edwardian Fashions; whets the appetite to know more and gives a good overview of the styles and designers of the era.