Getting Dressed: Confession, Criticism, Cultural History

by Paula Marantz Cohen, Diane Pizzuto (Illustrator)

There is an art to female self-adornment. Throughout history, women have been fascinated by — and castigated for — their interest in clothes, accessories, and make-up. Getting Confession, Criticism, Cultural History is a philosophical examination of its origins, its creative potential, and its profound relationship to who we are.From the shoes that support us to the intimate primers and foundations we blend into our skin, women have a long history of being expected to create themselves through what they wear. But are we really nothing more than slaves to our appearances? Instead of responding to fashion with scorn, why not embrace the tradition? Getting Confession, Criticism, and Cultural History is a philosophical examination of fashion as the art of introspection.

36 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 9, 2014

About the author

Paula Marantz Cohen, Distinguished Professor of English, received her BA in English and French from Yale University and her Ph.D. in English from Columbia University. She is the author of seven books and numerous essays on literature, film, and culture.

Her most recent academic book, Silent Film and the Triumph of the American Myth (Oxford UP), was selected as a Choice Outstanding Book for 2003. Her first novel, Jane Austen in Boca (St. Martin's Press), was a Literary Guild/Book of the Month Club Featured Alternate and a Page-Turner of the Week in People Magazine.

She has articles and stories in many journals, including Yale Review, Boulevard, Iowa Review, Raritan, The American Scholar, and The Hudson Review. She is the Co-Editor of the Journal of Modern Literature and a regular reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement. She is the recipient of the Lindback Teaching Award.

Reviews

[Mizloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and charming, but that last chapter...

Clever, snappy prose. Hits the highlights of dressing stylishly and mostly made me smile. But The chapter on shoes - ick - the history was accurate, but the conclusions left me cold. I’m a non=member of the sisterhood of the shoe.