The Magic Garment: Principles of Costume Design

We don't often list textbooks for sale, but "The Magic Garment: Principles of Costume Design" is an exception. It was written by Rebecca Cunningham, who taught both graduate and undergraduate classes in costume design and construction at Brooklyn College for over thirty years while also working as a freelance theatrical costume designer for professional and school productions. She is the winner of the Distinguished Achievement Award for Costuming given by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. Some of what Cunningham discusses is specific to the process of producing a play, such as the creating and working within a budget and collaborating with the director and other production professionals. But this is a book that would be of interest for those outside of the theater professions as well-for those interested in theater more generally, for those interested in the whys and wherefores of fashion, for those who sew as a hobby. Virtually every page contains an illustration, whether that is an analysis of trims and fabrics or a full-color photograph from a production. The book also explores topics such as what a costume says about a character, elements of design, how to render a sketch, how to take measurements, and how to choose fabrics. It even provides a list of resources for historical costume research and a concise illustrated outline of what people were wearing, when. It is easy to see why it has become THE standard text for those studying costume design, on the reading lists for dozens of such courses taught in colleges across the country and is now in its third edition, with endorsements from the Parsons School of Design. Our copy is an as-new first edition hardcover. In this case, "as-new"denotes that it is unmarked and appears to have been unread. There is some light bumping on the ends of the spine; glue appears to have bled through a bit in the hinge of the pastedown, a production error. The volume is tight and square. Covers are laminated paper over boards; published without a dustjacket. All the pages are unmarked and tightly bound. Published in this form, sold in this condition, this book would be a great resource for years to come for many individuals as well as institutions. Photos are forthcoming or available upon request. …