Nevertheless, She Wore It: 50 Iconic Fashion Moments

by Ann Shen

From the creator of the bestselling Bad Girls Throughout History!Celebrated illustrator and author Ann Shen shares her striking study of history's most iconic styles, and the women who changed the world while wearing them.From the revolutionary bikini to the presidential pantsuit, this book explores 50 fashions through bold paintings and insightful anecdotes that empower readers to make their own fashion statements.• Demonstrates the power of fashion as a political and cultural tool for making change• Brilliantly illustrated with Ann's signature art style• Filled with radical clothing choices that defined their timeLooks include the Flapper Dress, the unofficial outfit of women's independence in the 1920s; the Afro, worn as a symbol of black beauty, power, and pride; the Cone Bra, donned by Madonna in her 1989 power anthem "Express Yourself"; and the Dissent Collar, Ruth Bader Ginsburg's famous signifier for when she disagrees with the majority.With stunning and vibrant illustrations, this is a treasure for anyone who wants to defy style norms and rewrite the rules. • An insightful look at the intersection of fashion statements and historical female power• Perfect for fans of Ann Shen, as well as anyone who loves fashion, feminism, and political consciousness• You'll love this book if you love books like Women In 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed The World by Rachel Ignotofsky; Strong Is the New A Celebration Of Girls Being Themselves by Kate T. Parker; and Women Who 52 Stories Of Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers, And Rebels by Linda Skeers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion, History, Feminism, Art, Short Stories, Graphic Novels

185 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2020

About the author

Ann Shen is an illustrator, letterer, and author based in Los Angeles. A graduate of UCSD and Art Center College of Design, Ann has created work or a number of publications, campaigns, products, and galleries for children of all ages. She lives with her husband and their small menagerie of animals.

She's written and illustrated four books, "Bad Girls Throughout History" (2016), "Legendary Ladies" (2018), "Nevertheless, She Wore It" (2020), and "Revolutionary Women" (2022), all published by Chronicle Books.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK!
Sorry to shout, but this is important.
This book beautifully combines two of my passions: fashion and feminism. It makes a powerful argument about how fashion trends can reflect, represent, or sometimes begin a feminist movement. The fashions it explains include the Afro, the Cone Bra (Madonna!), the bikini, the Dissent Collar (RBG for life!), the Pachuca, the Pantsuit (Hillary!), the Shift Dress (Michelle O!) the Unibrow (Frida!) and, of course, PANTS. And so much more This book perfectly blends modern trends with older ones, and I learned a whole lot both about fashion and significant moments in the feminist movement.

Did I also mention the illustrations? They are beautiful, as is so often the case in books put out by Chronicle Books. They have whimsy and style and color. They perfectly capture each trend in full color in an affectionate way.

I thought this book did a great job of representing the diversity of the feminist movement and also some of the funnier or more wacky trends (e.g. Lady Gaga's meat dress), giving them extra thought and significance in our culture that I might never have considered.

Though I fully enjoyed this book in digital form, I have decided I need a physical copy of it for my bookshelf, so I will be purchasing it as soon as possible. I know it will be a popular coffee table/ living room addition to my library.

If you are a self-identified lady or a friend of ladies, or someone who just loves fashion, culture, politics, outright fun, please treat yourself to this book.

Five fashionable, flashing, feminist stars to Ann Shen for this delightful and colorful tribute to women and their warrior wares. Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the chance to read this wonderful book early!

[Tahera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nevertheless She Wore It covers the fifty iconic fashion moments of women over the years, old and new. With short chapters and lively, colourful illustrations, it covers fashion moments created by women that made a social, cultural and political mark. Don't want to to sound petty but the only critique I have is the lack of inclusion of Asian and Middle Eastern women in this book. I am not a follower of fashion trends but I am pretty sure Asian and Middle Eastern women must have their own fashion iconic moments to boast of 😉.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Chronicle Books and the author Ann Shen for the e-Arc of the book.

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clothes can speak louder than words.
This book details many fashion moments that became feminist statements.

