Download PDF Dressing Renaissance Florence Families Fortunes and Fine Clothing The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science Carole Collier Frick 9780801882647 Books

Product details Series The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science (Book 120) Paperback 368 pages Publisher Johns Hopkins University Press (August 26, 2005) Language English ISBN-10 9780801882647 ISBN-13 978-0801882647 ASIN 0801882648

Dressing Renaissance Florence Families Fortunes and Fine Clothing The Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science Carole Collier Frick 9780801882647 Books Reviews

• This is a great book( thesis). Very good reference material for clothing of this period. There is a lot of information about how fashion figured in the lives of the aristocracy in Renaissance Florence and about the guilds and craftspeople who made the clothes and accessories. There are lists of articles, including two Trousseaux, one for a wedding, one for a convent. There is information on fabrics and ornaments. There is info on sumptuary legislation and " fashion police". I wish it had more intimate descriptions of how the clothes were made, layered and worn, cleaned, etc. but I may find this in other books on the subject. This is a wonderful book that brings to life the sartorial atmosphere of the period. I highly recommend this book. I should like to add that there are very few illustrations, and the ones included are black and white renderings of paintings of the period, showing actual members of the elite families.
• Frick's book is an invaluable resource for those of us studying or writing about Quattrocento Florence.
• I'm extremely impressed. I think this book would make an outstanding addition to any Renaissance-lover's, or garbaholic's, bookshelf.
  It is not about how to make Italian-persona clothing. Instead, it focuses on how Florentines of the Renaissance used clothing to make social statements. Along the way, it examines some things that garbmakers would like hearing about (one table lists various color combinations found in gowns and linings), but mostly, it's about the sociology of fashion.
  Chapters
  * Craftspeople and tailors (including how clothes-making guilds were organized and the role women played in these guilds)
  * Tailoring Family Honor (how Florentines viewed honor and how they thought honor was expressed through clothing)
  * Family Fortunes in Clothes (how much they spent, and a bit about the secondhand clothes market)
  * The making of wedding gowns (you'll love learning how many opinions went into one and how totally political it all was)
  * Trousseaux for Marriage and Convent (how they differed, and lists of what went into each)
  And stuff about sumptuary law, information about layers of clothing, types of dyes (and an examination of mourning clothes), types of fabric, and clothes as depicted in art -- and how art might have distorted how people really wore clothes. Embroidery is also covered.
  Needless to say, the painter Ghirlandaio features pretty prominently here. There are also b/w repros of portraits, unfortunately not super well detailed, but there are a few here I haven't seen before. There are also appendices that are very useful -- lists of currency and measures, categories of clothiers, yardage required for various garments, glossaries of what yardage terms meant, and a HUGE bibliography and glossary of terms.
  It isn't a physically large book, clocking in at around 300pp, but it's very rich in detail, and the writing is pleasant to read. I'd definitely recommend this book to anybody wanting to immerse in the period -- and DEFINITELY for any Renaissance costumers out there. It might not be a bad idea to have some basic grounding in the period before reading this, but it's written well enough that if any is required, it isn't much.
• As someone who is fascinated by Renaissance Florence this book is a treasure trove of information. The author speaks of the sociological impact of their wardrobes and how much they spent on them. The vast sums of money dedicated to clothing itself was surprising. The detailed lists of trousseau's were fascinating to read. I loved all of the familial stories that brought the era to life and understanding of the day to day impact of clothes and the importance placed on them. There is a good balance of information and story telling in this book. I plan on reading this book again and again.