Tracing the evolution of fashion — from the early draped fabrics of ancient times to the catwalk couture of today — Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style is a stunningly illustrated guide to more than three thousand years of shifting trends and innovative developments in the world of clothing. Containing everything you need to know about changing fashion and style — from ancient Egyptian dress to Space Age Fashion and Grunge — and information on icons like Marie Antoinette, Clara Bow, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Alexander McQueen, Fashion catalogs the history of what people wear, revealing how Western fashion has been influenced by design from around the world and celebrating costume and haute couture. Fashion will captivate anyone interested in style — whether it's the fashion-mad teen in Tokyo, the wannabe designer in college, or the fashionista intrigued by the violent origins of the stiletto and the birth of bling.

Fashion is a visual feast, packed with stunning illustrations of 1,500 costumes from around the globe. It celebrates famous trendsetters, designers, and fashion icons from Queen Henrietta Maria to Jackie Onassis and Jean Paul Gautier.

Fashion endlessly reinvents itself, reflecting society's trends and innovations. Discover why different looks caught on, from the elaborate ruffs, wigs, and farthingales of the 17th century, to Dior's "new look" in 1947 and shoulder pads in the 1980s. Find out why for centuries people's dress was regulated by governments' "sumptuary rules" and how the invention of new textiles from velvet to spandex that influenced clothing design.

Whether you're part of the fashion industry, a student, or you just love clothes, Fashion is both a glorious visual treat and a treasured history.