--- product_id: 261834814 title: "How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 21st Century" price: "¥10792" currency: JPY in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.jp/products/261834814-how-to-read-a-dress-a-guide-to-changing-fashion store_origin: JP region: Japan --- # How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 21st Century **Price:** ¥10792 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 21st Century - **How much does it cost?** ¥10792 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.jp](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/261834814-how-to-read-a-dress-a-guide-to-changing-fashion) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Fashion is ever-changing, and while some styles mark a dramatic departure from the past, many exhibit subtle differences from year to year that are not always easily identifiable. With overviews of each key period and detailed illustrations for each new style, How to Read a Dress is an appealing and accessible guide to women's fashion across five centuries. Each entry includes annotated color images of historical garments, outlining important features and highlighting how styles have developed over time, whether in shape, fabric choice, trimming, or undergarments. Readers learn how garments were constructed and where their inspiration stemmed from at key points in history – as well as how dresses have varied in type, cut, detailing and popularity according to the occasion and the class, age and social status of the wearer. This new edition includes additional styles to illustrate and explain the journey between one style and another; larger images to allow closer investigation of details of dress; examples of lower and working-class, as well as middle-class, clothing; and a completely new chapter covering the 1980s to 2020. The latter demonstrates how the late 20th century and early 21st century firmly left the dress behind as a requirement , but retained it as a perennially popular choice and illustrates how far the traditional boundaries of ‘the dress’ have been pushed (even including reference to a newly non-binary appreciation of the garment), and the intellectual shifts in the way women’s fashion is both inspired and inspires. With these new additions, How to Read a Dress , revised edition, presents a complete and up-to-date picture of ‘the dress’ in all its forms, across the centuries, and taking into account different sartorial and social experiences. It is the ideal tool for anyone who has ever wanted to know their cartridge pleats from their Récamier ruffles. Equipping the reader with all the information they need to 'read' a dress, this is the ultimate guide for students, researchers, and anyone interested in historical fashion. Review: Speedy delivery - Bought as a gift. Recipient pleased Review: fashion book - I bought this for my niece and its really good I'm sure she will love it ## Features - New Store Stock ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 136,334 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 154 in Fashion History 232 in Fashion & Style (Books) 393 in Textile Arts | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 207 Reviews | ## Images ![How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 21st Century - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71J6kk+WMZL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Speedy delivery *by E***R on 1 March 2026* Bought as a gift. Recipient pleased ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ fashion book *by M***R on 9 September 2024* I bought this for my niece and its really good I'm sure she will love it ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good book for fashion history lovers *by B***K on 15 April 2026* The book is very informative and the pictures are beautiful. I just wished the book was a little bit bigger. ## Frequently Bought Together - How to Read a Dress: A Guide to Changing Fashion from the 16th to the 21st Century - How to Read a Suit: A Guide to Changing Men’s Fashion from the 17th to the 20th Century - Fashion, New Edition: The Definitive Visual Guide (DK Definitive Cultural Histories) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.jp/products/261834814-how-to-read-a-dress-a-guide-to-changing-fashion](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/261834814-how-to-read-a-dress-a-guide-to-changing-fashion) --- *Product available on Desertcart Japan* *Store origin: JP* *Last updated: 2026-11-14*