Covering Western costume from Ancient Egypt to contemporary haute couture, this is a fully illustrated companion volume to John Peacock's Fashion Sourcebooks. The last 4000 years has seen an astonishing variety of ways in which the human form can be dressed, from the relative simplicity of the ancient world, through the Middle Ages and Renaissance to the changing conventions of the 18th and 19th centuries and the birth of modern dress. The final section brings the story up to date, showing the vibrant diversity of 20th-century fashion. The range of meticulous colour drawings are based on extensive research. Organized in chronological order, they are accompanied by detailed descriptions of each figure, including the individual items shown and the many types of fabric, cut, pattern and colour that have been used over the centuries. The huge range of drawings reveals not only national characteristics but also social divisions: young and old, rich and poor, countryfolk and town dwellers, royalty and commoners, and provide a detailed reference for students and professionals alike.