The House of Worth

beautiful a must for any clothing lover or historian.

In-depth research on the House of Worth, with many fabulous photographs of the drawings from the designers, with hand-written notations and fabric swatches.

Many of the designs struck me as tremendously ahead of their time, considering that they were drawn almost one hundred years ago.

Contrasting images of accepted fashions of that time, and of the previous decades, further underscore the amazing fashion innovations that this house was creating.

Overall, this is a very thorough and well-illustrated book, that I really enjoyed. This could be used as a text book in courses on fashion history.

The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 is a well researched and informative book detailing two collections sent to a Litchfield, Conn. socialite from the great early couture house of Worth, Paris. The plates are in full color and three separate introductions (about Litchfield, about House of Worth, and then about the time period) are included.

Fashion historians will immediately recognize the name of Worth and certainly there are many books collecting fashions from the era. Where this book stands out is that the fashions are from a couturier known for conservative styles (read: older patrons) and emphasis on construction/materials. So while the Sears and other catalogs from the era would feature articles of clothing with inspirations from all over the place coupled with affordability concerns (thanks to a lack of direction from Paris during the war years), these sketches from Worth represent the true state of couture of the time (an average dress from the collection would have cost around $22,000 - $30,000 today). The wildly crazy trends are eschewed for a true vision of the fashion style of that time period.

The introductions are well done, provided great historical perspective to the two collections. They certainly provide the knowledge to appreciate certain aspects of the fashions - from Russian-influenced soutache work to Japanesque kimono sleeves. As well, limitations of materials (of note, wool being in high demand for the war effort) and the importance of wealthy American patrons keeping the fashion world afloat during the Great War.

I do wish the plates were one to a page rather than the two per page. But they are presented in full color and with the swatches of sample fabrics still attached. Perspective photographs on Worth, other fashions of the era, historical images of Litchfield, and portraits of the Litchfield socialites who patronized Worth add to the impressive work on this book.

Worth is considered the founder of haute couture and this collection by his descendants is a fascinating portrait of the house, the era, and a bit of the life of the American wealthy. In all, it is very well done and a great resource for historians, fashion aficionados, and those interested in the WW1 era. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Thank you Net Galley. This beautiful catalog provides a fascinating insight into the design process and the history of women's costume. I enjoyed the book very much and would have loved to see the exhibit.

Great book on a great fashion house. Recommend

What a lovely and interesting book about a time and fashion in history. The illustrations are fabulous, and the information that unfolds with the history is really fascinating. This book captures a small window of the House of Worth just 1916 - 1918, but it really placed clothing in a time frame for me.

A collection of sketches and notes kept by American customers of the Worth fashion house. The social/fashion history of the time is detailed, with a biography of the American ladies who kept this archive so carefully. Information about Worth and his family is included. The sketches are beautiful and it is interesting to see the fabric samples with them.

This book was so lovely to look at, aside from the fact that the ebook format skewed all the photographs and pictures pretty badly. I found the essays at the front a bit boring, as I really just wanted to study the design sketches.

This is another beautiful book from Dover Publications with interesting articles about the history of Maison Worth, upper-class women in Lichfield, and even the history of fashion in the early twentieth century and during the war. Most of the exquisite sketches also have descriptions and back views of the outfits.

I received this ebook from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, because it's a niche topic. The introductory essays are an odd combination of local and fashion history. Anyone versed in the latter or costume design will already be familiar with the trend developments discussed -- skip ahead to the sketches (complete with swatches), they're a treat to study.

fascinating especially since it's from a neighboring state

Beautiful images and fantastic information.

This book was so incredibly detailed! I was blown away! I did not expect this level of information in a book that was advertised so gently! I should have known, coming from the Litchfield Historical Society, but... I underestimated them and it is the last time I will do so!
A quality book with a wealth of well researched information that had to have taken an uncountable amount of time and immeasurable level of heart and care for the subject matter!
Well done. This subject has long fascinated me but also can be overwhelming and confusing with it's many rules and details that changed so often over time. Keeping up back then was rough...
digging it all out and listing it all now, a monumental effort well done!
I would think every author who writes period books would want this on their shelf as a reference book!

This was given to me by Net Galley to read for my honest review which I have given here.

A word of warning - do not go into this expecting a collection of pretty images!
A mixture of French fashion history and American social history, I really enjoyed this book and how it combined the two to create vivid images of both customer and couturier.

This lovely book is a companion piece to an exhibition of the Litchfield Historical Society. The first section is a well written and informative reference on American history, American social history and fashion history, while the section contains the beautifully reproduced plates detailing the fashion sketches and other supporting accessories. All of the plates are from the House of Worth, the first haute couture house and at this point in time (First World War) very conservative and well made.

A beautiful glimpse into the history and fashion of the early twentieth century when women's roles (as reflected in their clothing, among other things) were changing forever. A true delight for historians, artists, fashion designers and anyone who appreciates excellent historical fashion.

THE HOUSE OF WORTH: FASHION SKETCHES, 1916-1918 Edited by the Litchfield Historical Society 2015, 144 Pages Genre: art, fashion, history

(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.)

★★★★1/2

This book is a great blend of sketches, photos, and historical passages to bring fashion during World War I alive to any reader. This book is an excellent resource while you are reading historical fiction or history books of the time. It is meant more for students of theater - costumes, sets and props. I really liked the writing in this book that explained the illustrations. A really good read to get lost in.

I love Dover books; they keep things simple, but informative and entertaining! The sketches of this time period (WWI) is incredibly interesting and I'd be curious to mix and match that style with our modern styles (if only I was a fashion artist!)