Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1993 - 55

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Socks and Stockings

makes Undenvear a first rate coffee-table
book, guaranteed to spark comment.
The illustrations Carter has compiled
1992, ISBN 07134-6665-0, 95 pp., 522.50.
in this visually packed volume are informative and interesting,
This beautifully illustratand are drawn from a
ed and informative book
is part of "The Costume
wide-and often surAccessories Series" pubptlslng-variety
of
BOOK REVIEWS
lished by B. T. Batsford of
sources. I was particularLondon and Drama Book
ly charmed by a "Sporting group of men,
Publishers of New York.
The author is the Keeper
cl908" wearing an
assortment of undershirts and drawers,
at the Museum of Costume and Textiles,
clocking. Clocking itself varied from full
and by Felix Vallotton's painting, "Le
Nottingham. This slim and excellently
leg patterns to ankle-only patterns ro
Bain au Soir de'Ete," 1892-93 depicting
focused volume is not only a splendid
clocks which ran up the side of the leg.
women "bathing in sleeveless chemises,
resource for the working costume designTops of hose varied according to shoe
white drawers, black corsets, black stockstyle: from fancy tops for boot socks
er but also an important document in the
ings, and white petticoats." The actual
meant to be folded over the boot to spehistory of one of civilization's most fungarments photOgraphed in the color disdamental achievements: the invention of cially selvaged stockings meant to be held
play on page 78 of four lingerie ensemclothing and the expression of both indiby various suspension systems, from tied
bles from the '20s and '30s are lovely
vidual and group psyche through variagarters to garter belts.
choices.
Anyone who loves clothing will love
tions in clothing. Serious students of cosIt's hard to settle down and read
tume and fashion need to take this work
this book. Costume designers who know
Underwear until you've paged thtOugh it
seriously.
that accessories are the way in which the
a time or rwo to look at the illustrations.
Farrell begins his study with the
silhouette is given style and expression
( I counted only 16 out of 143 pages of
invention of the stocking frame by
must add Jeremy Farrell's volume to their
text that don't have illustrations; 32 pages
William Lee in the first decade of the
library.
are illustrations only.) But, when you do
17th century. While Lee can be consid-August W Staub
begin to read, you're in for a treat. Alison
University ofGeorgia
ered the father of the modern hosiery
industry, it was almost a hundred years
Carter, who is Keeper of Fashion and
later that machine produced hosiery
Textiles for the Hampshire County
Museum Service, Winchester, England,
replaced hand-knitted srockings and
has managed to organize a vast amount
socks.
Underwear, The Fashion History
As Farrell points Out, men's stockings by Alison Caner. lew York, NY: Drama Book Publishers,
of material into an accessible format. An
excellent introduction prepares the reader
1992, ISBNO-89676-120-7, 160 pp., 75 black & whi«
from the Middle Ages to the 19th centufor what will and will not be included in
ry were generally more visible than
illus., 32 pp. color, 529.95.
the text (e.g., "This book looks at underwomen's. Such visibility did not, howevwear in general from 1490, and in some
Costume designers, costume technicians,
er, make them any more elaborate, for
both men and women were much given
depth over the last 150 years ... " and
teachers of clothing history and anyone
"Reference to men's and children's is
to vividly colored and elaborately clocked
interested the parade of fashion from the
inside out will enjoy Underwear, The mainly limited to brief notes on specific
socks and stockings. With the introducinnovations ... ") and explains the author's
tion of the hooped petticoat in 1709,
Fashion History by Alison Carter. Don't,
three points of view on underwear: from
tantalizing glimpses of women's stockings
however, hide it away on the shelf with
made for interesting social events. "Make
the outside in, from the inside out, and
your other costume and clothing books.
in a social and economic context.
your petticoats short, that a hoop eight The eye-catching cover, a charmingly
worn pair of pink satin 'French' knickers,
The fact-filled text is spare and toyards wide/May decently show how your
garters are tied," says a
the-point, yet makes
room for interesting
1753 rime.
anecdotes. "Queen VicBy the late 1800s famSYLVIA HILLYARD, EDITOR
toria told her people she
ilies of hosiers had estabdid not like the crinoline
lished manufacturing
frame which she thought
dynasties that exist to the
by Jeremy Farrell. New York, NY: Drama Book Publisher>,

present day. Their product, socks and
stockings, underwent several mutations
as fashion tastes changed. Ribbing
became for some time more popular than

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TD&T

1993 FALL

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1993