Margins
Colonial and Early American Fashions book cover
Colonial and Early American Fashions
1998
First Published
4.08
Average Rating
48
Number of Pages

This entertaining and educational coloring book provides a fascinating glimpse of clothing styles worn by Colonial Americans—from the early years of colonization to the onset of the American Revolution. Carefully researched and meticulously rendered by illustrator Tom Tierney, 45 excellent, ready-to-color illustrations present an exciting panorama of wearing apparel spanning nearly 150 years of fashion history. Accurately depicted are men, women, and children from every social class: Puritans of the early 17th century (who, contrary to common belief, wore other colors besides black), Danish immigrants (1650), Maryland settlers (1630), pirates dressed in the latest fashions acquired as booty; an independent servant, an English officer and his lady, a colonial merchant's family of the early-1700s, an eighteenth-century Quaker woman, and many others. Often a food indication of class and rank, garments include simple woolen trousers, muslin shirts and cotton dresses worn by country people, laborers, and artisans. Waistcoats, silken breeches, and linen shirts are the apparel of choice among well-to-do townsmen and military officials, while gowns of satin and brocade clothe ladies of means. Descriptive, fact-filled captions accompany each finely detailed illustration. Engaging, full-page displays of shoes, headgear, hairstyles, and powdered wigs complete this collection—sure to appeal not only to coloring book fans but to costume historians and designers as well.

Avg Rating
4.08
Number of Ratings
12
5 STARS
33%
4 STARS
42%
3 STARS
25%
2 STARS
0%
1 STARS
0%
goodreads

Author

Tom Tierney
Author · 32 books

Tom Tierney was a prolific creator of paper doll books. He was trained as an artist and worked as an illustrator for department stores before turning to paper dolls in the 1970s. "Meticulously drawn and colored, and annotated with historical information, Mr. Tierney’s paper-doll books are not just for children—and some are not for children at all. His aim, he often said, was to contribute to the visual literature of costume history," noted his New York Times obituary. "Pope John Paul II, shown a copy of Mr. Tierney’s book about him by a visitor to the Vatican, blessed it and asked where he might get one of his own."

548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved