--- product_id: 319347 title: "Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style" price: "VT32182" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/319347-fashion-the-definitive-history-of-costume-and-style store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Global fashion insights 400+ pages Chronological journey Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style **Price:** VT32182 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 👗 Fashion Forward: Your Ultimate Style Companion! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style - **How much does it cost?** VT32182 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/319347-fashion-the-definitive-history-of-costume-and-style) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Visual Feast:** Richly illustrated with stunning visuals. - • **Expert Insights:** Curated by leading fashion historians. - • **A Global Perspective:** Explore styles from every corner of the world. - • **Perfect for Professionals:** A must-have for industry insiders and enthusiasts alike. - • **Unravel the Threads of Time:** Dive into over 400 pages of fashion evolution. ## Overview Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style is a comprehensive hardcover book published on October 1, 2012, featuring over 400 pages that chronicle the evolution of fashion across cultures and eras, enriched with expert commentary and vibrant illustrations. ## Description Is fashion your passion? Unlock the language of clothes with this ultimate fashion show that traces people's dresses over the past 3000 years. Fashion is a visual feast, packed with stunning illustrations of 1,500 costumes from around the globe. It celebrates famous trendsetters, designers, and fashion icons from Queen Henrietta Maria to Jackie Onassis and Jean Paul Gautier. Fashion endlessly reinvents itself, reflecting society's trends and innovations. Discover why different looks caught on, from the elaborate ruffs, wigs, and farthingales of the 17th century, to Dior's "new look" in 1947 and shoulder pads in the 1980s. Find out why for centuries people's dress was regulated by governments' "sumptuary rules" and how the invention of new textiles from velvet to spandex that influenced clothing design. Whether you're part of the fashion industry, a student, or you just love clothes, Fashion is both a glorious visual treat and a treasured history. Review: Gorgeous book on the history of fashion. - With 480 10" X 12" glossy pages with full-color illustrations and photographs, in addition to informative text, this is a great coffee-table book. It claims to be "The Definitive History of Costume and Style" and that may or may not be true, but it is certainly one of the loveliest and more impressive books on the history of fashion that I've seen. The book is divided into ten chapters. Chapter One covers fashion from Prehistory to 600 C.E. Chapter Two from 600-1449. Chapter Three from 1450-1624. Chapter Four 1625-1789. Chapter Five 1790-1900. Chapter Six 1901-1928. Chapter Seven 1929-1946. Chapter Eight 1947-1963. Chapter Nine 1964-1979. Chapter Ten 1980 onward. (Since this edition of the book was published in 2012, "onward" only takes us to there.) In addition, following these chapters there are some informative 2-page spreads on 3000 Years of Women's Wear, 3000 Years of Men's Wear, 400 Years of Women's Shoes, 200 Years of Women's Hats, 200 Years of Bags and Purses, 300 Years of Shaping the Body, followed by a 30-page glossary and a 12-page index. This is a great reference book for the layman. Perhaps it doesn't delve as deeply and thoroughly into fashion as a historian or fashion-history expert would like but I am very happy with it, and the illustrations and photographs are gorgeous. As a lifelong reader of historical fiction and historical romance, I find it's a great way to peek at what the characters of these books were wearing at a given period of time. It's also fun to go to my birthdate and beyond to see how fashion has changed just in my lifetime. This book is big and it's heavy. Possibly as I age I can also use it for arm exercises, in addition to using it as eye candy. Review: Very Nice Quality! - Nice Quality Coffee Table Book, Beautiful Photos, & My Daughter LOVED IT! ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #102,136 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #70 in Textile & Costume (Books) #107 in Fashion History #211 in Fashion Design | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 504 Reviews | ## Images ![Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71BTdibFChL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gorgeous book on the history of fashion. *by O***T on March 17, 2017* With 480 10" X 12" glossy pages with full-color illustrations and photographs, in addition to informative text, this is a great coffee-table book. It claims to be "The Definitive History of Costume and Style" and that may or may not be true, but it is certainly one of the loveliest and more impressive books on the history of fashion that I've seen. The book is divided into ten chapters. Chapter One covers fashion from Prehistory to 600 C.E. Chapter Two from 600-1449. Chapter Three from 1450-1624. Chapter Four 1625-1789. Chapter Five 1790-1900. Chapter Six 1901-1928. Chapter Seven 1929-1946. Chapter Eight 1947-1963. Chapter Nine 1964-1979. Chapter Ten 1980 onward. (Since this edition of the book was published in 2012, "onward" only takes us to there.) In addition, following these chapters there are some informative 2-page spreads on 3000 Years of Women's Wear, 3000 Years of Men's Wear, 400 Years of Women's Shoes, 200 Years of Women's Hats, 200 Years of Bags and Purses, 300 Years of Shaping the Body, followed by a 30-page glossary and a 12-page index. This is a great reference book for the layman. Perhaps it doesn't delve as deeply and thoroughly into fashion as a historian or fashion-history expert would like but I am very happy with it, and the illustrations and photographs are gorgeous. As a lifelong reader of historical fiction and historical romance, I find it's a great way to peek at what the characters of these books were wearing at a given period of time. It's also fun to go to my birthdate and beyond to see how fashion has changed just in my lifetime. This book is big and it's heavy. Possibly as I age I can also use it for arm exercises, in addition to using it as eye candy. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Nice Quality! *by C***O on December 29, 2025* Nice Quality Coffee Table Book, Beautiful Photos, & My Daughter LOVED IT! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Full of beautiful photographs and illustrations *by W***E on April 11, 2015* What a fabulous book!! Full of beautiful photographs and illustrations, and covering such a wide range of eras and topics, from the Prehistoric to the modern day. This book would be a fabulous gift for anyone even slightly interested in fashion. Every page is inspiring. And at such a reasonable price, you cannot go wrong. Before I purchased this book, I read one of the earlier comments that this book is light on information. I completely disagree. There is a great deal of information on history and fashion, especially given all of the different periods they are covering. This is not meant to be a scholarly textbook analyzing all of the "why's" of fashion - it is a very meaty and beautiful book that would look great on any coffee table. ## Frequently Bought Together - Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style - Fashion, New Edition: The Definitive Visual Guide (DK Definitive Cultural Histories) - Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century: The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/319347-fashion-the-definitive-history-of-costume-and-style](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/319347-fashion-the-definitive-history-of-costume-and-style) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-09*