This lavish volume invites the reader into the glamorous fashions of the 1920s. Virginia, a renowned antique clothing shop in London, has been a go-to for fashion designers, models, stylists, and fashionistas for years. With its carefully curated selection of perfectly preserved heirloom dresses, coats, lingerie, and accessories, Virginia’s rare clothing is collected by designers for inspiration and by serious clothing collectors (both museum curators as well as celebrities). This stunning volume highlights the best of the collection, scaling the heights of Jazz Age fashion with chapters on sequined dresses, cocktail wear, bridge coats, opera coats, evening jackets, and house coats. Through sumptuous still-life photographs of the clothes and opulent film-set interiors, Dressed to Kill invites readers into a magical world. The rare and precious beaded dresses, feathered capes, and silky kimonos are beautifully documented, highlighting the craftsmanship and ornamentation of the pieces. Historical information is accompanied by guidelines for the care of antique clothing. With essays by leading fashion authorities, this is a must-have book for collectors, connoisseurs, and those who believe in evening style.
"It's the closest most will get to museum-worthy historical fashion." ~National Post
"With pieces drawn from Virginia's private collection, this title is brimming with flapper dresses, bridge coats and feathered capes and highlights the dazzling fashion of the 1920's" ~Ball Harbour
"Virginia's, a London vintage-clothing shop, is spotlighted in this lavish volume, which features the jazziest of the famed outlet's Jazz Age ensembles. Craftsmanship is the focus as intricately embroidered coats shimmy alongside fringed flapper frocks in a worthy tribute to fashion's glory days." ~The Globe and Mail
