100 Dresses: The Costume Institute / The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300166559 ISBN 13: 9780300166552

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2010

Synopsis

An irresistible look into more than 300 years of fashion through an exquisite collection of designer dresses

What woman can resist imagining herself in a beautiful designer dress? Here, for the first time ever, are 100 fabulous gowns from the permanent collection of the renowned Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, each of which is a reminder of the ways fashion reflects the broader culture that created it.

Featuring designs by Paul Poiret, Coco Chanel, Madame Grès, Yves Saint Laurent, Gianni Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and many others, this one-of-a-kind collection presents a stunning variety of garments. Ranging from the buttoned-up gowns of the late 17th century to the cutting-edge designs of the early 21st, the dresses reflect the sensibilities and excesses of each era while providing a vivid picture of how styles have changed—sometimes radically—over the years. A late 1600s wool dress with a surprising splash of silver thread; a large-bustled red satin dress from the 1800s; a short, shimmery 1920s dancing dress; a glamorous 1950s cocktail dress; and a 1960s minidress—each tells a story about its period and serves as a testament to the enduring ingenuity of the fashion designer’s art.

Images of the dresses are accompanied by informative text and enhanced by close-up details as well as runway photos, fashion plates, works of art, and portraits of designers. A glossary of related terms is also included.

About this title

About the Author:

Harold Koda is Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Review:

"Features page after page of swoon-worthy concoctions. . . ."—The Washington Post

"This one's perfect as a fashionable primer of classic style. . . . Details on the pieces offer historical and cultural context and the whole package may send readers right over to the Met to see the collection in person."—New York Post

"Features page after page of swoon-worthy concoctions from bold-faced names."—Holly E. Thomas, Washington Post magazine
"The 100 dresses of the title, taken from the largest and most comprehensive costume collection in the world, range across four centuries, from the elaborate, buttoned-up gowns of the 17th century to cutting edge 21st-century designs."—The Globe and Mail

"Full of famous ladies’ fabulous gowns, this tome will delight fashion mavens and history buffs alike."—Good Housekeeping

"For fashion lovers, this book is an addictive visual history of fashion's rite of passage, replete with breathtaking photography, portraits of designers and detailed insets."—St. Petersburg Times

"100 Dresses, from the Costume Institute's holdings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is not a page-turner. You'll take your sweet time on every exquisite specimen here, enhanced as they are by enlarged detail insets, related works of art, fashion plates, and portraits of designers."—Austin Chronicle

"What better way to spend a cold winter night, than snuggled by the fire with a great book to flip through? From opulent court dresses to frocks by the modern masters, 100 Dresses showcases beautiful creations from The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s extensive collection. Each entry is accompanied by a detailed description, providing you with a range of historical and cultural facts that express the dresses as more than just draped fabric. For its beautifully designed pages and informative entries, we’ve chosen 100 Dresses as our Must Have book of the holiday season!"—PrettyCity.com

"You'll take your sweet time on every exquisite specimen here, enhanced as they are by enlarged detail insets, related works of art, fashion plates, and portraits of designers. . . . Stunning photography and beautiful production make the pictures seem tactile, closer to your  touch here than on a busy day in the museum."—Anne Harris, Austin Chronicle
"Here, for the first time ever, are 100 fabulous gowns from the permanent collection of the renowned Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, each of which is a reminder of the ways fashion reflects the broader culture that created it."—The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0300166559
• ISBN 13: 9780300166552
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232