Make yourself a cup of tea (coffee… Champaign anyone?) and let’s read!
- JACK THE RIPPER STILL STALKS HIS VICTIMS… HE’S STILL IN FASHION. LITERALLY.
With Corona-virus pandemic fully on, fashion texts almost got locked in contradiction. On one hand, we are offered the new trends and must-haves which we really must try before the lost summer 2020 is lost completely. On the other hand, this crisis has drawn more attention to sustainability and the ethical side of fashion (or, should I say, unethical). This discourse isn’t new, and its last huge hype was at the turn of XX century. The Young King, a fairy-tale by Oscar Wilde, be it written today, would perhaps be published in The Vogue magazine and quoted by every eco-conscious fashion-blogger. As the story goes, a young king-to-be sees three dreams on the eve of his coronation ceremony. In those dreams he faces Greed, Death and Famine claiming lives of people working at his astonishing dress for the ceremony. Filled with sorrow and sympathy for those people, the king comes to the ceremony dressed as a shepherd… Reading the Victims of Fashion by Alison Matthews David feels almost like stepping into this fairy tale, but, perhaps, much deeper, because suddenly we realize that an unpretentious “shepherd look” could have claimed more lives than the richly decorated royal gown.
The book Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present is an extensive research of fashion through the prism of damages to life and health caused to both consumers and producers of clothes. The book is mesmerizing, easy to read and feels more like a novel. Every fact is served as a story, often very personal and detailed.
The author, Alison Matthews David holds a PhD in Art History and currently works as an associate professor in the School of Fashion at Reynors University.
So, what is the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word combination “victim of fashion”? Our imagination starts creating the phantoms of crazy fashionistas who starve themselves to death or obsess about latest designer creations showing off their incredible taste and devotion to the shifting ideals of beauty. It’s them, it’s not us. Most of us like to separate ourselves from fashion, especially its not-so-pretty sides. The whole ethos of wasteful frivolous lavish fashion is built around the idea of drawing a boarder between ourselves and seductive perils of trendy outfits. But let’s be honest, who are the actual victims of fashion? Most often it’s us, ordinary people who wear ordinary clothes and other ordinary people who make those clothes. No matter how hard we try to set ourselves apart from the “dark sides” of fashion, it is here. It often hides in the simplest things, such as a pair of socks, an innocent T-shirt or a lipstick.
The book Victims of Fashion invites the reader to take a journey to the trenches of Napoleonic wars, streets and theatres of Belle Epoque and suffocating factories. On the way you will get acquainted with real mad hatters, devoted ballerinas and cry over every child whose cotton nightgown has caught fire. And in the end of this journey, just when you start thinking that all of this horror is a matter of the well-forgotten past, the author will remind you of the present. Numerous illustrations – from caricatures and advertisements, to X-rays and medical drawings – make this book feel almost like a cabinet of curiosities.
What I liked the most: Despite the fact that this extensive research puts a lot of ugly facts into the lime-light, it is not anti-fashion and it does not aim to criticize “the rich” or “the fashionable”. To some extent, it points at human monstrosity and hypocrisy. Through the mirror of fashion, it mirrors us. When flea poison saves thousands of lives from typhus and becomes an efficient weapon of genocide, it’s us, not fashion. When we stay happily unaware of how many workers ruined their lungs adding the fake holes to make our jeans look cool, it’s also us, and not just fashion.
For whom:
For the general audience: if you have never thought where your things come from, and who makes them, this book will open up a new perspective, and, perhaps will make you more attentive to these details. A possible side-effect – you might start avoiding green garments… and many other garments. Or, you might want to follow the steps of XIXth centuries doctors and upper-class ladies who took action and intervened.
For fashion professionals: if you are researching fashion production, history of fashion, or sustainable fashion, Victims of Fashion will be a good addition to your library. This book especially addresses clothes designers and manufacturers offering a challenge – instead of sticking to “out of sight out of mind” attitude, it offers to take responsibility and take into consideration everyone’s safety at every step of making of things that we wear.
- “WANNE-BE” (STYLISH) CHALLANGE
I would like to invite you to enjoy a book that is not about style at all. And yet, it is 100%.
It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden.
This tiny book was a present from my good friend, a renown designer. She gave it to me at the point in time when I was so busy with my studies that reading anything else rather than books on qualitative research seemed impossible. Yet, the title and the cover seemed almost authoritative. So, I indulged myself and sunk into what seemed to be a very challenging promise.
The book consists of several chapters divided into small entries, each of them can boast a motivating headline, great typography and a witty illustration that sticks. All these visual means serve a purpose – the book definitely forms (re-forms!) an attitude to one’s life and work, what one shares with the world.
“I want to be as famous as Persil Automatic”
– Victoria BeckhamBut for me, from the first page, this book was about one’s style. I believe that how we dress also starts with an attitude, even if we don’t want to admit it.
