What Shall I Wear?: The What, Where, When, and How Much of Fashion, New Edition

by Claire McCardell, Tory Burch (Foreword), Allison Tolman (Afterword)

First published in 1956, What Shall I Wear? is revolutionary, award-winning designer Claire McCardell’s collection of fashion wisdom and philosophy, and a vivacious guide to looking effortlessly stylish.

This new edition of the sought-after classic features a foreword by iconic designer Tory Burch, an afterword by Allison Tolman, vice president of Collections and Interpretation at the Maryland Center for History and Culture, and a color insert of photos from McCardell’s collections.

“The testament to great design, Claire McCardell’s dresses look fresh, contemporary, and desirable eight decades after they were made, as the Costume Institute’s 2022 exhibit In An Anthology of Fashion demonstrated.” —Nicole Phelps, global director, Vogue Runway and Vogue Business

“Among the many surprises and insights I discovered in McCardell’s valuable book is that she wanted to call it Fashion is Fun . That may also be the secret behind her genius and enduring influence—she refused to take fashion too seriously.” —Cathy Horyn, New York magazine

“The first designer to create a cohesive vision rooted in the American lifestyle of ease, McCardell and her contributions as a designer and a woman in business are often overlooked. Tory Burch’s new foreword . . . puts this American treasure in her rightful place.” —Constance White, fashion editor and author of How to Inspiration from the Queens and Kings of Black Style

“Claire McCardell’s guiding philosophy of dressing with ease in a functional, fashionable American look was groundbreaking—and feminist—for her times. And it continues to resonate globally on the runways and in closets today.” —Booth Moore, executive editor, Women’s Wear Daily

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction, History

160 pages, Hardcover

Published August 30, 2022

Reviews

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

"So many of McCardell’s ideas and innovations are taken for granted now: zippers on skirts, wrap dresses, ballet flats, spaghetti straps, dolman sleeves, mix-and-match separates."—Tory Burch in the introduction

Fashion advice from 1956. According to this book, Claire McCardell was the first designer to put pockets in a dress and the first female designer to put her own name on labels instead of the manufacturer's name. McCardell admired Paris fashions but felt that American women were the most beautiful women in the world and deserved their own elegant yet practical wardrobes. It's hard for museums to find examples of her work to display—partly because she died young but also because women loved her clothes so much that they wore them to shreds. But you can see some of her designs at https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...

Naturally, not all of the advice from so long ago still works today. I like McCardell's advice that if your closet is full but you often feel as if you have nothing to wear, you are probably buying clothing that doesn't match who you are right now and what you do most days. I don't like her idea that when you're out and about, you're representing not only yourself but also your husband, children, and neighborhood. I get that people make judgments based on clothes, but really, someone else's mean thoughts are not my problem. There's an emphasis on husband pleasing here that I haven't witnessed since about 1980, and people mocked it back then. Also there's almost no advice for high-weight people.

Minus one star for the abundant typos in the Kindle version and for the art, which is poorly reproduced and frankly hideous. The adult models shown are so thin that they don't look human. They're more like saplings or earthworms or those air-blasted dancing things that used-car dealerships display. Fashion is a visual medium, and there was a missed opportunity here to expand this book by including lots of examples of lewks and details. Still, I'm glad the publisher reissued this book. It has lots of interesting advice from a bygone era.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of fun as a peek into a much judgier fashion past. The specifics may be super dated (I know very few people who wear dresses at home) and the rules are not as strict (hemlines changing each year has not been a think since before my lifetime), but there are some timeless thoughts and it gets you thinking about having a wardrobe that suits the life you actually live. I was fairly entertained by the distinctions between life in the city and life in the suburbs. She seemed to be imagining the former as office women and the latter as wives taking their husband to the train, but not to worry, she has tailored advice for every situation. (Taking your husband to the train and then "doing the marketing"? Try dark trousers, or perhaps a check pattern. Your brightly colored pants will be more appropriate for the garden club that she's pretty sure you are also going to.)

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor Claire deserved a better ghost writer. This dumb bitch has distorted her words into a Dior corset of 1950s stereotypes. Her writing is preachy and try-hard and not at all empowering, and I can only faintly discern the ideas that McCardell must have given her.

"Think of the person you are expected to be in the community. What do your husband and child expect of you? Will they misunderstand hearts in your hair? If they will, give up this particular Fashion fun. Let them keep on thinking of you as a serene background--not a frightful experience." (p. 46)

"When you buy shoes, you are not just buying for your own feet. You are buying for your husband's taste, for the things you are going to walk to. Does he take big steps? Would he rather help poor delicate little you into a taxi? Your shoe wardrobe, as you see, is far more than keeping your feet on the ground. If there is an outdoor man in your life, don't annoy him by getting a blister when you follow him in a golf tournament. If you have a taxi-lover in your home, be sure you have plenty of spindly heels to give him an excuse to take a taxi. Think of it: your shoes can soothe his conscience." (p. 56)

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had been wanting to read this for a while, not just because I finished the Claire McCardell biography.

