On these dark and chilly evenings I have been staying in and poring over the most fabulous of books, The Fine Art of Fashion Illustration by Julian Robinson and Gracie Calvey (Quarto Publishing, 2015). A visual feast of fashion illustrations spanning 400 years from the Renaissance to the 1940s, The Fine Art of Fashion Illustration features over 350 fashion plates from the Julian Robinson Archive.
We tend to forget that studio photography wasn’t always around and for centuries fashion relied on artists to communicate the looks of the day. Even after the advent fashion photography in the early 1900s, it was awkward and time consuming and the preference was for illustrations up until the 1960s.
Hand-drawn and colored illustrations are artwork within themselves and offer an opportunity to study the details of design. Along with the images The Fine Art of Fashion Illustration discusses the history of fashion illustration, various artists, and differing artistic styles. This book makes a lovely gift for any fashion and/ or art enthusiast.
OverDressed for Life 
Christmas greetings from a faithful reader, Moya. Have you ever commented on Andy Warhol’s early fashion illustrations? Charlie Gordon, Univ. of Portland
And to you, Charlie. I have not written about Warhol’s illustrations but I am a fan. I have a book of his and I really like his mid-century style. Thanks for the idea and thanks for following along with OverDressed.
One of my goals in the next phase of life is to learn to draw/sketch my designs better.
Good idea, Paula!