Twentieth-Century American Fashion

by Linda Welters (Editor), Patricia A. Cunningham (editor)

Americans began the twentieth century standing in Europe's sartorial shadow, yet ended by outfitting the world in blue jeans, T-shirts and sneakers. How did this come about? What changes in American culture were reflected in fashion? What role did popular culture play?This important overview of American fashion in the twentieth century considers how Americans went from imitating British and French fashion to developing their own sense of style. It examines such influences on dress as class, jazz and hip hop, war, the space race, movies, television and sports. Further, the book shows how gender, psychology, advertising, public policy, shifting family values, the American design movement and expertise in mass production profoundly influenced an American style that has been exported across the globe. From New York City's Bohemians to Hollywood's stars, Twentieth-Century American Fashion reveals the continuing importance of clothing to American identity and individual experience.

Genres: Fashion

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[ZC Teng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would've liked more photo references as well as divisions in its chronological formatting, was informative in its descriptions but irrelevant in places. Also, on the irrelevant note, there was some weird stuff in there about African American women in hip hop perpetuating misogyny and prostitution. You didn't have to do that, Patricia. Just tell me what they're wearing.

[m]

Read for class but I need to complete my reading challenge

[Lorri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because it was featured in the gift shop at the MET and was very pleased with the insight it provided into the history and reasons behind American fashion. However, many of the chapters are incredibly boring!

[Beth]

Very good essays, all remarkably different yet strung together very aptly by a few short preface like paragraphs by editor Patricia Cunniongham. Reading it for my Sophie Gimbel exhibition