If you don’t believe me, just ask a very good friend to comment on your looks – critically, without reservation and absolutely honestly. It doesn’t matter who is right, and who of you has a more exquisite taste, that’s not the point. The point is to see that there is a huge deal of attitude behind what you chose to put on. I can guarantee that in the end of this experiment (if you dare to make it, of course!) you will find yourself justifying every garment that you are wearing, and it’s very likely that you will spend the rest of the day continuing this dialogue in your head. That’s how our brain works. It justifies. That is normal. And, perhaps, you do have a great style, but then, what is it that you want to improve? What makes you look critically in the mirror, avoid shops or spend hours in the search for new things? Our attitude can be a huge obstacle when we are seeking for a change or are stuck with solutions that used to work, but are about to stop because our life is changing.
So, if you want to be more, to look better or bolder, to challenge and shake your self-perception, give Paul Arden a try.
- A TINY GOLDEN BARBELL FOR YOUR STYLE MUSCLE AND PERFECT FIT
Imagine that you pass by the shop window and see this amazing… let’s say a pair of trousers. They are very trendy, you totally love the color, the fabric, and the price is just within your budget. Your size is there, so you hastily try them on. Oh-la-la! Your desire object is paid for, nicely packed and you can’t wait to put it on and show it off. As you start wearing it, you get a strange feeling, that something isn’t quite right. It’s your size, perfectly comfortable, but still a bit irritating… And then suddenly you see yourself on the picture made by your friend and start thinking that you need to do something about your body because you are not happy with the way you look.
As you start wearing it, you get a strange feeling, that something isn’t quite right.
There is a high chance that your body is fine, but the fit is not. The proportion created by your outfit doesn’t do a good job, visually enlarging what you want to make look smaller, elongating what you want to look shorter or vice versa. Next step you start searching for your body-type and feeling confused with all those fruit/letter/geometry typologies. Soon enough you reassure yourself that you are some unique passionfruit that was not described by any existing typology (honestly, I find letters and geometry shapes even more confusing because they are flat, and our bodies are three-dimensional…) You end up with the said idea that until you have lost/gained some weight or somehow modified your body you are doomed.
I find letters and geometry shapes even more confusing because they are flat, and our bodies are three-dimensional.
To avoid such painful experiences or at least diminish them, I invite you to my bookshelf with my little “oldie but goldie” – WHAT NOT TO WEAR: THE RULES by Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine. I bought this book many years ago, and it has served me really well ever since. It was published at the dawn of the Trinny&Susannah era at BBC. It can be still found on Amazon.com and is totally worth adding to one’s style library.
Why? Because it’s not about trends or style! It shows (literally) how outfits influence proportions. Strictly speaking, it’s a slightly simplified version of visual correction techniques based on composition and visual perception. No magic.
What I like about this book: First and foremost, there is no typology – all the recommendations are given with the focus on a certain area. The book is visual, every piece of advice that the authors give comes as two juxtaposed pictures that do talk louder than words. For those who like words, there are concise explanations for every picture as well. No water, to the point.
All the recommendations are given with the focus on a certain area.
Besides, Trinny and Susannah have an amazing sense of humor and self-irony, which is contagious. After reading their comments, one starts to look at things easier and shakes off some of the tired austerity. Getting dressed is only a game, finding the right fit needs to be fun, not corporal punishment.
Today, when the body-positive movement is gathering pace, a lot of what is said in this tiny book might cause a debate. But to be honest, at least from time to time, we all want to look our best, to make the most of what we have. We can be “loud and proud” and make statements showing off our imperfections in a form of a social protest against cultural standards of beauty, but at the end of the day, there are moments when we just want to look in the mirror and enjoy what we see.
PS: When I was considering which of my books I wanted to review, “the rules” were one of the first in the queue. Naturally, I’ve got interested – what Trinny and Susannah are up to today. I was really fascinated to discover Trinny’s Instagram. This lady rocks! Check her OUTFIT OF THE DAY on Instagram!
- A DELICIOUS CANDY FOR YOUR EYES AND A GREAT GUIDE FOR YOUR SENSE OF STYLE
Marnie Fogg
What makes great fashion: 80 Masterpieces Explained
I would like to invite you to my fashion bookshelf with a book that I got almost accidentally, and that has become one of my treasures.
Last year my birthday was not going quite as fun as I have imagined – I literally spent four hours in a dental chair (that’s exhausting!), half of my face was numb of anesthesia, and on my way to my little birthday party I came to a bookstore to pick up pre-ordered books that were supposed to be my birthday present… Only to discover that they were shipped to the wrong shop. Upset and already late for my own birthday party, I decided to make myself a cheer-up treat and within seconds picked a book from the art and fashion department. Because of the cover used in a Russian edition, I have mistaken it for another book. I was sure that I bought a compact version of The definitive History of Costume and Style and I didn’t even bother to look at the title as my head was busy with other thoughts. As you can understand, it was Marnie Fogg’s “What makes great fashion”.
Now, to the book itself. The author, Marnie Fogg has published several books related to fashion history. She is a university lecturer on Visual Studies and Fashion and works as a fashion consultant. Trustworthy.
