Costume: Fanciful, Historical and Theatrical

"Costume: Fanciful, Historical and Theatrical" by Mrs. (Eliza Davis) Aria is an exploration of how clothing styles have changed across history, written in the early 1900s. The book looks closely at costume design from ancient times to more recent periods, linking what people wore to the cultures they lived in. The author begins by explaining how fashion was very limited in ancient Rome because strict rules controlled what people could wear, illustrated by the standardized toga and tunic. A key example is Boadicea choosing to wear Roman clothes even while rebelling against Rome, which shows how clothing relates to historical events. With the illustrations by Percy Anderson, Aria’s writing teaches and makes you think, setting the stage to explore the artistry of what people put on. From fabrics to styles, and their significance as identifiers for a population and its values, each chapter focuses on details that defined the way people lived.