Weekend Review: Young Originals

Young Originals / Rebecca Jumper Matheson
Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech UP, c2015.
240 p.

This is a book about style, but in a very particular way -- it's all about the creation of a "teen" fashion category, created by American designer Emily Wilkens. 

In the early 40s, Wilkens arose from a career in fashion illustration and designing for children, to become a breakout success in the new area of teenage upscale ready to wear. She started out designing some stage costumes for a play in which the character laments being in between 'children' and 'junior miss' sizes for her clothing - Wilkens realized that this was a real life problem as well and set out to bridge that gap. 

She was very successful, both at designing and at connecting her business to opportunities like boutiques in department stores and lots of promotion. She was very active in the 40s and 50s, but kept working into the 80s, although later on she was more of a health/spa influencer, as I suppose we'd call it now. Her approach was focused on youth and health as the appeal of her clothing and of teens in general. Her aesthetic was the sporty, lean American look, throughout her career. Some of her prescriptive statements in an book aimed at teens that she wrote in the 60s doesn't sit well these days - she says, for example,  ‘All men admire a slender beautiful figure, and there’s no one thing that spoils a girl’s looks, fun and popularity as much as excess weight’. 

This book is really fascinating, however, as a study of a designer that is almost unknown today. It's comprehensive and includes many black and white images as well as a centre insert of some colour images. The author bases her research both in archives (press clippings, designs, etc) as well as on extant Wilkens pieces in various museum collections. The concept of teen fashion is well explored and there was quite a bit of fun information here that was new to me. While this is an academic book, it's written in an engaging manner for the interested reader. I'm glad I found it thanks to my library! 

 

Weekend Review: History of the Paper Pattern Industry

A History of the Paper Pattern Industry / Joy Spanabel Emery
NY: Bloomsbury Academic, c2014.
272 p.

I have owned this book for a long time, and was surprised to realize that I'd never shared it here! I was reminded of it when I recently read Wade Boissoniere's book about patterns from the 50s, and so I pulled this off the shelf and revisited it. 

It's written by Joy Spanabel Emery, who was a professor at the University of Rhode Island. This university has a large pattern collection, which has merged with a few others to create the Commercial Pattern Archive.

This read is a bit of a mixed bag -- interesting to the reader who is already inclined to want to read about this, but a bit dry in style, and really follows the economic ups and downs of pattern companies as its main focus. 

Still, I enjoyed finding out all about the varied companies and their successes, failures and merges. An additional chapter past the 2010 cutoff would be fascinating with all the massive merger/buyouts of pattern companies in the recent past. 

It focuses quite a lot on the early days of patterns, as they were created and became a 'thing' in home dressmaking. As the blurb for the book states, "their history and development has reflected major changes in technology (such as the advent of the sewing machine), retailing and marketing practices (the fashion periodical), and shifts in social and cultural influences."

And this really does sum up the book quite well, although it really should have stated that it is primarily American history, with only a passing mention of some European companies as they relate to the American ones. It does show how patterns changed, from trade secrets to home instruction for professional sewers to more of what we are familiar with today, envelope patterns for home sewists. And there is a section at the end which shows a sample pattern from the 1850s to the 1960s; this is fascinating, showing the covers and the scaled pattern pieces. There are illustrations throughout, which does add to the interest.

It's a good intro, but be aware it's dry, and there are numerous typos, which I find distracting in an academic text. I'd really like to read more a cultural history on sewing patterns in the home sewing world, but this is more focused on industry. So it this a must-have? Probably not, but if you can find one to borrow and read through, I think most avid sewists who are familiar with patterns would be at least a little bit engaged and learn something new!

Weekend Review: Dress Code

 

Dress Code / Véronique Hyland
NY: HarperCollins, c2022.
288 p.

This is a book of essays by a fashion journalist, one which I picked up mainly because I was intrigued by the mention of "Millennial Pink" on the cover -- I hadn't realized that this journalist coined the term. It's a phrase that always makes me think of Connie Willis' novel Bellwether, about a fad researcher, in which "PoMo Pink" plays a big role.  

