Before the invention of photography, the fashion-conscious public relied on illustrations in magazines to follow the latest developments in style, and ensure they were dressed for High Society in every season. These illustrations became an art form in themselves, as key publications - and their taste-making illustrators - defined the looks of each era. This lavishly illustrated book charts the history of fashion and the social calendar in Britain through the fashion plates of the most important periodicals. It offers a visually stunning record of fashion illustration in Britain over two centuries.