I like Jane Austen as much as the next woman, i love getting lost in that deliciously ironic, terribly dressed up language. Shakespeare? Just throw in a little dramatic feud and some forbidden love and i'm there. And don't even get me started on all that epic poetry that you can find me wading through on a lazy Sunday. But sometimes, just sometimes, all you want to do is read about clothes.
Books about clothes, and fashion, are often belittled in the press. What's the point of them, anyway? How can you fill an entire book with discussion about clothes... They're just clothes. Huh. That kind of thinking really gets under my skin. There is nothing wrong with being interested with clothes, fashions and shoes. Nothing whatsoever. In fact, i think that studying fashions, changing trends, and the history and currency of clothing can be a fascinating and intriguing subject. (I am biased though, i just completed an essay for history on the importance of fashion in forging social status at Versailles).
Which is why i like reading about fashion, all kinds of fashion, in books. Magazines are great and all, but sometimes what you want is books - fiction, non fiction, monographs, coffee table books, how-to guides. They can elaborate more on their subject, sure they have less photos, but what they lack in visuals they make up for in imagination and though-provoking essays. I love reading about the history of garments, elite fashion worlds, inspirational street styles and even how to walk in high heels. These are some of my favourite fashion books:
The Sartorialist - Scott Schuman
The best thing about this book is not really the pictures, even though they're lovely, but it's the size. I was a little hesitant about this, wondering if what is essentially a coffee table book could work in a small size, paperback no less, and with a dustjacket. It would be hard, i thought, to get the proportions right and to make it easy to read. I thought it would feel clumsy in your hands. No, it really doesn't, and that marks a landmark in publishing - a paperback book filled with images and commentary, essentially a coffee table book, in a small, easy to read and handle size. I know this doesn't really seem so groundbreaking, but imagine Schuman's contemporaries and idols, they all have monographs, but there's (Testino, i'm looking at you) are huge, bohemoth tomes. This, instead, is sleek and chic, just like the subjects in the book. I remember reading somewhere that Schuman wanted to see fashion students carrying it around, dog-eared and loved, with post-it notes sticking out and scribbles on the pages. He wanted it to inspire and to intrigue. He wanted it to be loved. Well, it's going to be hard not to.
The Classic Ten - Nancy Macdonald Smith
Remember that book I talk about, the one about the history of classic pieces? this is it, written by Nylon's fashion features editor, and covering the suit, the white shirt, the trench (hello, yesterday's post), the lipstick, the LBD, the pearl necklace, the jeans, the high heels... it's such a great book, it's engaging and captivating, written with that discerning eye of a wizened fashion journo. Her insights into each piece are so intersting, she provides history and cultural context, as well as personal anecdotes and hand illustrations. In fact, each entry is kind of like a blog post, not too long, crammed with info, but set out in a way that makes you want to read on, and on, and on. While you may not come away knowing everything there is to know about the Trench Coat, you do learn some quirky facts and the antecedents of the trench (military WWI stylings). And that's what i love about this book, it's easy, quick and such fun to read.
Influence - Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Sure, they may have cliche written all over them, but no matter what the olsen twins do it always succeeds. Actress turned fashion designer? MK and A are the only ones of their kind to be admitted to the CDFA. Actress turned Author? Influence is one of the only books written by an actress that i own and love. I think this stems primarily from the subject matter, unlike Lauren Conrad's L.A Candy, this isn't a half-baked attempt at tell-all novel-cum-memoir. It is an informed, thoughtful and beautifully presented coffee table book explicating the various influences on their life. Architects, fashion designers, authors, visionaries and each other, Mary-Kate and Ashley interview, compile, photograph, and show what inspires them and what has shaped them into the fascinating people they are today. I particularly like the glimpses into their closets, such as the first sample of 'the row' tee shirt, or the galliano vintage robe (pictured above). Liking this book isn't a matter of liking the Olsen twins, it's a matter of appreciating that most intriguing of things - what influences us.