In any case, I ended up really enjoying this collection. It's broken up into four sections: 

• Underpinnings: Why We Wear What We Wear (five essays on trends, themes in fashion, fads and influence etc)
  
  
• The Top Layer: Fashion and the Wider World (four essays on how fashion shows up in everyday life, and how it's used in presenting the self in many settings)
  
  
• High Heels: Dressing Up for the Patriarchy (three essays on the male gaze, fashion in women's lives vs in men's, and politics and fashion)
  
  
• Moon Boots & Jumpsuits: The Future of Fashion ( three essays on how we are all dressing the same way, in life and in work settings, and musings on bodily expectations for women)

I found many of these intriguing, and the book was a lot more focused on the ways that fashion affects everyday life than I'd expected. From uniforms to dressing for court, she really digs into the way we can not opt out of "fashion" in life. There is also more political content than I'd anticipated, and it really brought up some great points. Patriarchy, sexual exploitation, equality -- lots of interesting conversation going on. There is also, of course, fashion oriented talk, like the discussion of how Millennial Pink started to appear everywhere (like on the cover of this book!) But even that has a deeper, societal meaning than simply being a colour fad. 

I enjoyed the way the book was organized, and thought the themes were developed well. There were one or two pieces that I found less engaging, but overall, there was something to discover in each one. There is history to back up her theses, there is discussion of contemporary events and fashions, there is politics and forecasting -- just about everything. I'd recommend reading this book bit by bit, not all at once, as it's easier to think about the essay you've just finished if you give it a bit of space. It's a good one to pick up between other books, to read one or maybe two essays. 

It is also very readable; the author is a journalist, not an academic, so her work does move along quickly and keep your interest. The essays are not very long so overall it's an accessible read that touches on topics that you don't have be a fashionista to understand and be interested in. It's more about fashion in many corners of daily life, so I think many readers would enjoy this one. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in how fashion threads its way through our lives. 

Weekend Review: This Long Thread

 

This Long Thread / Jen Hewett
Boulder, CO: Roost Books, 2021.
366 p.

This is an excellent, informative and utterly engaging book. Jen Hewett is a thoughtful artist and creator, and she's put together a collection of interviews, essays and artist profiles featuring women of colour across the fibre arts. 

I heard her say in a Seamwork podcast interview that she'd read Women in Clothes and was interested in the survey format, so decided to put together this book using that premise. It really turned out so well -- I knew it would be a good read but didn't expect to be so enthralled that I didn't want to put it down. 

She explores the experiences of women of colour in the crafting community; Black, Indigenous and Latina women are all represented, and share their stories and experiences. The textile artists featured include knitters, crocheters, quilters, sewers, weavers, and even more. Each has their own take on how craft has played a role in their lives and in the way they build community. Topics range from family tradition, to making textiles from necessity or by choice, to the ways these women have experienced craft within majority white groups, the value of craft in identity and self-care -- there's just so much here. I really enjoyed the way the stories are told in the artist's own voice, thanks to the interview structure. 

It's a collection of stories to deeply engage with and learn from. This focus and the voices heard here are so needed; as a white woman myself I recognize that most of my experiences in the crafting world, either in person or with online interactions, have happened within majority white craft communities. This book is a resource to hear from and discover so many other voices. The artists featured all have a bio at the end of the book, and you can look up their work and presence online to find out more about any of them. Take your time reading through, and then look up all the contributors. You'll have hours of learning and pleasure from this one. Highly recommended, as a much needed addition to sociological writings on craft. 

Weekend Review: Fashion on the Ration

Fashion on the Ration / Julie Summers
NY: Profile, c2015.
240 p. 

This was a fantastic read, a history of (mainly) women's wear in Britain during WWII. If you're interested in fashion history, you'll love it. I was able to get my hands on it thanks to the wonders of Interlibrary Loan. 

It's broken up into a series of themes; clothing rationing and coupons, women's uniforms, CC41 and Utility clothing & the involvement of high fashion designers in making utility clothing acceptable, make do and mend, fashion magazines during the war years, and the idea of beauty as a morale booster. That's just a quick overview. There is so much in this book, and the bibliography and notes are extensive to lead you on to more. 

Unfortunately there are just a few photos included; while they are wonderful I'd have loved to see even more examples of what she was talking about. I enjoyed the fashion images but also the advertising posters and packaging. So fascinating! One of the photos features a Utility dress by Norman Hartnell. I had to look twice because it seemed very familiar to me. Then I realized it's because it's basically Butterick 6450 (which I've made) though most likely without elastic since that was also rationed for the war effort. 

