Tag Archives: book review

Book Review: American Style and Spirit

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Lynn

How do we know what people wore in the past?  There are many places to look—family photographs, letters, receipts, and of course the clothes themselves. Now imagine if you had all of these things and more, including pattern books, tear … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Woman I Wanted to Be by Diane von Furstenberg

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Lynn

Back in the days when I wore dresses, I didn’t find the wrap dress very practical. When I wore it, the style was given to constant wardrobe malfunctions both on the top and the bottom. Since Diane von Furstenberg’s career … Continue reading →

Posted in 1970s, 1980s, 1990, 2000s, 2010s | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Book Review—Fashion: A Timeline in Photographs, 1850 to Now by Caroline Rennolds Milbank

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Lynn

Ever since I received noted fashion historian Caroline Rennolds Milbanks’ new book from my university library, I have been reveling in its wonderful pictures. This richly illustrated volume published by Rizzoli was obviously a labor of love. Beginning almost with … Continue reading →

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Book Review: From Paris to Providence

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Lynn

In 1989, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) received an unusual gift—the contents of a successful dressmaking shop that had been shut for more than forty years. It was the business of Anna and Laura Tirocchi, custom dressmakers to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Book Review: Dressed for War by Nina Edwards

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Lynn

If you compare a map of Europe map in 1913 to one made after the First World War, it is easy to see the explosive power of that conflict. Old empires disappeared and new countries took their place. In her … Continue reading →

Posted in 1910s | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Book Review–A True Likeness: The Black South of Richard Samuel Roberts, 1920-1936

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Lynn

Have you ever stopped to wonder how many photographic records of the past have been lost or destroyed? This book, edited by Thomas L. Johnson and Phillip C. Dunn, is the result of an almost miraculous reclamation. Thousands of glass … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Book Review: I’ll Drink to That by Betty Halbreich

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Lynn

This might be one of the most persuasive books ever written on the importance of working outside the home. Betty Halbreich traces her transformation from a timid young woman into a celebrity fashion consultant for the luxury store Bergdorf Goodman. … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010s | Tagged | 5 Comments

Book Review: 70s Fashion Fiascos by Maureen Valdes Marsh

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Lynn

Although the silly title to this book may have boosted sales, I think it does a disservice to the contents. Maureen Valdes Marsh does insert her share of “weren’t folks quaint in the past” comments. But behind this is serious … Continue reading →

Posted in 1970s | Tagged | 3 Comments

Book Review: Women in Clothes

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Lynn

Women in clothes—it’s not surprising that such a big topic would result in a very big book. This volume weighs in at over 500 pages, some of them in very small print. Edited and masterminded by three writers, Sheila Heti, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010s | Tagged | 4 Comments

Book Review: Dressed for the Photographer by Joan Severa

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Lynn

Although this book addresses a specific time and place—the United States from the 1840s to 1900—it contains a wealth of information useful to anyone who is interested in how photographs can be used to study the history of fashion. The … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Pre 1900 | Tagged , | 2 Comments