How to walk in high heels - Camilla Morton
This book is utterly charming. Subtitled 'the girl's guide to everything', it covers, funnily enough, how to walk in high heels and how to apply cat-eye eyeliner as well as things like how to change a light bulb, how to program your computer and how to cook a roast lamb. It has a foreword by John Galliano, which basically praises the socks of Camilla Morton (and makes me wish i could meet her, she sounds like fun!) and various special sections written by designers, fabulous it-girls and musicians in sections relevant to them. For example, Anya Hindmarch writes a section entitled 'how to pack a suitcase'. Many valuable lessons can be gleaned from this book.
Every girl knows that to make a real entrance you need something vintage. No-one will have the same thing as you, and you can stand out like the worldly, classy thing that you are. This book, a gift from my godmother who has excellent taste and who is a dead ringer (personality and looks wise) for Sofia Coppola, is the best guide i've ever read (and i've read my fair share) for loving, buying and wearing vintage. It covers everything from the best vintage shops (in London, New York, Paris and even Melbourne!) to how to navigate size differences. It's a book for vintage lovers, by a vintage lover, with tips on how to care for your clothes, how to mend them, how to source out authentic designer vintage, and how to wear a look with class. The best section is the book covers all the different (and favourite) vintage looks, from Victorian to 80s, and how to incorporate them into your wardrobe, how to wear them on different body types and how to rock a look from head to toe.
Bergdorf Blondes - Plum Sykes
Queen of Fashion - Caroline Weber
This is the fashion book for those who like their hats with a side of history. Charting the reign of Marie Antoinette, and one of the books that Sofia Coppola's masterful film was based on, it covers in exquisite detail the various fashion whims and fancies of Marie Antoinette, including original plans from her coutourier Rose Bertin, coverage of infamous fashion moments like the affair of the necklace, and also relates the politics of fashion to the politics of power. This is one of the first books i read that legitimized the discourse of fashion as a social barometer, validating clothes, shoes, frills and frou as worthy of discussion by historians and sociologists. She even relates it back to today's fashion industry! A must read for anyone who, like me, feels that clothes are far more than just the things we put on our backs.
X
Books about clothes, and fashion, are often belittled in the press. What's the point of them, anyway? How can you fill an entire book with discussion about clothes... They're just clothes. Huh. That kind of thinking really gets under my skin. There is nothing wrong with being interested with clothes, fashions and shoes. Nothing whatsoever. In fact, i think that studying fashions, changing trends, and the history and currency of clothing can be a fascinating and intriguing subject. (I am biased though, i just completed an essay for history on the importance of fashion in forging social status at Versailles).
Which is why i like reading about fashion, all kinds of fashion, in books. Magazines are great and all, but sometimes what you want is books - fiction, non fiction, monographs, coffee table books, how-to guides. They can elaborate more on their subject, sure they have less photos, but what they lack in visuals they make up for in imagination and though-provoking essays. I love reading about the history of garments, elite fashion worlds, inspirational street styles and even how to walk in high heels. These are some of my favourite fashion books:
The Sartorialist - Scott Schuman
The best thing about this book is not really the pictures, even though they're lovely, but it's the size. I was a little hesitant about this, wondering if what is essentially a coffee table book could work in a small size, paperback no less, and with a dustjacket. It would be hard, i thought, to get the proportions right and to make it easy to read. I thought it would feel clumsy in your hands. No, it really doesn't, and that marks a landmark in publishing - a paperback book filled with images and commentary, essentially a coffee table book, in a small, easy to read and handle size. I know this doesn't really seem so groundbreaking, but imagine Schuman's contemporaries and idols, they all have monographs, but there's (Testino, i'm looking at you) are huge, bohemoth tomes. This, instead, is sleek and chic, just like the subjects in the book. I remember reading somewhere that Schuman wanted to see fashion students carrying it around, dog-eared and loved, with post-it notes sticking out and scribbles on the pages. He wanted it to inspire and to intrigue. He wanted it to be loved. Well, it's going to be hard not to.
