Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)First, let me say that this book does say a lot of interesting things about the Old West, like how cowboys dressed in different states, how certain fashions, like bib-front shirts, came to be, and what different professions wore. However, with regards to women's fashion, it got a lot wrong.
A great deal of the information given is generalized--expansive statements that cover the entire Victorian period, but aren't necessarily true for any particular year, and might be outright false during some years. Fashions changed very rapidly during the late 1800s, and something that might've been all the rage in 1890 might have not have even existed in the 1860s or 1870s. And, some of what the book says is outright wrong. For example, at one point it tells us that women wore huge hoopskirts through the whole second half of the 1800s and then styles abruptly changed to the more practical bloomer. In fact, hoopskirts were only around for a decade or so, and bloomers were a type of trousers worn only by a few brave women who were gaped at and criticized.
At some points, the book actually contradicts itself. And, despite the title, it has very little to say about bustles. Some of what it said about men's fashions seemed odd, as well. I would say, buy it if you want to read about the Old West, but take everything it has to say with a grain of salt and verify the information elsewhere if you're interested in accuracy.
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