I always knew that clothes are not only a material you wear over your body.
It can be a rebellion, a statement.

The more women wear what they want to wear instead of what they’re expected to wear, the more freedom and independence they gain - even if it’s controversial at first.

I loved this book with all my heart and I’m surprised about all the things we needed to fight for. Even if i should’ve known. 🙈

They once stole her jeans from her dressing room, but she trotted around set in her underwear until they were returned.
Hepburn persisted as a symbol of strong, independent women everywhere, wearing whatever she pleased.

And I’m so grateful to live in a time where most of it seems “normal”.

Every time you pull on pants, think of it as a small act of resistance against a gender-discriminating norm.

But the fight still goes on, woman in all their shapes and sizes are still oppressed, but we will never stop fighting!
💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

The controversy of short hair on women continues to this day, and it’s because long hair is seen as a symbol of fertility and femininity - the two roles that society is most comfortable with women playing.

Also: I loved the Illustrations, they were so beautiful 😍

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely learned some new things but the constant misinformation and just weird jabs at corsets got real annoying. And I felt like I had to fact check some things often just to make sure they were correct since what was said about corsets weren’t true, I felt like it was a possibility the author didn’t actually do much research. 🥺

I appreciate what the author was trying to do; celebrate some really awesome and important fashion moments but if just wasn’t done very well. This is in alphabetical order and I feel like chronological order would make much more sense; to see the evolution of fashion with the change in politics and feminism would’ve been easier to understand the importance of these fashion moments.

One chapter about a marathoner was not at all about the clothes and although an important moment to acknowledge, her clothes had nothing to do with the moment. So it was a completely different tone compared to the rest of the book. And the tone throughout the whole book was very inconsistent.

And although Selena is on the cover, she isn’t mentioned at all. Which is strange how that was missed 🤨

It was all just really unorganized. It jumped from hair to clothes to makeup to accessories and all back and forth it should’ve been categorized better.

I love the art style but I actually googled a lot of the images any way to get a better sense of what they looked like as well as images of the other fashion examples mentioned and so I guess I realized it would’ve made more of an educational point to just have real images of the moments collaged together for each chapter.

I’m really sad that I didn’t like this very much and honestly I definitely feel like they’re are better books out there showcasing fashion moments with better images and understanding of the fashion in the previous centuries.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting take on not only the history of fashion, but why fashion has meaning.

While I was aware at how important Bloomers were to liberating women, there are 49 other points in history that I was not so familiar with. For example, I didn't know that Mary Tyler Moore's wearing of capri pants on the Dick Van Dyke show, was a statement about how women really dressed. That they didn't go around in high heels and pearls to do the laundry.

But there are others that surprise me, such as the wearing of a Cape on the red carpet amongst the LGBTQ crowd. Or the Fire Coat that Nancy Pelosi wore after meeting with President Trump at the white house. Or Kiran Gandhi running a marathon while she had her period, and letting it go all over her running pants, because there was nothing to be ashamed of.

Hard to believe that wearing pants or jeans was and still is in some cases, a form of protest.

And there is also the Pink Pussyhat used in protest of the 45 president's election.

There are subtle forms of protest included, such as the wearing of nude lipstick by women in North Korea, or bolder forms, such as the Revenge dress that Diane, Princess of Wales wore out after Prince Charles admitted to adultery.

A well composed book, and good look at recent and 150 year old fashion statements.



Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Fashion is Power!" I love Ann Shen's illustrations and short vignettes of these 50 iconic fashion moments she chose. There were some really good historical context she inluded as well and several things I didn't know. There is also an excellent references section at the end of the book.

[carolina rocha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nevertheless, She Wore It is an illustrated study of 50 iconic fashion moments and trends throughout history, and a celebration of the women who daringly donned them. From chapters on the revolutionary background of the black beret to the impact of Jennifer Lopez’ plunging green Versace gown, this book is a treasure trove of historical trivia and tales of female empowerment through era-defining styles. If you are a pop culture-aficionado like myself, you may be surprised and intrigued at the depth of meaning and cultural influence behind some of history’s most beloved looks—some old, some new; some, timeless.

