The Way She Looks Tonight: Five Women of Style

by Marian Fowler

The Way She Looks Tonight shows how five icons of style used the language of fashion to define themselves and their eras - in the tradition of The Power of Style by Annette Tapert and Diana Edkins.
In this elegantly written and erudite study of that elusive quality called style, acclaimed biographer Marian Fowler explores the lives of five very different women through a new and unusual their choice of clothes. In this history lesson through fashion, Fowler examines what each woman was communicating through her dress and why the female public identified with these trendsetters.

Genres: Fashion, Womens, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

Marian Fowler holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Toronto and was the recipient of the Canadian Biography Award. She has taught at York University and is the author of a number of books, including In a Gilded Cage, Below the Peacock Fan, The Embroidered Tent, Blenheim and The Way She Looks Tonight. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Victoria Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books about style in my 10 plus years as a professional fashion/feature writer, but very few of them connected with my own philosophy about appearance as Marian Fowler's "The Way She Looks Tonight: Five Women of Style". Divided into various sections that described the dramatic lives of Empress Eugenie, Elinor Glyn, Marlene Dietrich, Wallis Simpson and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis I was struck by how much these icons used clothing to cope with the ups and downs in their lives.
Like them I've learned the magic of dressing up, and while I know it's not the solution to everything the creativity behind a stylish woman's choices still projects a positive vibe. From each icon I learned something I could apply to my own life, with Dietrich, Simpson and Kennedy Onassis standing out. I'm not sure if Fowler intended "The Way She Looks Tonight" to be a guide for the reader, but as I studied the purpose and effectiveness of why these women were so well-dressed it became one for me.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of brief overviews of the lives and influences of 5 fashion icons of the past. An Empress, a Hollywood pioneer, and actress, a Duchess, and a First Lady all are revealed as leading ladies of fashion and style; whether they were born with it or learned it along the way.

Used for power, survival, distraction, personal fulfillment, or just fun, style meant something different to them all. Yet, I like how the author tied them all together, even sometimes finding a way to have their histories cross paths.

I've read several books on Jackie O., and I have one waiting in the "to-read" pile on the Duchess of Windsor. This anthology of iconic style has pushed me into wanting to read more about Marlene Dietrich.

If you are interested in style and the ways it can be used for more than "just fashion", this is highly recommended.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read the book a number of years ago, early high school I think. I believe my sister read it first and recommended it to me. As I was so young it was my first introduction to many of the amazing women featured in to book, the only one I had heard of was Jacqueline Kennedy. The book is expertly written and gives a wonderful overview of the women, their lives and their styles. It is one of the few non-fiction books I've reread. I highly recommend this for anyone who is interested in fashion and fashionable women. Or even just interesting women of the past, which all of these women are.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this book-- beautifully written, thoughtful & educational. :)