This is beautiful, thoughtfully written book that would be well suited for those interested in Victorian, Edwardian, and early 20th century fashion. I would particularly advise costume designers and steampunk enthusiasts to read this book. It gives very specific information about which styles would be worn at which periods. The author very clearly knows the material.
The book was published in 1997, which gives me some doubt as to the continuing validity of the price guide. The combined factors of the economy, the aging of the fashions in question and the rise in interest Victorian clothing leads me to think that there would be wild fluctuation of value. If a price guide is what you're looking for, this would be a very loose guideline to go by. You may be better served by a newer guide. I'm also curious that there are price estimates at all in this book, as I'm curious as to how many examples of any one of these dresses could exist. Almost none are identified by a maker, designer or brand. Surely any price guide would be a rough guideline at best. But that's just my ham fisted judgement in trying to apply common sense to the issue.
I also think you're considerably less likely to find a dress from before 1900 today than you were in 1997. As an antique dealer (also the daughter of an antique dealer), I can say with confidence that I've never seen one in such a place. You're much more likely to find this sort of item in a specialty shop or an antique mall, and even then you're more likely to find objects made of less flimsy material than fabric. The older an item is, the more likely it is to be damaged and destroyed.
Having said all of this, this book covers a period that is appealing but impractical for everyday fashions. It isn't until chapter VI "The Flapper," which begins on page 74, that the book begins to cover fashions that could be worn today. I consider the waistlines of this era unflattering. The last period she covers is "The Depression Era," which covers the years 1930-1940 in ten pages. Keep in mind, I'm looking for vintage clothing to wear, not to display. This does not leave much room for objections of taste. And, unfortunately, I haven't pulled any useful search terms out of those pages.
HOWEVER, there is some very useful information in Chapter XI, "Care and Restoration." It's a very short chapter, but I think this information could be applied to any vintage fashion era.
Rating: For my purposes (to purchase wearable vintage clothing), I give it 2 Stars. If I needed information about costuming for steampunk or Victorian settings, I'd give it 4 Stars. A beautiful book, and likely a good resource for someone who has occasion to wear elaborate Victorian, Edwardian, or roaring 20's dresses.
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