The Classic Ten - Nancy Macdonald Smith
Remember that book I talk about, the one about the history of classic pieces? this is it, written by Nylon's fashion features editor, and covering the suit, the white shirt, the trench (hello, yesterday's post), the lipstick, the LBD, the pearl necklace, the jeans, the high heels... it's such a great book, it's engaging and captivating, written with that discerning eye of a wizened fashion journo. Her insights into each piece are so intersting, she provides history and cultural context, as well as personal anecdotes and hand illustrations. In fact, each entry is kind of like a blog post, not too long, crammed with info, but set out in a way that makes you want to read on, and on, and on. While you may not come away knowing everything there is to know about the Trench Coat, you do learn some quirky facts and the antecedents of the trench (military WWI stylings). And that's what i love about this book, it's easy, quick and such fun to read.
Influence - Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Sure, they may have cliche written all over them, but no matter what the olsen twins do it always succeeds. Actress turned fashion designer? MK and A are the only ones of their kind to be admitted to the CDFA. Actress turned Author? Influence is one of the only books written by an actress that i own and love. I think this stems primarily from the subject matter, unlike Lauren Conrad's L.A Candy, this isn't a half-baked attempt at tell-all novel-cum-memoir. It is an informed, thoughtful and beautifully presented coffee table book explicating the various influences on their life. Architects, fashion designers, authors, visionaries and each other, Mary-Kate and Ashley interview, compile, photograph, and show what inspires them and what has shaped them into the fascinating people they are today. I particularly like the glimpses into their closets, such as the first sample of 'the row' tee shirt, or the galliano vintage robe (pictured above). Liking this book isn't a matter of liking the Olsen twins, it's a matter of appreciating that most intriguing of things - what influences us.
How to walk in high heels - Camilla Morton
This book is utterly charming. Subtitled 'the girl's guide to everything', it covers, funnily enough, how to walk in high heels and how to apply cat-eye eyeliner as well as things like how to change a light bulb, how to program your computer and how to cook a roast lamb. It has a foreword by John Galliano, which basically praises the socks of Camilla Morton (and makes me wish i could meet her, she sounds like fun!) and various special sections written by designers, fabulous it-girls and musicians in sections relevant to them. For example, Anya Hindmarch writes a section entitled 'how to pack a suitcase'. Many valuable lessons can be gleaned from this book.
It's vintage darling - Christa Weil
Every girl knows that to make a real entrance you need something vintage. No-one will have the same thing as you, and you can stand out like the worldly, classy thing that you are. This book, a gift from my godmother who has excellent taste and who is a dead ringer (personality and looks wise) for Sofia Coppola, is the best guide i've ever read (and i've read my fair share) for loving, buying and wearing vintage. It covers everything from the best vintage shops (in London, New York, Paris and even Melbourne!) to how to navigate size differences. It's a book for vintage lovers, by a vintage lover, with tips on how to care for your clothes, how to mend them, how to source out authentic designer vintage, and how to wear a look with class. The best section is the book covers all the different (and favourite) vintage looks, from Victorian to 80s, and how to incorporate them into your wardrobe, how to wear them on different body types and how to rock a look from head to toe.
Bergdorf Blondes - Plum Sykes
Oh yeah. You didn't think a discussion of my favourite books about fashion could go by without a mention of Plum Sykes? One of my favourite Vogue fashion writers, she's witty, clever and just a little bit elitist, which is all the better for this kind of book. You don't read Bergdorf Blondes for realism. You don't read it for heartfelt emotion and passion. You do read it for a tongue-in-chic (but then, also wholeheartedly embracing) look at new york's socialiate fashion culture. It's not really the best advertisement for fashion journalism considering that the protagonist only files about 3 stories in the duration of her tenure, and never submits her copy on time, but she does it with the perfect chloe jeans and a boucheron cocktail ring hanging from her finger. Oh so chic.
Queen of Fashion - Caroline Weber
This is the fashion book for those who like their hats with a side of history. Charting the reign of Marie Antoinette, and one of the books that Sofia Coppola's masterful film was based on, it covers in exquisite detail the various fashion whims and fancies of Marie Antoinette, including original plans from her coutourier Rose Bertin, coverage of infamous fashion moments like the affair of the necklace, and also relates the politics of fashion to the politics of power. This is one of the first books i read that legitimized the discourse of fashion as a social barometer, validating clothes, shoes, frills and frou as worthy of discussion by historians and sociologists. She even relates it back to today's fashion industry! A must read for anyone who, like me, feels that clothes are far more than just the things we put on our backs.
X
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