It’s a one-sitting kind of read and the perfect coffee table book for fashion lovers and history buffs, filled with fun illustrations by the writer, Ann Shen. The chapters themselves, each dedicated to a separate style moment or piece, are bite-sized but incredibly well-researched; even though I was familiar on some level with many of the items that were discussed in this book, every page brought with it new information that revealed just how superficial our common knowledge of women’s history can be. Though fashion can often be judged only by its less desirable qualities—elitist, wasteful, opulent—this book honors its link to female power and its ability to act as a tool for political and cultural change.

Its wealth of information, however, drowns out the author’s voice to the point where the writing lacks a bit of personality, which sometimes shines through in moments of social commentary and while discussing the most controversial attires. Given the nature of the book and the topic of women’s voices, the book would have benefited from a stronger presence, and, in turn, a more stimulating delivery of all the facts and history.

All in all, this is a beautiful tribute to the trailblazers that contributed to the freedoms we as women have today, and a fantastic introduction to those interested in the history of fashion, and the still-evolving fight for women’s rights and independence.

[Flor Méndez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leído gracias a NetGalley :D (English below!

Este es un libro poderoso, lleno de empoderamiento y feminismo.

No soy muy fan de la moda-- me encanta leer sobre los cambios sociales que alguna prenda generó, o cómo las mujeres de X país hicieron suyas X prendas durante cierto momento histórico, aún sin ser una fashionista. Pero este libro es perfecto tanto para fashionistas como para les lectores del detrás de escena de la moda-- ¡y mucho mejor si sos ambas cosas!

Leemos y vemos (porque tiene hermosos dibujos de cada pieza y looks de los que se habla en el libro) muchas modas, en todos los sentidos de la palabra. Leés sobre cómo un corte de pelo cambió la forma en la que las mujeres negras se veían a sí mismas y a su belleza no-blanca en la sociedad, cómo el usar algo "masculino" hacía que los hombres estallaran en ansiedad y bronca, y cómo Marsha P. Johnson hizo de la corona de flores una característica suya y el significado detrás de ella.

Amé cómo las fechas están mezcladas porque no tenemos una línea del tiempo aburrida, pero, a la vez, en un par de lugares lo sentí medio desordenado, sobre todo cuando la autora mencionaba alguna prenda antes de hablar de ella. Por ejemplo, está hablando de los shorts y dice algo como "luego del éxito de las minifaldas..." (no es cita directa, sorry), y las minifaldas no llegan hasta dentro de 20 páginas. Lo mismo pasó leyendo sobre los pantalones de vestir y los tuxedos.

Pero nada, es un pequeño detalle que no hace a la big picture. Me encantó no solo leer sobre las prendas en sí (los jeans, la ropa "masculina", el durag), sino también sobre los eventos históricos, como la maratón que Kiran Gandhi corrió en el 2015 mientras menstruaba, cómo las adelitas hicieron suyos los rebozos durante la revolución y los pussyhats rosas en relación con la misoginia de Tr*mp y sus dichos machistas.

De nuevo, realmente creo que es un libro buenísimo tanto para fashionistas como para todas las personas que quieras saber más sobre la moda desde lo histórico y social.

------✄------

This is a powerful book full of empowerment and feminism!

I'm not a big fan of fashion-- I love to read about the societal changes a piece of clothing brought into the game, or how the women from X country made X clothes theirs during certain time, though I'm not a huge fashionista. But this book is perfect for both fashionistas and behind-the-scenes readers of fashion-- even better if you're both!

We read and see (because it has beautiful drawings of every piece of clothing or looks that you read in the book) a lot of fashion, in the every sense of the word. You read about how a haircut changed the way black women saw themselves and their own no-white-washed beauty in the society, how wearing anything remotely "masculine" made men anxious and angry, and how Marsha P. Johnson made the flower crown her trademark and the meaning behind it.

