Fabulous Frocks

by Sarah Gristwood

No item of clothing has endured for longer than the dress. Yet the last century alone has seen the most radical changes of style - hemlines swinging from ankle to thigh; outlines alternating between the body-hugging and the bell - and our fascination with the 'frock' has not gone away. From Gres' draping to Dior's New Look, from Mary Quant's mini to Hussein Chalayan's mechanical marvels, this book looks at the dress in twentieth century fashion. Thematic chapters - Changes, Feminine, Sex, Must-haves, Fantasy, Classical and Art - set out the inspirations and implications for each new change alongside the stunning photography. It is more than eighty years since Coco Chanel invented the little black dress, but every woman still has one in her wardrobe today. It's decades since women discovered trousers and separates, but every woman dreams of wearing a glorious, glamorous gown at least once, whether it's on a Hollywood red carpet, or just on her wedding day. 'Fabulous Frocks' is a book to fire a fashionista's imagination.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, Art

208 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

Sarah Gristwood attended Oxford and then worked as a journalist specializing in the arts and women's issues. She has contributed to The Times, Guardian, Independent, and Evening Standard.

Reviews

[Susanna Robertson-Sheath · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charity shop find, but I had been looking for a fashion history book for a while. This was a great read with lovely full colour photos. A book like this really needs photos & the ones included serve to portray the change in tastes and designs. I would recommend if you're interested but I would argue that this book would be best suited to someone already with an interest in fashion history rather than attempting to convert someone.

Very good book overall!

[Elizabeth Zimmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Regina Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dresses and quotes are fabulous, especially the one by Coco Chanel! “Scheherazade is easy; a little black dress is difficult.”