It's very well written -- keeps you reading like it's a novel. Summers goes into personal stories to illustrate her topics, including excerpts from letters. There was one woman who wrote such delightful letters to her husband that I quickly checked the bibliography to see if I could get my hands on them -- sadly they were manuscript only at the Imperial War Museum archives that the author used. These personal elements, newly shared, make the book particularly engaging. There are also excerpts from Vogue and the newspapers about the patriotic duty of dress and beauty at this time, which bring a feel of the contemporary realities for people trying to make sense of the complicated and ever changing coupon system (as an aside, the endpapers are printed as coupon sheets and it's really neat!) 

Coupons didn't go too far, but as she points out, clothing was still relatively expensive then, so you wouldn't be out buying five suits a season anyhow. There were workarounds that came and went; at first overalls didn't take coupons as they were work wear, but eventually even those required coupons. Upholstery fabrics didn't need coupons so there were various outfits made from those choices. She shares a story of an unfortunate woman whose new dress matched the sofa when she went to a friend's for tea. And there was lots of reworking of current clothing to create new items to meet the fashions and the need for new clothing. Of course, the rich were at an advantage because they had so much to begin with; it was the middle classes and poorer who really suffered (although she makes a point that when Utility clothing became widely available, it was often of better quality than poorer classes had ever been able to afford, so sometimes their wardrobes actually improved.) 

There are many more intriguing stories and personal bits in this book; I enjoyed the way she melded fashion history with personal stories and the wider social context as well. The huge changes that the war made to the way women dressed came from clothing shortages but also from the many changes in women's daily lives -- they were wearing uniforms in service, or work wear in factories or as Home Girls, and their need and desire for specific types of clothing evolved. 

Of course I was also interested in the make do and mend parts and the discussion of sewing related info. At this time, not only was Vogue a popular magazine, but it also had the Vogue pattern book which provided sewing patterns since home sewing was still very common. Summers quotes the Vogue pattern book early on in the book, and I could relate! 

In the autumn of 1939, the editor of the Vogue pattern book told women not to moan about the long evenings caused by blackouts, but to make the most of them by dressmaking. She encouraged the beginner to start with easy patterns because 'nothing is more demoralising than failing to produce the finished article.'

This is a great read, highly recommended. Solid history, told in a well organized and engaging narrative, with lots of fabulous fashion and sewing stories rolled in. This was so good I'll be looking for a copy of my own to keep. 

 

Weekend Review: Women's Work

Women's Work / Elizabeth Wayland Barber
NY: Norton, c1994.
334 p.

As I read the book that I talked about last week, I kept thinking about this book, which I read many years ago. I realized I'd never shared it here! So I have reread it, well, skimmed through it again and reread the parts I was most interested in ;) 

It's similar in some ways to the new book I just read, even if the focus is a bit different. Women's Work is really focused on textiles in the historical record, and how work with and on textiles was generally assigned to women. Barber shows that the role of textiles in women's lives was varied, but that one way or another, most women had something to do with the production of textiles in the ancient world and forward. 

She covers Neolithic uses of fibre -- from early thread making to later weaving and tapestry in Classical Greece and beyond. The focus is on mostly European or well-studied cultures like Egypt, middle Europe, and Greece. The range is limited to that historical context and doesn't move into later developments; it really is about the early years of textile work. 

It's the kind of fascinating book I enjoy, taking elements of social history, archeology, mythology, ethnography, and practical experience, and tracing developments using all these tools. It's a trail which follows the curiosity of the author, who herself learned to weave at a young age, which helped her to identify objects and the meaning of varied finds in the historical record. As an academic, she saw the connections which earlier (mostly male) researchers had missed: as she says, "it's hard to see what's not there" unless you know it should be there in the first place. This practical knowledge of weaving and cloth production helped her to interpret Egyptian friezes, understand early migration of technology and people, and identify simple things like why there would be a line of stones in a straight line at a dig (loom weights). 

There is one story she shares at the beginning of the book of trying to replicate a cloth from a shred found in an excavation of an early Celtic settlement -- it was a small piece and as she warped and wove her sample she realized that it was difficult because she'd mixed the process up -- her warp really should have been the weft and if she'd done it that way it would have made sense right away, both numerically and in ease of creation. It was neat to see that hands-on experimentation suddenly brought new understanding of the culture that had made that original scrap.

