Norah Waugh's book has, for many years, been the definitive work of reference for teachers and students of fashion design, for dress designers, for costume makers - and anyone who is seriously interested in the history and construction of women's clothes.

Each period in the history of costume has produced its own characteristic line and silhouette, and the book includes numerous patterns taken from actual dresses, many of them rare museum specimens, illustrated by line sketches of the garments themselves. There are detailed notes on the production of women's dress with diagrams from and references to early technical books and journals.