The interesting thing is that this is clearly a combo of Clarie's stream of consciousness musings on fashion and a ghostwriter who was a little too mid-century UNmodern.

Claire's thoughts are great, especially the first rule - know how to alter and mend your clothes! I feel like we are looking at the birth of upcycling.

The little illustrations are darling. Glad I read this!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of the foreword from Tory Burch warning me that I might be offended by the content and the "dated language", along with cultural stereotypes & archaic suggestions and fat shaming - I found this to be a charming and informational book. I think I was more offended by Tory Burch's foreword than any content in the book.

Considering that the book was initially written in the fifties and not totally penned by Claire McCardell - who was an amazing designer, who passed away much too soon - I am not surprised/offended by the content. It was definitely a different time and the world has moved on somewhat from that time in history.

The book did contain some very useful information on how to curate your closet for your lifestyle and how to choose "off the rack" clothing and have it personally tailored to your body and to add your own quirky accessories to make it you - even if every third person in your area is wearing the exact same thing - how you choose to personalize says something about you and your appreciation/passion for life and fashion.

The most important thing that was contained in the book was an appreciation for clothing design and fashion that was evident when she mentioned how fashion should be fun and not "fast" and "formal" or at all "stuffy". I particularly liked how she mentioned color and avoiding dressing all in black or beige - both of which have a place in fashion - but are not the be all to end all. I like that she espoused the belief that you should always buy things with an eye for how long they will be in your closet, how many ways you can use it with other items that you own and how to make minor alterations in order to remake your clothing so it would last you many years and still be fashionable.

In today's world of fashion it always seems to be - buy it/wear it/toss it aside within a few days/weeks/months - and then on to the next new, exciting thing. Consume, Consume, Consume. Some of my most favorite and fashionable pieces are 10 - 30 years old and have been tailored and altered minimally multiple times to extend their life and use in my life.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I must disclose my bias. I wrote this honest review based on a bit of personal history from my diary:
"I paid $7.00 for my prom gown. The summer before prom, I coveted an upscale boutique's $350.00 window-displayed couture gown, however realistically I knew I could never afford to purchase it. I watched and patiently waited as the dress was repeatedly marked down. The sales clerks told me they were planning to chuck the dress in the dumpster solely because the dress had loose threads in a seam, and no one at the boutique could sew. (What a shame!) Not only could I sew the seam, but also I could customize the gown for the perfect fit. I was both elated at my beautiful find and shocked at how my purchase prevented yet another unwanted garment from being added to a landfill."
(Excerpt from Lisa’s diary)

Quality, not quantity. I always keep quality in mind regarding fashion, whether I sew (or alter) a couture dress or purchase one. By acknowledging the problem: the amount of throw away fashion/fabric/fiber waste in this country, curating a quality wardrobe with coordinating pieces may reduce our individual contributions to the problem. I continually challenge myself to imagine at least three other clothing items that could be worn with any item I bring into my wardrobe. I also contemplate how long I can wear a piece and can it be altered for improved fit? It is also the reason I don't often purchase commercial fashion because, instead, I can sew a garment to my specifications, using quality fabric and custom fit not often found in off-the-rack, commercially-available clothing.

Reading this book will raise awareness of all of the above, as well as how fabrics/garments drape, the importance of quality buttons and trims, and the utility of wardrobe pieces (i.e. where can you wear that suit? those pants? this top?)

[Denise Link · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm disappointed in this book. The proofreading is sloppy, with elementary word choice errors and even a 0 in place of an o in one spot. But that's the publisher's fault. The fashion industry and sewing community love this book (always with the caveat about its dated language about bodies and husbands), but I found it frustratingly vague and nebulous. Photos would help, but traditional subject-verb-object sentence structure would help more.

In so many places, I feel like the author was basically waving her hands and saying, "oh, you know what I mean!" And I don't.

[Judi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting that 1950s era views on fashion could still be relevant in the early 21st century.

My bigger issue was with the lack of editing - this is supposed to be a new edition after all - too many typos/misspellings - actually penciled corrections into the text.

Received as a Goodreads give away.

[Min · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a big disappointment, given that I am a fan of Claire McCardell. The Foreword and Afterword are narcissistic, pompous, and unenlightening. The charcoal drawings are of elongated figures that don't help one to visualize the fashions being described. As others have noted, there are many typos--which I am disappointed to find in a book published by Abrams.

We are told about McCardell's witty style, but it is absent. Here is a sample: "Beautiful bargain: I went looking for rose diamonds and found the perfect pin for $200. I kept on looking and found an old pin with pieces of glass--knocked around and dusty enough to look like rose diamonds--and bought it for $30."

I much prefer "Claire McCardell: Redefining Modernism," by Kohle Yohannen. It has more than 100 photos--39 in color--of McCardell's designs, and it gives biographical information completely ignored in the "new edition" (LOL) of "What Shall I Wear?" For example, McCardell was a native of Maryland, which may help to explain why the authors of the Foreword and Afterword are connected to the Maryland Center for History and Culture. Ironically, Yohannen's book--written in connection with an exhibition of McCardell's clothes at New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology--is also published by Abrams.

