New Book on Turn-of-the-Century Fashions Now Available

Lavolta Press is proud to announce the publication of _The Voice of
Fashion:  79 Turn-of-the-Century Patterns with Instructions and Fashion
Plates_, edited by Frances Grimble.  _The Voice of Fashion_ is a
self-contained resource for theatrical and reenactment costumers who
reproduce period garments.  And it is a valuable tool for collectors and
costume historians who identify, date, and research vintage clothes.

_The Voice of Fashion_ contains a careful, comprehensive selection of
women s styles from 14 magazines published from 1900 through 1906.  The
79 patterns include afternoon, evening, ball, and wedding gowns; home
and maternity wear; day suits and blouses; lingerie; coats; and sports
outfits.  Each pattern has a fashion plate, plus instructions for
drafting and assembly.  Additional fashion columns and plates supplement
the information on fabrics, trims, and construction.  Clear,
step-by-step instructions are given for enlarging the patterns by
drafting and by projection, and for period sewing techniques.  This book
is as authentic as the rare original sources and as easy to use as
modern reproduction patterns, while costing much less than either.

Ms. Grimble says, "This is a companion volume to my book _The Edwardian
Modiste_, which contains patterns from 1905 through 1909.  It continues
my work of making early pattern-drafting systems widely available for
modern use.  Dozens of different systems were patented in the 19th and
early 20th centuries.  But most had the same goal, which was to make it
easy for sewers to accurately draft patterns to an individual s body
measurements.  The system used for _The Voice of Fashion_ requires
special rulers, whose units are not inches.  We reconstructed them from
period information and provided them with the book.  They work quite
well.  You don t need any drafting experience, you don t have to do
arithmetic, and the patterns fit.  However, if you wish you can project
the patterns instead."

Frances Grimble is the author of _After a Fashion:  How to Reproduce,
Restore, and Wear Vintage Styles_ and _The Edwardian Modiste:  85
Authentic Patterns with Instructions, Fashion Plates, and Period Sewing
Techniques_.  Over 60 of her articles on vintage clothing have appeared
in national magazines, such as _Threads, Sew News_, and _Antique Trader
Weekly_.  She has collected, restored, and reproduced historic clothes
since 1972.

_The Voice of Fashion_ can be purchased for $42 in bookstores or ordered
from Lavolta Press at 20 Meadowbrook Drive, San Francisco, CA 94132.

8 1/2" x 11" quality paperback
463 pages
79 patterns, 86 fashion plates, 8 drafting illustrations
Drafting rulers, metric conversion table, glossary, bibliography, index
Publication date:  February 1998; available now
ISBN:  0-9636517-2-2
LCCN:  97-72141
$42 plus $4 shipping; California purchasers must add sales tax
Foreign residents owe 50% more shipping and must pay in US dollars

----------------------------------------------
Visit our web site!
Books on historic costume and vintage clothes
http://www.best.com/~lavolta/index.htm