Fashion Book Read: The Classic Ten

Normally, I'm not that interested in women's fashion, but I was in the library looking for a non-fiction book for a project, and stumbled upon The Classic Ten The True Story of the Little Black Dress and Nine Other Fashion Favorites by Nancy MacDonell Smith. I am almost always interested in the history of modern culture, and so I was drawn toward this descriptively titled book. It did not disappoint. Written by fashion news and features director of NYLON magazine, Nancy MacDonell Smith explores the meaning of the little black dress, lipstick, high-heels, pearls, the trench coat, the cashmere sweater, jeans, sneakers, and the white shirt. She gives a detailed history of the meaning of these items that people wore, and how it reflected upon their culture and ours. When I read this, the meaning of fashion really struck a chord. I could understand a bit more why people dress the way they do "in fashion" in our culture. However, this book is also just a great read for a person who not only enjoys fashion and new styles, but likes classical pieces in a woman's closet (aka: not me). It was fun to read and interesting-a great book to read while at the airport or a rainy-day read.