The Anatomy of Fashion: Why We Dress the Way We Do

by Colin McDowell

Fashion is about the body. The first book to reflect this truism, The Anatomy of Fashion is the ultimate guide to how we dress, why we look the way we do and how this has changed over time. One of the world's leading fashion commentators, Colin McDowell, breaks fashion down into specific parts of the body, examining in detail how each has been clothed. He uses this novel arrangement to map out the different considerations that influenced clothes in the past and still do so today. In a series of essays on major themes and looks in fashion, McDowell also explores how the separate elements of fashion fit together, showing how anatomical and historical influences have interacted to shape the way we dress. This unique approach enables McDowell to paint a broad and accessible picture of the forces at work in the creation and development not just of clothing, but of all aspects of appearance.

Genres: Fashion, Fashion History, Nonfiction, Art, Reference

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2013

About the author

Colin McDowell is one of the world's top fashion commentators. He is known particularly for his many years as the Sunday Times' chief fashion writer and for his role as the founder of the influential Fashion Fringe, a major initiative supporting young designers. He is one of the fashion elite—an insider renowned for his insightful judgement, his deep knowledge of the arts and humanities and his commitment to the fashion industry.

Colin McDowell is the only senior commentator who knows the fashion business from both sides of the catwalk. He spent 10 years as a designer, illustrator and publicist in the Italian fashion business, where he worked with the late Pino Lancetti, generally considered one of the most creative forces in Italian fashion, and with Laura Biagotti. The experience helped Colin to understand designers in general and young, inexperienced designers in particular.

Colin has been a journalist for over 20 years and has at one time or another written for every quality newspaper and magazine in Britain. For the last 15 years he has been fashion writer for The Sunday Times Style, for which he has reported each season from the international fashion weeks, covering couture, women's ready-to-wear and menswear. During that time Colin has interviewed just about all of the great designers and many key figures in the fashion world. He has also held a highly regarded and popular series of public conversations with outstanding individuals such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Miuccia Prada, Anna Wintour and Mario Testino, to mention only a few.

Having seen so many young talents disappear before finding their feet, in 2004 Colin set up with IMG an initiative to address a number of problems he identified in the London fashion scene. The result was Fashion Fringe, a platform for young designer talent open to anyone who is capable of starting a business based in London. Fashion Fringe helps its selected designers nurture their business both creatively and commercially. Past winners who have gone on to notable success include Basso and Brooke, Erdem, Aminaka Wilmont and Eun Jeong.

Colin has written 22 books on fashion and related subjects, including the seminal McDowell's Directory of Twentieth Century Fashion; Shoes: Fashion and Fantasy; Hats: Status, Style and Glamour; and Fashion Today. He has also written biographies of, among others, Ralph Lauren, John Galliano and Manolo Blahnik. Among his most recent subjects are Matthew Williamson and Roberto Cavalli. Colin's latest book is Drawing Fashion in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name that he curated for the Design Museum. He is currently finishing the Anatomy of Fashion -- to be published in 2012 by Phaidon. He is also working on an exhibition of Italian Fashion to mark the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy.

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book with many color illustrations, most of a decent size. The discussion of fashion arranged by body parts and then by topic is interesting and lively.

[Edith Hejrskov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Denne bog er nok egentlig tiltænkt som en "coffee table book" mere end et stykke faglitteratur, der skal give et indblik i modehistorie og at læse den fra ende til anden, var nok lidt en fejl fra min side af. Dog er jeg, ved at læse denne bog, blevet beriget med den information, at en noget så fin beklædningsdel som skamkapslen har eksisteret. Samtidig giver det mig stor glæde, at der findes et term for den mandlige garderobes farve- og udsmykningstab, nemlig "The Great Male Renunciation". Ligesom det meste mode, er denne bog dog højst sandsynligt tiltænkt som pynt.

Det her er til dig Klara, for jeg vil helst ikke lide overlast ved at undlade at kommentere på de bøger, jeg læser :)

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about why we dress the way we do. In contains a lot, but I still have to remind myself that it’s still very Europe/US focused. It was interesting to absorb the material in ways it was presented: the body, different ways we would accentuate or hide various body parts, the styles (Dandy, Western, Activewear), and then the chronology. I found myself looking up many terms of clothing — what an array of things we wear!

Some things that I felt were especially interesting: the role of tights, especially in the 1400s-1700s for men; the neutralization of male dress; the fact that a T-shirt used to be men’s underwear; the role of rulers, revolutions, and youth in developing new norms; and the position that the dress on a man vs. women has changed over time.

I think I’d have to read it multiple times to digest it all, but it was a very illuminating read. I loved all the pictures. Man this book is heavy!

My reason for four stars is because I feel like it could be presented in a way that is easier to read and remember its contents, and the way it doesn’t really say it but it’s only comprehensive for western fashion.

[Ann]

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[Mills College Library]

391.009 M1383 2013