I loved how the dates are mixed so we don't have a boring timeline, but at the same time it seemed kind of messy in a couple of parts, where the author mentioned a piece of clothing before she talked about it. For example, she's talking about shorts and she says something like "after the success of the miniskirts..." (don't quote me on that), and the miniskirts don't come until 20 pages after that. The same thing happened to me when reading about the pantsuits and the tuxedos.

But yeah, that's a little detail that don't really matter in the bigger picture. I loved to not only read about the clothes per se (the jeans, the "manly" clothes, the durag) but also about historical events, like Kiran Gandhi's 2015 marathon and her period, how the adelitas made the rebozos their trademark and the pink pussyhats regarding Tr*mp's misogynistic and horrible words.

Again, I think it's a great book both for fashionistas and every person that wants to know more about fashion in an historical and societal way.

[Mitch C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clothes can speak louder than words.

Indeed.

This book is a compilation of 50 of the most trendsetting moments and fashion branding with feminine statements. Description of each icon were simple, on point, with illustrations and not overbearing with historical facts – which makes it entertaining to read whilst learning new stuff.

My personal favorites were the cheongsam, Daisy Duke, fire coat, red lipstick, and the Revenge Dress (the outfit worn by Princess Diana right after Prince Charles’ documentary made headline).

The most successful for me is the denim jeans, or simply known as jeans. Patented by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, it was first called ‘waist overalls’, then evolved into ‘divided skirts’ so that women can wear them, and then ‘freedom-alls’ or ‘denim overalls’ during WW1.

Truly, jeans are so versatile. It has been redesigned and modified, but still, its true glory remains – the innovative comfort it represents and the iconoclastic ability to be a tool for empowerment. For a humble item of utility clothing, jeans sure can do a lot.

I don’t I think I know someone who doesn’t own a pair of jeans in their lifetime.

The weirdly inspiring icon is the Marathoner – which was accidentally popularized by marathon athlete Kiran Gandhi. She has her period during the 2015 London Marathon and she opted to free-bleed while running in pursuit of comfort. Her triumphant finish line photos, having bled through her running pants, were the shots seen around the world. Thus, this prompted praises and criticisms at the same time. She was then labelled as unladylike, unhygienic and disgusting. But she comeback with;

”Culture is happy to speak about and objectify the parts of the body that can be sexually consumed by others. But the moment we talk about something that is not for the enjoyment of others, like a period, everyone becomes deeply uncomfortable.”

But hands down to the weirdest – the now-infamous Meat Dress worn by Lady Gaga. I didn’t know until I read this book that her reason for wearing the dress was to rebel against the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of the US Military, which prohibited any homosexual or bisexual individual from mentioning or disclosing their sexual orientation while serving the US Military. It says that anyone openly queer was banned or discharged.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Hello, equal rights?

And that “Prime Rib of America” speech? Epic.

The power of raw publicity, people.

Fun fact: the Meat Dress is still with Lady Gaga though it was preserved by a taxidermist and more likely resembles a jerky now.

The most enraging is the Olympic Hijab. Enraging because Ibtihaj Muhammad, an African-American Muslim competed in the Olympics was seriously harassed, mistreated and bullied even after she won the Olympics.

Such discriminating world.

And for me, the funniest dress that has been invented was the Wrap Dress by Diane von Furstenberg. When asked how she came up with that dress;

”Well, if you’re trying to slip out without waking a sleeping man, zips are a nightmare.”

LOL.

Great read. Helpful illustrations. Can make you relieve from your book funk.

[Amy Ingalls · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love with this book. It combines fashion and feminism and body positivity. It celebrates women of all sizes and colors and sexual orientations. The author shows how the fight for women's rights and freedoms was reflected (and at times furthered) by the clothing that was worn. This is a book that I am sharing with my daughter, so that she can see how the choices of other strong, brave women allowed her to become the strong, brave woman that she is today. Oh, and the illustrations are charming!

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway!

