The lost art of dress : the women who once made America stylish PDF
Preview The lost art of dress : the women who once made America stylish
More AdvAnce PrAise for The Lost Art of Dress “Linda Przybyszewski takes her readers on an imaginative journey through a largely forgotten universe of women writers in the twen- tieth century who wrote about the art of dressing well. The book is sprightly and well-written, and it suggests new directions for research in the history of fashion and of women. Przybyszewski offers useful critiques of the restrictive clothing of the nineteenth century, the sloppy clothing of the 1960s, the periodic infantilizing of women through dress design, and the increasing commoditization of products and pleasures. She mourns the loss of the elegance of the 1930s, when women looked both liberated and chic.” —Lois Banner, Professor Emerita, Department of History and Gender Studies Program, University of Southern California, author of Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox “This is an important work. In The Lost Art of Dress, dressmaker and historian Linda Przybyszewski skillfully delineates the rise of the Dress Doctors in the early twentieth century to their demise in the turbulent sixties. Przybyszewski excavated the lost texts of home econ- omists and others who taught the art and science of dress through the 9780465036714-text.indd 1 2/10/14 1:37 PM application of five principles of art. Although Przybyszewski laments the decline of the teachings of the Dress Doctors during the 1960s, she sees their legacy in the recent rise of the craft of dressmaking and is encouraged by a renewed interest of Americans in the art of dressing well and with good taste.” —Patricia Cunningham, Associate Professor Emerita of Fashion and Retail Studies, Ohio State University 9780465036714-text.indd 2 2/10/14 1:37 PM The Lost Art of dress 9780465036714-text.indd 1 2/10/14 1:37 PM 9780465036714-text.indd 2 2/10/14 1:37 PM T h e L o s t A r t o f dr e s s The Women Who Once Made AmericA StyliSh LindA Przybyszewski A Member of the Perseus Books Group • New York 9780465036714-text.indd 3 2/10/14 1:37 PM Copyright © 2014 by Linda Przybyszewski Published by Basic Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permis- sion except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address Basic Books, 250 West 57th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10107. Books published by Basic Books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the United States by corporations, institutions, and other or- ganizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets De- partment at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call (800) 810-4145, ext. 5000, or e-mail special [email protected]. Designed by Pauline Brown Typeset in 11.75-point Adobe Caslon Pro by the Perseus Books Group Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Przybyszewski, Linda. The lost art of dress : the women who once made America stylish / Linda Przybyszewski. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-465-03671-4 (hardback) -- ISBN 978-0-465-08047-2 (e-book) 1. Fashion--United States-- History--20th century. 2. Women fashion designers--United States. 3. United States--Social life and customs--20th century. I. Title. TT507.P79 2014 746.9’2--dc23 2013045448 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 9780465036714-text.indd 4 2/10/14 1:37 PM To John, who promised me a good time 9780465036714-text.indd 5 2/10/14 1:37 PM 9780465036714-text.indd 6 2/10/14 1:37 PM conTenTs Introduction ix 1 Introducing the Dress Doctors 1 2 Art: Principles for Beauty 13 3 Occasions: The Duty and Pleasure of Dress 77 4 Thrift: Much for Little 131 5 Revolt: The Fall of the Dress Doctors 187 6 Aftermath: Tyrannies of Age and Size 227 Epilogue: Legacies 279 Acknowledgments 289 Illustration Credits 293 Notes 297 Index 331 vii 9780465036714-text.indd 7 2/10/14 1:37 PM
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