Mary Carolyn WaldrepA Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938: From the Depression to the Brink of War

I use this for inspirations and resource.

This is a collection of reprints of prints from French Fashion publications from between 1929 and 1938. It's hard to know if these designs were ever created, but the illustrations are lovely.

Lovely book... captures the glamour of the decade.

Dover has done it again! They are fantastic at reprinting antique crafts patterns and other out of print but fascinating publications. In “A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938”, they have brought together a select group of fashions from various fashion magazines of the time period.I am a needlework designer and I do some period piece designs. I look to Dover for inspiration and so that my designs accurately depict the styles of the proper period. I had been hoping for a set of designs that covered, essentially, the Great Depression, for a series that of cross stitch that I have in mind. This is the perfect book for me. It shows fashions just before the Crash hit through just before World War II.It is really interesting to note that the fashions for women changed dramatically when times got tough. The look of the 1920's – with shorter skirts, bare arms, and a lack of emphasis of the female form (including flat bodices without darts), to shapes that, while they covered women more, emphasized a bit of the hour-glass shape. Thank goodness, the bustle and the corset were gone, but the look was still hour-glass but with widened shoulders and belted waistlines.These are the fashions that I think of when I think of the era of glamour in Hollywood – Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers, Katherine Hepburn, and so many more.At the same time, there is a look among the daytime dresses of durability and a lack of “trendiness” as one would have to make do with ones clothes for a good period of time and be able to re-work them as they started to fray. I wonder if having more length to the skirt was part of this? You could reduce the hem length and have some material for patching, if necessary.On a personal note, this is the period when my late mother was a young to teenage girl. I'm sure she would yearn for clothes like these at the movies and magazines. As a poor mountain girl in the Blue Ridge Mountains just outside of Asheville, North Carolina, she got to see the really rich (the Vanderbilts at the Biltmore Estate, etc.) but lived in a one bedroom cabin with her many other siblings. Fashion was not for her at that point – just having shoes was something that she didn't always have. Looking at the fashions made me think of her as a young girl longing for something more and I certainly shed more than a few tears.I received a digital ARC copy of this book from the publisher, Dover Publications, via Netgalley.

The 1930s are still a very unexplored decade for fashion; while movies, pop culture, and TV shows brought attention to their era's styles (e.g, Titanic gave us pre WW1/Edwardian, Downton Abbey and Great Gatsby the 1920s, Rockabilly the 1940s/1950s, Mad Men the 1960s, etc.), the 1930s has never had a tentpole to bring a resurgence of interest. As such, this very definitive book provides much needed perspective. It beautifully presents the looks that women wore during the US's Great Depression: long, lean, tailored but easy, wider shoulders and emphasized waistlines. It's the glamour of Hollywood before Austerity and World War II led to a greater severity out of necessity.There are many books on fashion eras and certainly Dover has been in the forefront of publishing the best. This particular volume collects fashion plates which were disseminated to the world by French publishers from 1929 to 1939. What makes this series of plates especially interesting is that they are in full glorious color, had front and back views, and descriptions of the changing styles were given for each look. Those details are useful for understanding how the fashion evolved over the years and what each year brought in minor changes.The presentation of the plates are s full page on white with a small border and the year printed at the bottom. It makes for a clean and lovely display - uncluttered and large. A typical description of a fashion by the French publisher is: "Two piece frock of line jersey with rich diagonal tucked trimming. Flat collar. Sweater buttons all the way down. Slightly flared skirt." Accessories are displayed for each look (from gloves to fur), and there is a line drawing of the back of each fashion.The plates are diverse - from evening gowns to day suits, afternoon dresses, to coats. Owing to the era, the drawings are fairly elongated and figures are not to scale (legs are much longer than head/torso). Most plates have one style but some have 2-3 similar looks (or e.g., one dress and then coat/hat options). The shoes have no details and are generic/not discussed. Some plates even have a small drawing of the sewing pattern and how the pieces are laid out on the fabric.Because of the huge diversity and sheer amount of fashions beautifully presented in full color, this is definitely a 'must have' for fashion historians, costumers, seamstresses, and those interested in the era. I've owned many Dover fashion books over the past 3 decades and this is definitely one of the best. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

A Decade of French Fashion is a must-have for lovers of fashion and history. Each page details couture from 1929-1938. Fashion has changed dramatically over the years, especially during the 1920s and 1930s.This book is in the style of fashion plates that individuals would get in the mail to inform them of the latest styles. I'm not a fashion expert by any means, but I love looking at these pictures. I love how the styles go from conservative to more carefree.I've gone through this book several times admiring the different styles and the creativity and art that go into each one. This is a great coffee table book that will bring you enjoyment for years to come. I highly recommend this book for anyone in the fashion, film, and art industry. Or someone who just likes to look through fashion magazines.

Excellent

This book is all about the original images, and the stylised drawings of the period. It's fascinating to see the variety of seam positions, and very inspirational.

This was purchased as a gift and the recipient is so pleased with it

Lovely pictures and very inspiring!

Excellent colour illustrations, with brief, clear explanations of the garments. A book for the serious design student or to pour over for utter delight.