[Tasnim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy of the book.
Fifty iconic fashion moments came alive in these vibrant illustrations of this book. A book covering trends, ethnicity and surprising stories in the world of fashion. A must have book for fashion lovers.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a much more researched and in-depth book than I expected it to be. I thought it would be a glorified list of fashion moments throughout history, mostly pictures with a fate of spending its lifetime as a centrepiece on a coffee table. But it's not. Instead, we get little glimpses on the importance in history of way more fashion "moments" and icons than I really anticipated. There's definitely some research than has gone into the wide variety of things chosen - and it isn't just clothing necessarily either. From hairstyles to 'moments', this book covers a wide range of iconic fashion. My favourite entries are the breast pump, the dissent collar, the flower crown, the marathoner (!!!), the presidential pantsuit, the rolled stocking, the tennis catsuit, and the unibrow. The only critique I have is that I wish there were either more illustrations (not everything had one, and it was often the ones I had never heard of that didn't) and that real life pictures were actually included. I realise that a certain aesthetic was trying to be achieved with the illustrations, but if you're featuring real things and real moments in history, I want to see those moments. I often had to stop and go search what the real things looked like because the drawings weren't enough. Other than that, I learned a lot from this book and really enjoyed going through it.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

”You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.”- Edith Head

Fashion and style have been around for as long as human history has been recorded. What we wear, how we wear it, and why we wear it is just as important. Particularly for women, fashion is not only something that can have fun with and allows us to feel beautiful, powerful, and fearless, it allows us to make political and social statements, while also sometimes allowing us to change history in the process. Through 50 iconic fashion moments throughout history, author Ann Shen takes us on a journey through the clothes we wear and how it has impacted us, both past and present.

Another book about female history in the books! I’ve been a history buff ever since I was in the 5th grade and I love learning about all kinds of history. I also love clothes and learning about they why and how we wear what we wear. Even all the way back to the early humans wearing animal skins, everything had a purpose and meaning.

The book was informative and I learned quite a bit about various articles of clothing and cosmetics that we often take for granted. It goes to show that even the smallest things can have the richest histories. And as with all of her books, Ann Shen’s illustrations are gorgeous and colorful, adding vibrant touches to her narrative.

That being said, I found this book to be just… okay. It was fine. There was nothing particularly memorable about this book. It’s not going to win the Pulitzer Prize. It’s a nice little coffee table book that I one could flip through at a person’s house while waiting for their dinner party to start, but it’s not a book I’m going to be thinking about for years to come.

Further, this quibble is probably something that only applies to me. Sometimes I felt that this book could be rather preachy. I want to learn about the history of fashion and how it’s shaped us, not be banged proverbially on the head with your personal political beliefs (from the narration, you can clearly tell what the author’s political beliefs are.) A lot of the narration is that women’s fashion is amazing… AND BY THE WAY, MEN SUCK. Pants are the best AND CORSETS SHOULD BE BURNED. Long hair? CUT IT OFF IMMEDIATELY IF YOU BELIEVE IN FEMINISM. DON’T LET THE MEN WIN. It felt like in some entries the author was reading wayyyy too deep into the topic. It’s like if you’re in an English class the teacher is pounding the meaning of the color blue into your head as this big symbolic meaning when the author may have just liked the color blue.