There are lots of great tidbits in this book, and although it is an older book now, still lots that is entertaining and informative. It makes me want to read a lot more on the subject now that there is so much more being published. Postrel's The Fabric of Civilization, which I just read, takes this story further in time, and focuses on some of the mathematical elements of weaving; The Subversive Stitch by Rozsika Parker, another older read, looks at the role of stitching or embellishing the cloth rather than weaving it but has a similar female focus. And there are many more to look at. However, as one of the original studies of cloth and women's lives, this is still a solid read with a scholarly thoroughness. I'd love to read something like this that focuses on Africa, Asia or South America, all areas that aren't covered here. If anybody knows of a specific title, please share! 

Weekend Review: Fashion Forward

 

Fashion Forward: Striving for Sustainable Style / Raina Delisle
Victoria, BC: Orcabooks, c2022.
52 p.

This children's book is a colourful and positive introduction to the idea of sustainable fashion for middle schoolers. It's short but covers a lot of ground. 

It has four sections: Dressed to Impress, Fashion's Footprint, Taking Action on Fashion, and Be a Fashion Hero. Each of these sections cover the realities of fast fashion, the peer pressure of trends, environmental and human rights issues with fast fashion, alternatives to buying new and lots of it, history of shopping and production, and more. The book finishes up with some encouraging information on ethical fashion and how to participate in various movements to increase sustainability in the fashion realm. There's even a final page with a few other reading suggestions and lots of websites to check out. 

I think the author has done a good job of covering these complex subjects in short bites appropriate to the age of the targeted readers. The tone is positive and encouraging, and there are lots of suggestions on how to improve on the problems she brings up. The photos are also plentiful, colourful, and feature a diverse range of people. 

As an introduction to these topics, which many younger readers are already talking about, this is a great addition to a library collection alongside other books on fashion and on the climate crisis. I'd definitely suggest it to any younger reader who is a budding fashionista or is involved with a "green" group through their school or community. It's informative but not overly depressing, which is important - we can only change things when there's still some hope there. 

Weekend Review: Patch Work

 

Patch Work / Claire Wilcox
London: Bloomsbury, 2021
304 p.

I've been wanting to read this book for a while, so was quite happy to have come across a copy of it and snapped it up. It's a thoughtful read, part memoir and part textiles -- the author works in museums in the textile field so her life and the theme of textiles as memory and part of daily life are interwoven.

I know some readers didn't want so much personal info, but I really liked it. The chapters were short sections; it felt at times like some were long prose poems. I found it very quieting reading - I slowed down and considered what she was sharing, and found many moments beautiful. 

Because she works at the Victoria & Albert, there are decades of clothing and textiles that she and her colleagues work on. And with that comes, necessarily, a consideration of time and what it does to our lives and to the remainders, the textile ghosts we leave behind. This is "patchworked" in to stories of her own life, her childhood surrounded by sewing, her own journeys, her children and so on. None of the stories are chronological -- they are just shared as they come to mind, it feels. The sections are like vivid recollections, the stories of important moments that you tell in life, not all orderly but as they occur to you. There are also a few black and white photos interspersed and that adds to the haunting feel of nostalgia, memory, and the past that permeates her work and her storytelling.

I liked the writing style, and found the arrangement of the book reflected the themes. Moving backward and forward in time, capturing what could be captured, sharing the stories behind things -- all of this has to do with the textiles she works with as well. And somehow never being able to get a firm grasp on the real story of anything... I felt the style added to the content here, although it did put off a few readers, judging from other reviews.  

But if you are interested in the more esoteric meanings of clothing, time, and history, and you love a beautiful writing style, you might like this one as much as I did. My degree was in English and History, and my current obsessions are all textile based, so perhaps this one just checks all my boxes. If you need to slow down a bit, and dream, and read small bits at a time, pick this up. This is one that I would dip into again; it's easy to pick up and read a section and put down again, just to savour one moment. I was enchanted with this read.

A very good feature and interview at the Guardian if you are interested in learning more.

Weekend Review: Mauve

 

Mauve / Simon Garfield
London: Faber & Faber, c2000.
224 p.

I first read this book a decade ago, but while reading Fibershed recently, I starting thinking about dyes and natural vs aniline options, local vs. corporate and so on. And that reminded me of this fascinating book all about the origins of aniline dyes, so I picked it up and skimmed through it again. Enjoyable once more! 

It tells the story of William Perkin and his discovery in 1856 of the first successful aniline dye (made from coal tar derivatives) -- the colour 'mauve'. He made this discovery accidentally; what he was really trying to do was to create a synthetic form of quinine to treat the malaria that was still rampant across the British Empire. His willingness to experiment with the actual results lead to mauve.

