This book consists of illustrations taken from Harper's Bazar from 1867 to 1898, when that periodical was at the height of its importance and influence. After the Civil War, the American upper-middle class expanded and grew in style-consciousness, stimulated by the visits of European royalty and the International Exhibition in Paris in 1867. Harper's Bazar, which described itself as 'A repository of Fashion, Pleasure, and Instruction, ' brought detailed images of the latest European and American fashions into the homes of the American middle class. The illustrations in this book demonstrate both the tastes of the Victorians and the evolutionary nature of fashion, as styles come and go and then return again. Images of accessories and hair styles are included alongside the expected selection of women's and children's garments.