I love history. I love fashion. Combine those two things together in one book and I’m sold into reading it, baby. But unfortunately, once again, I think this book suffers from a push by publishers to get out as many books about feminist history as fast as possible because just like so many other books in this genre I’ve read it was just… okay. I learned some fun facts about fashion history that I didn’t know about before and the illustrations were wonderful (as I’ve come to expect from this author), but otherwise this book was largely forgettable. It’s a book I would reread if located nearby but not one I would shout from the rooftops that I love. I was decidedly mid, though I would recommend it for anyone who loves learning about fashion.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today is the book birthday of “Nevertheless, She Wore It” by author and illustrator Ann Shen and let me just say, it is FANTASTIC.
Shen’s newest book is phenomenal, timely and iconic! 50 different looks are featured, chronicling women’s style trends against culture and world history and it is truly fascinating. Did you know that when the bob hair style came into the early 20th century, young co-eds could be expelled from school for getting one, and that the Washington Post wrote an article in 1925 called “The Economic Impact of the Bob”? (There were only 5000 beauty parlors in 1920, but over 21,000 in 1925, once this hair style became popular.)
Mary Tyler Moore wanted to wear capris and flats on The Dick Van Dyke Show...because that's what women were really wearing at home.... but she had to alternate her capris with looser fitting pants in various scenes because network executives were concerned about the “cupping under” of her form-fitting capris, and wanted to go easy on viewers as they became used to seeing her behind. TV executives didn’t like belly buttons either, and though Jeannie, Ginger and Mary Ann dared not bare theirs, Cher (and the women on Star Trek) were braved the frontier, defying the Code of Practices for Television Broadcasters that was in place until NINETEEN EIGHTY-THREE. #what
With sharp illustrations that capture every look from durags to denim shorts to dissent collars, you'll want to grab this book for anyone who loves culture, history and fashion. It would make a great gift, but you should probably just go ahead and gift yourself one, too. I did.
Thanks to #netgalley for letting me have an advance reader's copy of this great book with the BEST title! It was a joy to read! #NeverthelessSheWoreIt

[Shaelene (aGirlWithBookss) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having previously read Bad Girls Throughout History, I knew I wanted to read more books by this author and illustrator, so I was pleasantly surprised when I happened across this on NetGalley.

This book is a wonderful look at how fashion for women often went hand in hand with feminist issues, women’s rights, and liberation.
We follow many wonderful women who broke the rules of fashion- from something as seemingly simple as wearing pants, or a bikini changed history and the way women could dress. Some of the things we wear even became symbols of suffrage, like striped ribbons or red lipstick. Hemlines became shorter, more pants were worn, androgynous styles were worn, and makeup became more acceptable.
It's absolutely fascinating how something as simple as women wearing pants had such a huge impact on women in society today.

As always, I loved the accompanying illustrations and enjoyed my many google searches that took place to see certain famous dresses that were mentioned.

The only thing I disliked about this book was the decision to have all the items of clothing alphabetical rather than chronological. I still loved the book regardless.

4 stars. I love this series of books and the illustrations, I really hope Ann Shen decides to make more!

**ARC provided by Chronicle Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow. I am not the most "hip" on fashion but I do love some good pop-culture history. This book does a great job diving into the societal importance and impact of these styles and women who wore them. It was fascinating to see the statement behind many of these looks. On top of the great writing and well-researched content, the artwork was beautiful! - I wouldn't be mad to have a few of them as prints in my home.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, fun book! There are great illustrations by author, Ann Shen. It is definitely an interesting way to learn not only fashion history, but a bit of general history; all the while discovering the power of fashion.

[Brianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting! I'd recommend it

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this and learned a lot from it! Short and sweet summaries that were really interesting.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really a 3.5 stars

[Trish Isiderio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, entertaining and insightful. I like the overall tone of the book; it was inviting and informative. It really felt like having a cup of coffee with a friend who knew A LOT about fashion.
I also really liked how the book discussed each fashion piece in a multifaceted way; aside from explaining why it stood out from a fashion standpoint, it also gave significant historical context that was timely and relevant.
It’s fun, light and educational read that piques the interest and inspires curiosity to dig deeper into the history that is tied in with each piece.

[Isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is equal parts GLAMOROUS by Fergie and Independent Woman by Beyonce. Because there should also be Herstory in History! 😉

[Shant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I definitely learned a bit and considered things I never would have thought about otherwise regarding fashion. That said, I didn't like the back and forth from things all/certain demographics of women could wear to iconic moments by public figures. I agree with other people who wished this book was chronological.

Also, for trying to be a socially conscious book, I would have swapped out the Coco Chanel entry, but....

[Andrew Leabeater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired. I never thought I’d find a book about fashion interesting and fun, inspiring. We are more than the clothes that we wear, and the clothes we wear sometimes mean so much more. This book is so much more than it appears to be. Part beautiful clothing, part history and a whole lot of power.

