The Encyclopedia of Ugly Fashion: A Hilarious Introspective of History’s Best Worst Fashion Trends

by Karolina Żebrowska

Dive into history’s forgotten fashion mistakes with this hilarious collection of hideous clothing trends throughout history. Filled with the biggest style flops across the decades, this book is a culmination of fashion history that will make readers ask, what were they thinking? Delivered through the comedic authorial voice of YouTuber and fashion historian Karolina Żebrowska, this book will give readers a peek back in time at looks like Bullet Bras, Calash Bonnets, Sock Garters, and Venetian Stilts.

Complete with caricatures from centuries past, Karolina depicts each piece in all its glory, or lack thereof. Through historical context interwoven with comedic quips rooted in her own perspective, each trend is brought back to life. Describing such absurd historical pieces as the Liripipe Hood, her archival, curator lens allows her to analyze not just why people wore what they did, but why it went so wrong. She depicts 18th century dresses ruining silhouettes and 14th century tailed hoods worn as status symbols, all with her acerbic wit and eye for design. With Karolina’s fashion expertise and hilarious voice, taking a look at the past’s most regrettable fashion trends has never been more fun.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion, History, Humor, Historical, Fashion History

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2025

Reviews

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A playful take on history's worst trends - would be a great gift book I think

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining, and the source I will cite when anyone asks me about my newfound belief that bringing back codpieces could fix the global state of politics

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick and rather amusing read. She does use some Millennial slang which dates the book, but it is also very conversational and how she talks in her YouTube videos. This is a fun fashion history based on her opinions with fun facts and primary sources thrown in. I really liked how she laid out her bibliography. It was wonderful seeing a properly notated bibliography in a more pop type book. What keeps it from being five stars is the lack of proper full citations in either footnotes, endnotes, or on page formats. We get author and book title, so it is a partial citation, but I am a stickler for these things.

[Rebecca Colmanetti · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I'm disappointed. I regret pre-ordering.

The headings for each section were just whatever fit (e.g. Xtremely Squared Toes) rather than reflective of the articles' actual names. This makes it hard to follow. Same issue with the lack of cohesiveness or clarity on which items belong to which time period. For those who don't have a historical background -- the target audience of this book -- a few timelines wouldn't have hurt.

Beyond that, there was too little actual history. A lot of the time was spent making bad and unfunny jokes -- and I don't mean like a dad joke or a joke that's so bad it makes you laugh, I mean jokes that don't make any sense. It's hard to express just how awful this was. This was actually the worst part for me. It was just one pop culture reference after another and really (I cannot stress enough) incoherent analogies that just make you think to yourself "...what?". Very simply, it wasn't tasteful. This is not a book that will be timeless; in 30 years (I'm being generous) no one is going to understand what's being talked about. I watch her videos and I enjoy them but it just doesn't read well.

The target audience for this book are her fans and people who ...don't read very often. That's the best way that I can put it.

I want to emphasize that this last note has nothing to do with the rating of the book or review (it was painful to read all on its own) but the reference to John the Baptists' beheading was honestly unnecessary and for the religious, quite disrespectful.

Would not recommend.

[Christina O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful book of ugly fashion made me laugh many times at the absurd trends and the humorous commentary poking fun at them. While roasting the trends, Żebrowska will also tell you plenty about the history behind them so it's informative while also being stupidly funny. If you like watching Karolina Żebrowska's Youtube channel, you'll love her book. I would recommend "The Encyclopedia of Ugly Fashion" to people who love obsessing over clothes in period dramas, and people who love watching Youtube videos on historical dress.

[Anastasia Rose]

I don't think I'm the right audience for this book. It was very informative and her photoshoot was amazing, but it's rife with slang (iconic, "it's giving", etc.) and memespeak ("what are those"). It's not surprising because Karolina Zebrowska is known as "Meme Mom" but it may be a turnoff to people who aren't familiar with her channel.

And really, a TERF Magic School reference in 2025? Glad I didn't preorder this and instead read it on Libby.

[Nikki_charis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too bad of a book. It’s comical, and a lot of different areas and eras of fashion design are covered. But, I think I would have preferred it to be a bit more serious. I came to this book looking to learn about each fashion “crime,” and while Żebrowska does share some of the history behind the fashions, she spends more time making slangy quips about them.
3.5 stars

[A. Hadessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

it set the tone right away and keeps entertaining ✨🫂

[Beky · Rating 5 out of 5]

So informative, so funny, what a crack up. So enjoyed the descriptions and loved how non English countries were covered. Thank you Karolina Zebrowska for the laughs.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The selections were entertaining and I learned some neat facts.
I usually enjoy Karolina's commentary, but seeing it written didn't have the same charm. I know the goal was to be silly, but it didn't always feel right. Especially the memetalk. I know it will feel very dated very quickly and future audiences may struggle relating.

