The cold is coming in and we now fancy staying at home and swapping walks in the sun for a cup of hot tea and a long while on our comforting and warm sofa. We have discovered that the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York’s library gives us a marvellous treasure: hundreds of titles available for download on the internet (yes, free) about a very wide range of topics, covering psychology, history, art and, of course, fashion. We would like to suggest you five books for you to keep your autumn evenings warm submerged in the appealing world of high couture and design.
1. Five books about fashion: Haute Couture
It takes us on a journey through the history of haute couture that goes from the foundation in 1858 of the famous French house “House of Worth” to the most distinguished designers of today. It focuses on the importance and magic that surrounds the highly specialised professions, essential for the making of exclusive pieces of clothing. It has photography of the small artisans who the big names have trusted to turn their ideas into reality. It also dedicates chapters to the techniques of sewing and finishing touches.
2. Five books about fashion: Bare Witness
Through its pages it literally unveils the history of fashion: transparencies, cleavages and cut outs that reveal the body but still remain elegant and with expectations that are both erotic and rational. Since the 18th century in France, some pieces of clothing have contributed to shape our perception and helped us to express ourselves through our physical presence. Bare Witness makes an effort to see the show in the art of covering and uncovering, hiding and revealing with clothes that are delightful for the audience.
3. Five books about fashion: Waist Not: The migration of the Waist, 1800-1960
Original and interesting. That is the analysis that this books offers on the last two centuries from the point of view of the waist. The protagonist of this part of our body has shifted from the beginning of the hip until its lowest point, but its tour has been even longer: it has wandered around the bust, has shrunk in the top centre part and has gone down to under the hips. Each height suggests and emphasizes a particular kind of body. The text unveils how the waist has been central element to create and modify silhouettes and reach a specific ideal of beauty culturally desired.
4. Five books about fashion: Two by Two
With a holistic and new approach, Two by Two presents a correlative history of the evolution of the suit, both for him and for her, since the 18th century until 1970. Even though the finality is not to prove a direct parallelism between the transformations of the two of them, we can see deep similarities. It is also unavoidable the reflection on gender and fashion. The book confirms that some societies give bigger importance to men’s clothes and that even in the current style, the feminine pieces keep coming out of tailor shops.
5. Five books about fashion: American Ingenuity: Sportswear, 1930s–1970s
And, to finish, something a bit more modern. We want to propose a review on the introduction of sportswear in the United States since the ‘30s, a trend that has finally managed to be accepted by everybody. From the nineties it started to decisively influence women’s dresses and designers like Bonnie Cashin, Vera Maxwell or Claire McCardell promoted a new style, adapted to the lifestyle of the modern woman: pragmatic, simple and democratic. So it was the fashion adapted to comfort and versatility that keeps responding to women’s needs. A new sensitivity that is targeted towards freedom with fabrics such as cotton or big pockets that aim to separate women and handbags.