The title… Honestly, I found the title misleading. What makes a great fashion – if one is looking for an answer to this question, thie book will be a disappointment. It will not help you to find a so-called “investment piece” that would serve you and will be inherited by your grandchildren, neither will it guide you to a great fashion collection, nor help to understand why some dresses become a masterpiece and others don’t. It does though describe 80 interesting fashion designs shortly, but I do believe that a different title could work better. Much better.
The book itself is very pleasant to look at and hold in hand. I have read it in Russian translation, but the publisher kept the design (except for the cover) and quality similar to the original UK edition. Richly illustrated and easy to read, this book can serve as a nice coffee table book, and thanks to compact format (13×18 cm) it can reside on the smallest coffee tables, or become “a cherry on top of the cake” if you like to stack beautiful books as interior decoration.
Content wise, the book explores 80 iconic outfits that have changed fashion and influenced our culture, yet what makes this edition a masterpiece among other books with a similar content, is the author’s style typology. “What makes a great fashion” is a compendium. Marnie groups the styles thematically into chapters (revivalism, exoticism, rebellion etc) that are conveniently color-marked. Each thematic group is represented through eight styles or core stylistic ideas. Thus, the 80 explained masterpieces serve as an example of a certain style. Each entry has two to four extra references of the outfits representing the described stylistic idea. Podium, archive and museum photos or snapshots from movies in a great quality, often with a focus on details provide great visual illustrations. Most entries have three concise texts that are marked with a corresponding icon: the quote section helps to grasp an overall feeling, the mannequin section describes the stylistic context and may contain cultural or historic references, and the zoom section pays attention to the most outstanding details of the outfit.
In the end of the book you will find short information about mentioned brands and fashion designers, a chronology and a list of references.
Why do I think this book is worth reading? It provides a typology and definitions of styles. Try to google a style. Any style. You will most likely end up with a cocktail of images that are very loosely connected and a bunch of articles, blog entries or books that do not make sense. Yet, we all communicate about it somehow – “boho style”, “business style”, “preppy”, “French style”, “romantic style”, “rebel style”, “casual style”… We sincerely believe that we understand what it means, when in reality we often use some cultural stereotypes. And to be honest, even those stereotypes can seldom boast an actual definition. Since fashion is only starting to be considered a form of art and theory of fashion is just emerging, most information on styles in fashion comes either from the history of costume, or from the history of fashion, or from art and culture studies. Thus, styles are often presented in a linear perspective, for example as style of a certain decade (the 50-s style, the 90-s style) or linked to the name of a fashion designer or his/her collection (Dior’s “new look” or Saint Laurent’s safari). In the XXth century some of the styles got names that are still in use, but the content has changed – let’s say, sports style, but think Edwardian sports jackets and today’s athleisure. At the same time due to post-modern quotations, multitude of co-existing styles and revivals, borders between so-called styles get blurry and eroded. That is why I find Marnie Fogg’s attempt to give names and add structure brilliant, although I do not always agree with how she does it, and I find this typology incomplete.
For whom:
For the general audience I find this book totally worth reading. Instead of browsing the internet, you get a solid foundation for your own judgment and numerous examples of each style done by a genius designer rather than a so-so version by a mass producer. After reading this book you will inevitably start thinking more carefully about meanings and associations beyond garments that you are choosing to wear. Because fashion trickles down, and what starts as a masterpiece with a powerful vision and meaning often ends up as “the stuff”, just another skirt, one of the seasonal must-have that needs to make way into our wardrobes after being worn by our favorite influencer.
If you are a professional working in fashion industry (fashion designer, stylist, fashion journalist, design student, researcher etc.) this book may seem a bit shallow at first site because you have seen the described outfits and read about them elsewhere. It may be quite informative though if you studying or if you haven’t had an extensive course in fashion history (for example, you are writing about fashion, but you were majoring in another subject). Yet, as I’ve mentioned before, this book is precious in terms of defining styles and binding definitions with outstanding fashion designs. Thus, if you are working in a team or with clients, it can serve as a medium for finding common grounds and making yourself understood through words as well as images. For example, some of my clients and friends, when looking through this book start almost intuitively “trying on” all that they see. “Oh, that is lovely! How can one wear that?! I like the idea but I would never wear such things…” I see it as a great starting point to talk about stylistic preferences and dislikes. It can help to figure out and negotiate certain things at the initial stage and choose direction. The book also does a good work expanding vocabulary, helping to make a bridge from the imagery and the world of ideas to their verbal equivalents and back. A great reference book – short, illustrated, to the point.
- ABOUT FBOOKSHELF
Style and fashion are visual, no denying that. But beyond every impressive style and unforgettable image there are stories and knowledge. In the age of visual overload, it is so tempting to just stare at pictures and look without thinking. We are lured by the idea that whatever image we see, can be copied and make us fabulous, beautiful, stylish, noticed by others, loved, perhaps… So, why bother reading books? I believe that books are precious – they slow us down; they make us concentrate on something longer than a blog entry. But what’s more important when it comes to our personal style and fashion, the books have a power of changing the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us – they change the perception angle and we start looking for different imagery and with a different purpose.
My bookshelf is a part of STYLELABS where I share books that, in my humble opinion, may have a powerful impact on our sense of style. Thus, some of the books will be not about fashion or style at all.