Costume book

An example of a costume book by Cesare Vecellio is Degli habit antichi et modern di diverse parti del mondo, published in Venice by Damaro Zen in 1590 and subsequently revised and published by the Sessa brothers in 1598 under the title Habiti antichi et modern di tutto il mondo.

[1] Costume books are difficult to define as they may include hand painted and printed illustrations resembling travel accounts or encyclopedic collections.

However, it moves away from the stereotypes common in other costume studies in order to delineate the antiquity of the contemporary Greek scene.

[3] Two major art historians working on costume books are Ann Rosalind Jones and Ulrike Ilg.

Ilg discusses the manner in which costume books transposed the issue of morality upon clothing, noting how various albums dealt with concepts of modesty and luxury, particularly within the context of existing sumptuary laws and other regulations placed on dress.