Books

Reviewed by Lizzie Bramlett – fuzzylizzie.com

Radical Rags: Fashions of the Sixties
by Joel Lobenthal
(Abbeville Press ISBN 0-89659-930-2)
Very limited availability, prices will vary for used copies.

The book is look at the fashions and fashion influences of the 1960s. The book focuses on the fashion scenes in London, New York, Paris, Rome and the US West Coast and it also profiles the major designers of the time.

Every fashion history fan knows about Mary Quant and Andre Courreges, but where does one go to learn about Deanna Littell and Emmanuelle Khanh? To “Radical Rags”, of course!

Reviewed by Lizzie Bramlett – fuzzylizzie.com

Secondhand Chic: Finding Fabulous Fashion at Consignment, Vintage, and Thrift Stores
by Christa Weil (Pocket Books: ISBN: 0-671-02713-1)

This book is a guide to shopping the secondhand market for wearable clothing. It tells how to identify the elements of a top-quality garment, discusses labels and designer diffusion lines, and discusss when not to buy a flawed item. It also compares and contrasts the various types of secondhand stors in which clothing is generally found.

I love this book. It is a guide to buying quality clothing: spotting construction techniques that indicate quality, telling the difference between types of fabrics, knowing the difference between Geoffrey Beene and Geoffrey Beene Sport.

Susan Langley has lectured widely on historical fashion, curated six exhibits for the Lorenzo State Historic Site in New York, and hosted several live shows on Personal FX: The Collectibles Show. She resides in New York State. Sue has written several books on Vintage Fashion.

Click here to go to Susan’s Amazon page

Reviewed by Lizzie Bramlett – fuzzylizzie.com

The Costume Collector’s Companion 1890-1990
by Rosemary Hawthorne (Aurum Press ISBN 1-85410-552-3)
Out of print, limited availability, used copies may be available

This is a decade by decade guide to collecting clothes and accessories from the 20th century. The focus is on fashions from the UK, where the author is located. Included are descriptions of clothing items that were typical of each decade.

Rosemary Hawthorne has written the most charming and interesting guide to a collection that I’ve ever read. She approaches the subject of vintage fashion by writing about her own collection.

Reviewed by Gayle MacGregor – Sewing Machine Girl

Wig, Hairdressing and Shaving Bygones
by Gail Durbin
(Shire Library, ISBN: 978-0-85263-663-3)

This small but informative book covers a topic not often explored: The history of wigs, hairdressing and men’s shaving accoutrements.

Starting from 1624 the author explores the reasons why wigs became fashionable from their practical beginnings to becoming the fashion of the court, the clergy and of upwardly mobile society.