Dion Clayton Calthrop’s English Costume traces the dress of England reign by reign, from the Norman conquest through the Georgian age, pairing lively description with the author’s own observations as an artist and illustrator. Each chapter fixes a period’s silhouette, fabrics, and ornament in vivid, memorable detail.
Calthrop writes as much for the painter and the costume designer as for the historian, emphasizing how clothing reveals character and social rank. His prose is warm and frequently humorous, animating centuries of English fashion with anecdote. Long a favorite reference for stage and screen, this comprehensive survey is available here as a free EPUB download.