The Classic Ten
The True Story of the Little Black Dress and Nine Other Fashion Favorites
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Nancy MacDonell Smith explores the origins, meaning, and remarkable staying power of the ten staples of feminine fashion:
* the little black dress
* the white shirt
* the cashmere sweater
* blue jeans
* the suit
* high heels
* pearls
* lipstick
* sneakers
* the trench coat
Tracing the evolution of each item from inception to icon status, she reveals the history and social significance of each, from the black dress's associations with danger and death to the status implications of the classic white shirt. Incorporating sources from history, literature, magazines, and cinema, as well as her own witty anecdotes, Smith has created an engaging, informative guide to modern style.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Smith's endearing and quirky book centers on colorful myths, historical facts, meanings, methods and many other allures surrounding 10 wardrobe basics. The stars here are the little black dress, the suit, the cashmere sweater, the white shirt, the high heel, the trench coat, blue jeans, pearls, lipstick and sneakers. MacDonell Smith, the fashion news and features director at Nylon magazine, chose these items for their glamour and simplicity. Her analysis ranges from the historically-based ("The most potent permutation of white-shirt innocence was the version worn by schoolgirls... young, naive, virginal") to the celebrity-based (Isabella Rossellini on suits:"Men's suits... are incredibly comfortable and sexy"). It's a cute idea, although the book tends to get bogged down by too much text and not enough art. Sidebars and photos are conspicuously absent, and only die-hard fashionistas may have the ambition to persevere through the entire work.