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight through and through! Fashion is weird and this is a great way to learn a little about it.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title caught my eye and since I'm not a fashionista but an art lover, I felt this was right up my alley.

The Encyclopedia of Ugly Fashion: A Hilarious Introspective of History’s Best Worst Fashion Trends shows us strange styles from both the past and present, but it falls short in several areas.

The chapter titles are funny, providing a lighthearted introduction to the content.

However, I was looking for historical context about the fashion trends.

I'm not familiar with the author since I'm not a fan of social media so I guess her snarky quips are part of her style.

The quips could be humorous but lacked meaningful analysis, which I guess is the point.

This is supposed to be a funny book, not a serious one.

The chapters are not grouped by time period or geographical location, so readers are introduced to random ugly fashion.

I would have liked a way to track the evolution of ugly fashion.

As a result, following the fashion trends of the past was messy.

The styles outlined here are amusing, you see some of them in portraits and paintings from the time period but the book lacked context.

There's a way to balance humor and history and it wasn't here.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sometimes watch Karolina's videos about fashion on YouTube. Recently I was watching one of her videos on, I think, Frankenstein and she promoted this book. So, I borrowed it from the library.

It's an A-Z compilation of questionable fashion choices throughout the centuries. Mostly from the 16th-19th centuries in Europe. There are some from the 1300s and 1400s, and a few from (my favorite decade) the 1980s.

There's great photos. It's not overbearing with facts. There's even the inclusion of poems, fashion magazines, and/or satirical articles and commentary from the time that trend was...trending. So they were aware back then that some of these looks were ridiculous. I especially liked learning that there were even some laws passed by kings to outlaw some fashion choices.

It's light with some funny jabs. The biggest critique is that the humor is dated. The jokes are relevant today, but will they make sense in fifty years? A hundred years? Any future editions will need annotations to explain the jokes.

For the time being it was entertaining and educational.

4.5 out of 5 Fashion Victims

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read Karolina's English language debut and she did not disappoint! Her expertise in fashion history and humor stuck the landing in this hilarious and informative book on the questionable clothing decisions that have occurred in our part of the planet.

Karolina has pulled off an incredibly difficult task as well. It would be easy to stick to familiar parts of bad fashion history, but she's narrowed in on very specific parts of clothing, their history, and added colorful commentary to make them sing.

Given the amount of content on social media that wants quick sound bites and condensed history, Karolina proves that she's an expert at her work regardless of what medium she uses to show her stuff. I've been following her work for years and still learned so much new information from the Encyclopedia of Ugly Fashion.

[Bonnie_Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Photographs within are worth the price of the book. The look into the different fashion faux pas and truly bizarre fashion choices (even to contemporary writers) was a fun romp. Żebrowska deliberately kept her focus on European styles of fashion and on the upper classes, since they were the ones who were painted - preserving the fashion fads at the time.

The Millennial meme speak may aggravate some (and may not age well, alas), but this is her style of talking/presenting in her YouTube videos.

I enjoyed this book and I am happy to have it on my bookshelf. This would be a lovely gift for someone interested in history or fashion (or both). I hope there is a Volume II of sorts that allows Żebrowska to get more in-depth on the topics she finds particularly interesting.

[Dominique Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been following Karolina for many years now on YouTube so of course I had to buy this book! The writing sounds very much like stuff Karolina would say, so I could hear her talking while I was reading the book.
As to why it isn’t a 5 stars for me, it’s very simple. First, the layout and lack of pictures for each item. Since this is a book about fashion, I would have loved seeing more of what she was talking about. There is also a lot of empty space in some pages that could have been filled with more pictures, imo. Also, some fashion items were very similar and felt repetitive.
But overall, a fun read! I felt myself agreeing with a lot of it and you can tell Karolina did her research and isn’t just saying “ewww so ugly amiright?”

[Christina Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've all seen questionable fashion choices, but it's a delight to see that others feel really sorry for girls who were young during the 1830's. That hair! Those sleeves!

I have thought about the late Edwardian era, but if I make anything, it will *not* have that droopy pouter-pigeon monoboob. God, that was hidous. I'll tuck my shirtfront in.

