The historical and cultural richness of the Near and Middle East is reflected visually in its costume. In this book, Jennifer Scarce makes brilliant use of years or research to provide a lucid acount of the development of women's dress from the fourteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Her study of costume is set in th ebroader context of the social and economic background of the Ottoman Empire, giving the subject a new an fascinating slant.
A detailed discussion of cut and construction is accompanied by pattern layouts and numerous photographs which clearly illustrate the different styles of dress through the centuries.
Women's costume of the Near and Middle East is a hitherto sadly neglected subject. After years of original research across the world, this gap has been admirably filled by Jennifer Scarce's scholarly readable study.