100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Fast Overnight NZ-wide Delivery 🚀

Vintage Fashion: A Sourcebook

By Nicky Albrechtsen
0.0 (0 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Vintage Fashion: A Sourcebook offers the most ambitious and comprehensive guide to women's vintage fashion, featuring over 1,000 garments from the 1920s to the 1980s. This book is a detailed survey of how past fashion continues to inspire contemporary style, presenting iconic pieces such as Marilyn Monroe's bra and the Ossie Clark dress immortalised by David Hockney. It explores vintage dressing through three key sections: 'Decades', detailing period-defining shapes and fabrics; 'Elements', focusing on individual outfit components like hats and shoes; and 'Hallmarks', examining timeless themes including florals and the Little Black Dress. A reference section provides practical advice for vintage enthusiasts and collectors.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$8500
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for vintage fashion enthusiasts, collectors, designers, historians, and anyone seeking a thorough and beautifully illustrated reference on 20th-century women's fashion.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The most ambitious and comprehensive book on women's vintage fashion ever published, featuring over 1,000 garments dating from the 1920s to the 1980s.

This is not just another history of fashion: it is a survey of how fashion past continues to inspire fashion present. It features over 1,000 stand-out pieces, together with over 300 contextual illustrations, dating from the 1920s to the 1980s, including many icons of vintage fashion, from Marilyn Monroe's bra to the Ossie Clark dress made so famous by David Hockney's painting. Each garment is explored from the viewpoint of the contemporary fashionista looking to build a vintage wardrobe.

The book is organised into three main sections. 'Decades' explores the shapes and fabrics that define the look of each period. 'Elements' explores the individual components of a vintage look, everything from hat to shoes. 'Hallmarks' explores fashion's perennial themes, from florals to the ever-popular Little Black Dress. Finally, a reference section includes invaluable practical advice for fans and collectors of vintage.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Vintage Fashion: A Sourcebook has been lauded as 'the most comprehensive and ambitious guide to vintage fashion ever produced' (Vintage Explorer Magazine) and praised by The Guardian for opening 'a window on how good ideas skip the years to fertilise a future designer’s imagination.' Inretrospect Magazine hails it as 'indispensable as a reference book' and a 'Fashion Bible' for vintage fashion lovers, while NorthLondonVintageMarket.blogspot.co.uk describes it as 'brilliant, beautiful, and a definitive guide to 20th-century style.'

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780500297209

Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 July 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Illustration: 1 Illustrations, color

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 204.0mm

Height: 262.0mm

Weight: 1520g

Pages: 432

Collections

Arts & Culture Nicky Albrechtsen Non-Fiction

About the Author

Nicky Albrechtsen was a costume designer and stylist and is the director of the vintage archive Vintage Labels Ltd, which sources inspirational clothing and printed textiles for fashion brands worldwide and costume designers in film and television. She is the author of several books, including Scarves (with Fola Solanke), also published by Thames & Hudson.

Also by Nicky Albrechtsen

View all
  • Scarves
    Indispensable accessories and sought-after collectors' items, scarves were an important innovation in 20th-century fashion. From Art Deco through 1950s Hollywood, the Swinging Sixties and beyond, scarves have been represented in every major decorative arts movement over the past century and into the present one. This marvellously illustrated compendium showcases the work of a wide range of international designers: Paul Poiret,...
    By Nicky Albrechtsen and Fola Solanke
    Hardback
    $7299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    By Jane Ussher
    Hardback
    $5999
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    By Jon Toogood
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Buy to Win
    Did I Ever Tell You This?
    In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion. By his own account, his...
    By Sam Neill
    Paperback
    $3799
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    New Release
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    By Monique Fiso
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    By Layne Staley
    Hardback
    $7299
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • They Bloom Because of You
    Bestselling author and Instagram sensation Jessica Urlichs returns with a new collection of beautifully observed poems about the ever-evolving journey of motherhood - the hard, the magic and the fleeting. ‘A raw and honest read that makes you feel seen and understood in a way that will bring you to tears.’ - Hilary Swank ‘A book to keep close and...
    By Jessica Urlichs
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Devotions
    New York Times Bestseller, chosen as Oprah's 'Books That Help Me Through' for Oprah's Book Club Chosen by Poetry Book Society as their special commendation 'No matter where one starts reading, Devotions offers much to love, from Oliver's exuberant dog poems to selections from the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Primitive, and Dream Work, one of her exceptional collections. Perhaps more important,...
    By Mary Oliver
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Buy to Win
    The Odyssey
    The The Odyssey by Homer is a timeless epic that chronicles the adventures of the legendary Greek hero, Odysseus, as he endeavours to return home to Ithaca following the conclusion of the Trojan War. This monumental journey spans ten arduous years, during which Odysseus encounters a myriad of natural and supernatural challenges. From shipwrecks and ferocious battles to formidable monsters...
    By Homer
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Buy to Win
    On Sale
    14% off
    Leaves of Grass
    A collectible new Penguin Classics series offers beautiful, slim, clothbound editions of ten favourite poets. In 1855, Walt Whitman published his first collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass. The volume received great praise from leading Transcendentalist poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This encouragement led to what would become a lifelong project, as Whitman expanded and rewrote the volume until his death...
    By Walt Whitman
    Hardback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • I Still Believe in Miracles
    I Still Believe in Miracles is a collection of poetry exploring themes of masculinity, love, grief, and connection. This is the trade debut from Instagram phenomenon Lucas Jones, perfect for fans of yung pueblo, Hussain Manawer, and Whitney Hanson. A collection of powerful contemporary poetry, I Still Believe in Miracles delves deeply into themes of masculinity, love, grief, and connection....
    By Lucas Jones
    Hardback
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Beautiful Chaos
    The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller Selected poems from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'These words awaken the magic of life by celebrating the ordinary.' - Giovanna Fletcher Motherhood is messy and beautiful, and hard and humbling. We adore our children and sometimes we miss ourselves. Beautiful Chaos is a collection of raw, honest poems about motherhood, capturing everything...
    By Jessica Urlichs
    Paperback
    $2900
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Roadscapes
    For four decades, photographer Derek Smith has explored the way New Zealanders travel, work, and express themselves through the vehicles they drive. Roadscapes is his compelling photographic journey through the heartland of New Zealand, capturing our unique car cultures and the social landscapes they inhabit across Aotearoa.
    By Derek Smith
    Hardback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

The Latest at Book Hero

View all