Even Regency bonnets are ugly. No wonder Lydia Bennet was always pulling them to pieces and trying to remake them.

17th century ruffs? ATBGE. So much effort to make something so hideous.

The only quibble I have is 80's Prom Dresses. We looked great and we knew it!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been such a fan of Karolina Żebrowska's YouTube channel for years now, so I was incredibly excited to get my hands on this book. It's incredibly silly and a perfect, lighthearted read for a quiet evening. It's a great laugh; I love her humour. I do wish it was a little more formally organised and faithful to the "introspective" aspect, as the book is devoted more to roasting the fashions than analysing them, but alas, I can't complain. It's just as factual as it is funny: a lovely reflection of the video content that Żebrowska is known for. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in historical fashion. It's a feast for the eyes!

[Liv C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely have loved reading Karolina's book The Encyclopedia of Ugly Fashion! Her wit and humor combine to bring a wealth of knowledge about some horrendous fashion trends to readers in a way that is truly hilarious and enjoyable. The care and detailed craftsmanship she presents in her images makes me suspect she might be somewhat endeared to the trends, ugly as they are. And, dare I say, some of my own favorite fashion trends made it into the book as well!

Thank you to Karolina for sending me this book. I already bought a second copy for a dear friend of mine. I hope this is the first of many 🤍

[Kindle Addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you know the author I really recommend this book. It’s her usual mix of historical facts but with humour. Her own pictures are really gorgeous and even though you will laugh and think so many “WHY?” you will also learn a lot.

And if you don’t know her I still recommend it 😜

I really appreciated that she put every measurements in inches AND centimetres!

I would have gladly bought this book if double sized for extra pictures of all those silly outfits. But I’m sure Google will help me with my need to see more of those awful fashions trends 🤣

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this - so much that I flew through it in one day on Kindle! I am one of Karolina’s subscribers on YouTube so I was so pleased to get to read one of her books. I loved this time travel through history and seeing pictures of what she was talking about in each chapter (especially when she herself was the one modeling!). I appreciated the alphabetical approach to this book but think it might have made more sense to go through time periods instead. Overall, super fun!

4.75 stars! Read on Kindle.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

You go off, Karolina Żebrowska, on the “good,” the bad, and the very ugliest of historical fashion.
Witty and informative, this book is a great read about the worst in style choices. I’m amused by how much bad, over the top, fashion came out of the 16th century. And then the 80’s came along and stepped up, doing it all in one decade.
Well written, and well illustrated, with high quality paper. The author photos are lovely. And judging this one by the cover, I am impressed with the font work and design.
All in all, a fun and fascinating read. Especially if historical fashion interests you.

[Eglė Rytmetytė · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciate the selection of ugly fashions, funny style of writing and meme references, it was very difficult to follow as the fashions from various centuries and decades were scattered around. I think for me it would have made more sense to see these fashions in a timeline. I'm also not sure about the alphabet concept - it clearly didn't work ('Not your most comfortable neckwear', 'Xtremely Squared Toes', 'Yet Another Example of Giant Hats'... ), so why use it then?
It was a fun read nonetheless, but I really expected more from this Encyclopedia.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aesthetically attractive book. Lots of nice pictures, both illustrations and photos from the times or of historical garments or recreations.
I did wish it was organized differently. It's called an encyclopedia so that explains the alphabetical, but that had to be stretched to descriptions or opinion titles more often than actual names of the garment, in order to get every letter of the alphabet. I think it would have been well organized by type of garment (headwear, sleeves, leg wear, supports) or maybe time so we could see all the wacky 16th stuff together, etc.
I couldn't get into the writing style, mostly, despite the warning about being subjective, because it felt kind of mean, even though it was also said that it was of European/Western high fashion (royals, aristocrats, rich, people in power) and not making fun of any indigenous, colonized peoples. And even though her love of fashion history showed through, even with specific items, all were supposed to be "ugly fashion". Then there was that contrast with people of the times critiquing the fashions and maybe she agrees with them and yet is critiquing their critiques, but many of them were quiet sexist when it was about women's fashions, so those would be fair criticisms from her.

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun! I think I would have enjoyed a few more images for some of the pieces to go with her descriptions

[Library of Dreaming (Bookstagram) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing and educational.

[Carole Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wickedly funny romp through fashion history, The Encyclopedia of Ugly Fashion proves that bad taste is timeless and endlessly entertaining.

[Galina Sulaiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved the good, the bad and the ugly fashions

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, fairly short bursts of history.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. It was a quick read, although I am now sure that Karolina is immortal