[Katie R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was definitely dated, but not irrelevant. I found this "style" book to be one of the better ones I've read! What's interesting is that the author rarely used the word style, but instead uses fashion! A lot has happened in the past 70 years, but I thought the connotation change was very interesting! I liked how the author focused on finding what works best for your life and for your body, and to have fun with it, but know your limits. That latter aspect has been gone away with in the past few decades... Today they advise, there are no rules! But there should be rules for ~you.

I'm thankful for the foreword and the afterword, as I didn't know the author at all (and about the ghostwriter)! I wasn't offended in the slightest, either. The 50s were quite different, but nothing bad was said. What was said then, should, probably, maybe still be followed... Food for thought! I would have liked to read it in the author's own words, though. Would there be anything about our husband's eyes? Or would it be absent completely?

[Belton Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

For folks who like clothes and how to make outfits work, Claire McCardell wrote the book. Actually it is "ghost written" and sometimes falls away from the original thinking of McCardell to address a more conventional 1950s audience, primarily of American women. Aside from these minor and infrequent distractions, the book is like on ongoing discussion with someone who is both artistic, realistic, economical (both with time and money), and seeking to help others develop an individual style without being an eyesore. With an avowed acknowledgement that fashion does change and that change is part of the fun, McCardell has an incredible eye for both the big picture (e.g., drape, appropriateness) and the detail (e.g., plusses and minuses of fabrics, buttons, stitching and seams).

McCardell was recognized in her time despite an incredibly short life (she died at 53). Her legacies live on in most closets in the forms of separates, capsule dressing, and sportswear.

[Readings n' Musings · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When you stop to think how important clothes can be, you gain a new respect for them. The right dress may get you a job, win you a beau, or a vote, or even a husband! Here they are, from hat to shoe, each and all together a subtle adding or subtracting of you. Clothes can’t be neglected without attracting attention, nor overemphasized without notice. You say what you are with the clothes you wear, say it everywhere you go and to everyone you meet—your family, your friends, your boss, even to strangers on the street."

THE ESSENTIAL ELEVEN
1. Learn to see
2. Learn to sew
3. Learn to drape
4. Learn color
5. Learn anatomy
6. Learn to wear clothes well and appropriately
7. Learn the difference between good taste and bad taste
8. Learn what sells and what doesn’t
9. Learn fashion history—trends—cycles
10. Learn how to feel changes before they come
11. Learn how to know when they’re gone

Rating based on pure enjoyability.

[Jaki]

Did not finish - November 2022.

Iconic and important fashion designer that I was interested in learning more about in Google searches while reading this book, but ultimately wound up skimming most of this and not finishing it.

This is the woman whose influence is still huge today (ballet flats! importance of pockets in women's clothing! & more!) but this book rambles all over the place and (unsurprisingly) is incredibly dated in so many ways. Can't recommend the book, but would recommend learning more about the author.

[Lori Pulichino · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book at the Getty in LA, during a slow lunch hour inbetween meetings.

It’s age and wisdom within was captivating, and can be read in little vignettes. I did enjoy the style and ingenuity of this style maven.

The time and place it was written for, the mid century housewife, is a place that dies not exist as such any longer. Some of the advice on how to keep a husband, or appropriate status, while interesting is a bit sad to know our moms and grandmothers lived in this world.

We are never going back.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting window into the cultural milieu from which McCardell’s clothes sprang from (and into), but I’m not convinced she herself believed some of the ideas that the book contains. More research needed, but from a woman who gave us sports clothes and dresses with pockets, it’s a bit hard to stomach all the focus on judgment from one’s husband. Tory Burch argues as much in the book’s well-done preface.

[Jill Frederickson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The dated input from the ghostwriter is irritating and obvious against McCardell’s more practical and modern approach to style and personal presentation. I understand why Burch had this reissued as an homage to the classic designer who transformed woman’s fashion with separates and day to evening fashion with practical design like pockets. I am grateful for her contribution to modern fashion design.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so SO hyped during the relaunch, I assumed it would be a total gem. It wasn’t. It seems un-revised, pocked with grammatical errors and regressive advice. It’s also not a particularly fun read, set up as hodgepodge between McCardell and the ghostwriter who eventually took over. Too bad.

[Maryellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for everyone, but I enjoyed it. It helped me see my closet not as a pile of clothes, but as a collection that I get to curate. Fashion is fun, and, yes, I will now feel good about buying the amazing coat that's on sale, even if I only have one or two occasions per year to wear it.

[Bee Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this am to get a fun blast from the past and got exactly that nothing more or less. Obviously a lot of the fashion advice is dated but there are a few eternally true nugget’s throughout and it was a fun read!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

obviously dated and has a very specific version of style that has not aged well. principles are solid, but would've appreciated an audiobook (too bad it came out in 1956) too see if she was just being elitist or was a victim of the times.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though I was alive for part of her career, I still had a hard time contextualizing this book. I'd love to watch an interview with her (and will see if I can find one) but reading the material was an opportunity to think about other things.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written in 1956.. ..a reminder of how much has changed

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting snapshot in time, especially if you consider she was writing to make fashion fun.