What Shall I Wear?

by Claire McCardell

Claire McCardell is often credited with the creation of 'the American look'; the casual yet stylish approach to dressing, which has endured for years since. In this book, originally published in the 1950s, McCardell emphasizes how important it is to wear what suits, and is comfortable.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1956

Reviews

[Negin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this book from Tim Gunn, whom I simply adore. The author, fashion designer Claire Mc Cardell, changed American fashion in her time (1905-1958). She made women’s dresses more comfortable, practical, while maintaining style and elegance. Her dresses had pockets, which few dresses at the time had. Sad to say, dresses with pockets still seem to be a rarity. She also popularized the use of ballet flats.



Some of the advice in the book is obviously dated, things like dressing to please your husband, but me, being traditional and all, have no problem with that. This book is like stepping back in time and the illustrations in this book are just lovely.

Here she is with Picasso.



Two of my favorite quotes:

“Never too much, never too little, never undue exaggeration, never downright carelessness. Ask yourself first of all: ‘Have I done my best to keep myself trim, without the danger of starvation diets, overexercise? Am I weight-conscious? Do I ever walk?’ Now if there are certain serious disproportions after you have done your part, you will obviously need the support of firmer underthings. But this does not mean punishing, rigid, unrelenting foundations.”

“Don’t drive your husband and your friends crazy by talking about your diet all the time.”

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated but lovely. I read this as complement to the "Dress Doctors" book. I do wish that American life offered more opportunities to dress to the occasion. If I see one more blogger or fashionista pushing skinny, already-worn-out jeans, I'll scream. McCardell was adamant that clothing be cared for, and that every detail be functional (buttons must button, ties not simply sewn in place, and styles must accommodate the body). What is LESS functional and economic than restrictive, pre-damaged clothing?

American women could learn a lot from McCardell's admonition that a woman should know her own style before she blindly buys what Fashion is selling.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written in 1956 and thus, very dated, but so much of her style advice completely tracks with today when you take it at face value. McCardell is a little known name in design but had an extraordinary impact on the way we still dress today. She *pioneered* the concept of separates which just weren't done until the 50s (among other things - she invented ballet flats as well) and she highlights the difficulty but power of mix and match when done right. So many of her 'tips' are things that are practical and I will use going forward - simple reminders like, if you love something in the dressing room, keep in mind to imagine where it will be worn (surroundings) and also to make sure you sit in it and walk around and bend, etc. in it to see where things end up. What shape tops look good on what figure, etc. Super great advice.

Loved this.

[Apryl Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Edith Head and Christian Dior, I also enjoyed bringing Ms. McCardell into the mix. Although each of the designer-authors were speaking to women of the 1950s, much of their advice remains timeless. Okay, so I cringed at the little-woman-in-the-home scenarios, but would it hurt any of us to dress as if it really mattered?

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reprint of a fashion advice book from 1956. If fashion advice is what you're looking for it's probably not going to be of much use to you, but if you're reading it for a look into attitudes toward fashion in 1950s American and a bit of a giggle then this book is for you. Although I'm sure it's not what the author intended I laughed out loud at points. Some choice quotes include ""teen-age clothes fads are anything but a budding Fashion sense. They are all tied up with bebop and bunny hopping and this year's top tune." and my personal favourite "You are buying for your husband's tastes... If you have a taxi-lover in your home, be sure you have plenty of spindly heels to give him an excuse to take a taxi"!!

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy the history of fashion in the not too distant past and love to learn about the construction, fabric choices, and design, then this is the book for you. The fashion trends are different now, of course, but there is still good advice…choose quality clothing that is appropriate for your life activities, be wary of trends but not inattentive to them, have fun with it! I especially loved her advice on jewelry.

[Krystie Herndon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually 3.5 stars; informative, but extremely dated, as it was written for 1956 American, White, middle-to-upper-class women. I was curious to read the book because it was referred to by Tim Gunn, author of a much more up-to-date book on fashion. I think what I got the most out of McCardell's book, for me, were two things: never forget how to sew on a button; I can be a little more daring in my color combinations, when I dress for work. Some experimentation sounds like fun!

[Audie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dated on the specifics (ex. gloves), but her general advice is still accurate.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treasure of insider views regarding dress and appearance within the context of mid 20th Century culture. McCardell has always been one of my favorite designers mostly due to her dedication to owning her vision and non-reliance on fickled trends. Merging practicality with style, she was in step with the times while being able to confidently project the future. She also deeply valued the privilege of American lifestyle. A fun read that offers substance in retrospect. Illustrations are great too.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the advice is timeless as it pertains to NOT being a slave to fashion and to be wary of trends. Choosing one's own style and cultivating it is perhaps the strongest message.

There is quite a bit of commentary and advice related to what your husband thinks. That is quite out-dated relative to the current societal norms. I do have to wonder if we have swung too far to the side of not dressing to impress our beloved, though. Looking nice and dressing in a manner they find appealing still goes on - the language to discuss it has changed.

As someone who adores fashion while being quite unfashionable (Ugly Betty, anyone?), this book brought me back to the main idea of fashion which is to make a statement about oneself.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of the first edition.

In her day, Claire McCardell was revolutionary. Her idea that fashion should suit the woman was a very new and freeing idea. It's still a freeing idea, but the first edition is not timeless in the specifics.

I'd say this would be a good book for a collector, but the quality of the paper concerns me. It's not on acid free paper, and the paper was brittle and becoming very fragile. I don't know that it will last.

However, if you love Ms. McCardell's ideas and her fashions, this is a very fun read. It's definitely worth checking out from the library.

[Bianca Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable in many ways as a time capsule of how people talked about fashion at a specific point of time. Some of the advice was timeless and some of it became woefully out of date almost immediately after this was published. Finding your own style regardless of trends - yup... that's still solid. Picking footwear to please your husband (and even assuming the reader has a husband) - not so much.

Well worth my time.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

They had 48 years, you would think they could have corrected the typos. Despite the sloppy editing, I very much enjoyed the historical aspects, and McCardells charming sketches. The advice regarding development of personal style was also excellent. Still, I had trouble getting past the dated attitudes and sometimes cringe-worthy perspective of a middle-class white woman in the 1950s.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to see how styles have changed yet good taste remains the same. I read just a bit about Claire McCardell in one of Tim Gunn's books and was intrigued enough to read further. What I found was a wealth of history on American fashion and a lot of advice for the well dressed woman that is still practical today. A great read for anyone interested in fashion.

[Amanda M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful little guide to dressing well and sensibly by the iconic sportswear designer of the midcentury, Claire McCardell. Some of the advice is dated (who cares if your husband likes you in heels or not?) but it is still worth reading as a product of it's time if nothing else.

[Deborah Makarios · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seems to promote freedom of expression through clothes while actually imposing a plethora of rules. "It is not too soon to make your six-year-old aware that bows are all right but that too many bows are all wrong, even if most little girls wear them."

[Mills College Library]

646 M1231 2012

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such fun! Timeless fashion insights and tips from the legendary mid-century designer.

[Sarah G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved.