Costume since 1945

From the austerity of the post-war years to diffusion and a seventies-revival in the late nineties, from New Look extravagance to punk and protest, Deirdre Clancy captures in drawings and text the subtle changes of mood and style in dress over fifty years, with an intelligent and sympathetic assessment of such new social phenomena as the invention of the teenager and the feminist movement. Dividing the book into five-year periods, she presents a vivid cross-section of clothing and the people who wore it, from haute couture, through street fashions and formal wear; leisure wear and teenage trends, to the extremes of anti-fashion.

This essential reference book will be an inspiration to fashion and theatre designers as well as to students and any general reader interested in fashion and modern dress.