[Annette Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nevertheless, She Wore It by Ann Shen is a beautifully illustrated collection of 50 iconic fashion moments , from red lipstick to afro hair, and from the bikini to the pants suit or the revenge dress. This would be an ideal coffee table book, perfect to dip in an out of when you have a moment to spare, as each of the chapters is only a page or two in length, but I actually found myself reading it in a single sitting, as I found my curiosity piqued by where the author would go next. The mix between clothing, makeup and hair styles was an interesting one, and there were several iconic outfits discussed such as Elizabeth Hurley's safety pin dress, J-Lo's plunging Versace moment and Princess Diana's revenge dress. I loved how the author was able to tie the fashion to feminism and other social movements , and show that it has more to say than might appear at first glance and show how "people can use personal style to express themselves - their identities, gender and politics. It is clear that the author has done her research and I admire the way she is able to condense the important information in such a clear and concise way, and complement it with her simple yet beautiful illustrations. I learned a lot and enjoyed myself along the way.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love fashion, this book is for you. If you're a feminist, this book is for you. If you love history, this book is for you. Quick summation - this book is for you!

"Nevertheless She Wore It: 50 Iconic Fashion Moments" starts off by explaining "Clothes can speak louder than words. This book details many fashion moments that became fashion statements." Through gorgeous illustrations and detailed essays, Shen walks the reader through everything from hairstyles (the Afro and the Bob) and outfits (the Annie Hall and the Pachuca) to accessories (the Black Beret and the Dissent Collar ) and other components of women's looks (the Breast Pump and the Unibrow), showing how each one expressed a message and defined the wearer at that time. Some entries are celebrity-based (the Meat Dress) while others are more universal (the Jeans) but they all have one thing in common - they changed the way women who wore them were viewed by the world.

Shen explains that "Whether we choose to stand out or stand together, caring about fashion is a way of reclaiming our power." Here's to strong women and the statements they make with the outfits they wear!

[Michelle "Champ" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What a fun journey this was, at first I didn't think I was going to like it, I can't pinpoint why I felt that way, but as I progressed I realized I loved it. I felt the celebrities featured were a great choice. The only one I felt missing was Barbara Bush's pearl necklace, I mean from obscure movie stars like Ina Claire (thank you for putting her in here) to the dress J Lo made famous and so many in-between. So many fashion books focus solely on the likes of Jackie Kennedy and Madonna, nope not this one, it is a diverse collection of everything. Now, I must mention the illustrations too. They were expertly done. Vibrant and well-executed. I went to my Kindle Oasis to see how they looked in black and white too, and while you missed the color in the illustrations, you won't miss any of the details. This one is for anyone interested in fashion but has no fashion sense (like me) and probably the person who loves to study fashion and be their own icon.


I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading about all the fashion moments, I couldn't decide which I found more interesting, the current-day fashion trends or the ones from back in the day like the invention of the bikini or when pants were a big deal. I realized for some women; most were trying to say something or do something with their fashion statement. I happen to love both the author's illustrations and writing style—both I find a little flirty and fun mixed with a great depiction of things. This would be the perfect gift for that friend who loves fashion. Pair it with a lovely necklace and a little black dress —the perfect gift!

If you would like to listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/ann...

[Petty Lisbon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. I enjoyed learning a lot about different styles of fashion, like zoot suits, Afros, durags, and mini skirts, but I don't think including so many specific celebrity outfits was a good idea because what someone wears on a set or an event doesn't always reflect what's going on in society. I think the political ones were a little cringe because I'm personally against putting politicians on pedestals and I am probably in the target demographic for this book and I consider myself someone who is updated on the news but I didn't know about the Nancy Pelosi outfit, for example, so it felt like a stretch to include that here.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's the thing- this was beautifully illustrated and I liked a lot about it. I learned a lot and it was entertaining as well. But I was most excited for this book because I am a big Selena fan and she is on the cover! But she is nowhere in the book! It was just disappointing and why I gave an otherwise great book only 3 stars.

*I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.