Medieval Costume and Fashion: Amazon.ca: Herbert Norris: Books

Product Description

A superb panoramic study of clothing worn in the Middle Ages. A meticulously researched text is enhanced with nearly 700 illustrations depicting all manner of apparel — from fur-trimmed cloaks and brocaded robes of courtiers and the nobility to simpler mantles, tunics and trousers worn by merchants, huntsmen, and other commoners.

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

19 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

Average Customer Review

3.3 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars All There, Oct 15 2011

By

Norma Jolliffe (Calgary, AB Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Medieval Costume and Fashion (Paperback)

Fabulous book for anyone interested in the Middle Ages. I bought this book in order to study fashion in the Middle Ages, wanting something much more authenic than what the movies provided, and wow, what did I get! There are detailed descriptions of fashion from the Norman conquest of England in 1066 to 1485, which in itself is highly informative, but also included are manners, people of the era, both famous and simple farmers, as well as fashion patterns. It was everything and more of what I was looking for. Hairstyles, shoe styles, how a tournament was organized, jewellery,hats, swords, heraldic symbols.....for anyone researching the middle ages this is the book. It gives a great overview of every aspect of life in those times. I was very pleasantly surprised when I opened the book, for it was worth every minute of the very long time it took in arriving.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

4.0 out of 5 stars A beginning, May 31 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Medieval Costume and Fashion (Paperback)

I too am always looking for the one book that does it for me. This was my 1st Norris and it was hard to read, didn't have the info i needed and did'nt sight references but it must have done something right. It got me started researching, reading and experimenting. Norris sights Norris. He has the expert at the time the books were written. If you keep that in mind and love history, you can see how we got off base and why. It is a beginning book on basic costuming history. It is repeatative and rambling but valuable for values sake. If it's all you can afford go for it,you will be entertained and inspired. If you need to be exact. Go for something else

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

1.0 out of 5 stars Great to look at but horribly inaccurate., Oct 1 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Medieval Costume and Fashion (Paperback)

This book is one of the medieval costume sources heavily influenced by the Victorian era. Norris' redrawings are changed quite a bit from the originals. He tends to base his thoughts off of the romanticized Victorian view of the middle ages rather than the actual middle ages. What he can't find from that, he just makes up. If you are looking for the "feel" of the middle ages in a halloween costume, this book will be fine. If you are interested in accuracy, you would be better to spend your money elsewhere.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 19 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 24 reviews 3.6 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Historically Accurate
Norris's book is a good place to start, but he writes with a heavy Victorian bias, and frequently makes a lot of the details up. Read more

Published on April 24 2003

1.0 out of 5 stars Look elsewhere for primary documentation
Look to other sources for SCA Arts & Sciences documentation. This book is only useful as a good first place for beginner costumers to look for ideas. Read more

Published on April 22 2003 by orianamyrtlewood