Persian – Materials

Paul Louis de Giafferri prints are bright, stylish plates from a 1920s history of women's fashion. Giafferri wrote and illustrated The History of the Feminine Costume of the World, which follows dresses, sleeves, shoes, jewels and hats from ancient Egypt and Assyria to Japan, India and modern France. Our collection of fine art prints includes more than two hundred of its plates, drawn with the flair of the Art Deco years.

About Paul Louis de Giafferri

Paul Louis de Giafferri was a French author and illustrator, born in 1886. Little is recorded about his life, and he is known almost entirely through his books on the history of dress.

In 1922 the Paris publisher Nilsson issued his L'Histoire du costume féminin français, which traced French women's fashion from the 11th century to 1870. An English-language series followed in 1926–1927 as The History of the Feminine Costume of the World, with around 220 plates covering costume across the world and across history, from about 5000 BC to his own century.

Style and Subjects

Each plate gathers several figures or details around one theme: the skirts of Gaul, the sleeves of India, the hats of Rome, the jewels of Assyria. Giafferri painted them in flat, glowing colour with crisp outlines, and set them on clean backgrounds that make the patterns and shapes stand out.

His figures are slender and elegant, with the poise of a 1920s fashion magazine. One library exhibition describes his renderings as fanciful, with a 1920s sensibility, so the plates are best enjoyed as stylish design rather than strict historical record.

Famous Works

• The Beautiful Lines of the Greek Costumes (1926–1927). Flowing robes and draperies of ancient Greece.
• The Riotous Colours of the Oriental Costumes (1926–1927). Some of the brightest plates in the series.
• The Fascination of the Indian Costumes (1926–1927). Saris, jewels and embroidered fabrics.
• Japan – Headgears and Coiffures (1926–1927). Japanese hairstyles and headdresses.
• China – Ladies of Fashion (1926–1927). Elegant women in Chinese dress.
• France – Fashionable Ladies (1926–1927). French fashion through the ages.
• Ancient Egypt – Fashionable Ladies (1926–1927). Linen dresses, collars and wigs of ancient Egypt.

Decorating with Giafferri Prints

Giafferri's costume plates are made for a dressing room, walk-in closet or bedroom, and they suit a boutique, sewing room or fashion studio just as well. Group plates by region, such as Egypt, Greece and Rome, or by theme, such as shoes, hats or sleeves.

Their flat colour and graphic shapes fit Art Deco and modern interiors, and they look smart in a hallway in a neat grid. Thin gold or black frames with a white mat suit the crisp style.

FAQ

Who was Paul Louis de Giafferri?

A French author and illustrator born in 1886, known for his illustrated histories of women's costume published in the 1920s.

What is The History of the Feminine Costume of the World?

An English-language series of about 220 colour plates published in 1926–1927, showing women's dress across the world from ancient times to the 20th century.

Are Giafferri's costumes historically accurate?

Only loosely. One library exhibition describes his plates as fanciful, with a 1920s sensibility, so they reflect the taste of their time as much as the past.

What did Giafferri publish in French?

L'Histoire du costume féminin français, published by Nilsson in Paris in 1922, covering French women's fashion from 1037 to 1870.

Which plates are most popular?

The themed plates, such as The Beautiful Lines of the Greek Costumes and The Riotous Colours of the Oriental Costumes, are among the most striking.

Related Artists

• George Barbier: French fashion illustrator of the Art Deco years
• Auguste Racinet: author of the great 19th-century costume history
• Albert Kretschmer: German illustrator of historical costume