I always enjoy science history, and this was a good example of a popular science read. But additionally, a large part of Perkin's success was due to the fashion world taking up this colour, leading to competition from French textile makers and fashion designers. I thought that this was an entertaining and thorough book, both times! It focuses on William Perkin, but goes beyond simply his life, his discoveries and his business to show how the new colours (and the new industry) shaped fashion, economies, and even wartime innovations, including explosives.

The writing is clear and relatable, making the life of this young chemist fascinating and the world of academic vs. commercial chemistry actually quite intriguing. Garfield covers the specific science of the dyes, but also the relevance to society as a whole, in so many areas. He also shows how it was both Perkin's actual discovery and his willingness to risk a scientific career on making a commercial success of his colour that changed the way chemistry was perceived, making it a more obvious choice for students who wanted to make money at their work. (Perkin was 18 when he discovered mauve, and his father staked everything to create a factory in which William, his brother Thomas and their father all worked -- and they made a LOT of money.)

Garfield even talks about the environmental effects of this surge in dye-making. He records that the stream outside Perkin's factory would change colour every week, and that a factory in France was convicted of poisoning villagers downstream with arsenic. He follows the industry from the moment that mauve became a fashionable mania (shortly followed by another chemical dye from France called magenta) to our present day experience of taking multiple colours for granted. Influences such as war (the desire to dye uniforms surprised me), or fashion, or hard chemistry all have a place in this story, and keep it from being too narrow or dull.

I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone curious about how such aniline dyes came about, or how our need to colour our world in a multitude of hues has shaped so many areas of our societies. There is one section, in which Garfield is sharing a list of registered colours via the National Bureau of Standards, Washington DC, that sounds like poetry. A gorgeous and evocative list of names and sources of colour!

Well-written, not complicating the story with overly scientific explanations and yet not minimizing the importance of the science, this is a great general read. Lots of great "dinner party tidbits" in this one -- I always love a science book that makes you sound smart in general conversation ;) I know that I am looking at all the colours in my environment a little differently now.

(parts of this review come from my thoughts over at The Indextrious Reader the first time I read this book)

Who wrote the book of ... aprons?

I've been scrolling through a few books on aprons lately -- only one is my own (The Apron Book by Geisel) and the rest are library items that I've been greatly enjoying. The history of gingham aprons was surprisingly hard to find - thank goodness for interlibrary loan!

Here are my thoughts on these books, if you are also interested in aprons.


A is for Apron / Natalie Mornu
This is a really cute collection of aprons of all kinds, from practical cafe style aprons to older fashioned full coverage ones. Lots of them are very simple and would make great first projects. I thought this was a fairly straightforward book, with colourful examples and the expected kind of designs in it.

The Apron Book  / EllynAnne Geisel
This has a lot more history of aprons and of domesticity in general, focused on the United States. It has some interesting facts and historical images alongside some patterns and ideas. I quite like it, though it does have a tinge too much romanticizing about women in the house and faint religious overtones for me to love it unreservedly. It's a great visual history and has fascinating information though.

The Perfect Apron / Robert Merrett
I really liked this one. If I was going to buy a book of apron patterns it would probably be this one. There were some unusual styles and a real focus on little details that lift this aprons beyond beginner basics. There is a lot of variety for anyone in this collection of 35 styles, and the patterns seem easily copied so you can get started.

Gingham Aprons of the 40's & 50's : a checkered past / Judy Florence

Like I mentioned, this one is a hard to find history of a specific kind of apron. Since I've become more and more interested in "chicken scratch" embroidery, this was just perfect. It's a very thorough look at this "genre" of apron, with many, many colour photos showing the variations and types of decoration on these, and as a collector guide it also provides price estimates (most fall between $20-$50 - you are not going to get rich over Grandma's aprons). But I really enjoyed this one, and learned a lot about the techniques and variations which were common in this era. She even shows one that is particularly poorly sewn, but explains why and what there is to value about it. I've noted down a few ideas and really want to learn the art of chicken scratch - it's such a simple but effective optical illusion when gingham checks and thread interact. There are no patterns in this one but if you know the basics of making an apron and of chicken scratch (or swiss embroidery or gingham embroidery or depression lace, or whatever you like to call it) you'll be able to follow along by illustration and copy some of the vintage ideas here.


That's an overview of a few of the apron books on my shelves lately (and incidentally, "apron" always comes out "aprong" when I am typing - I've had to correct it every time I used it in this post! what is that about?)

Do you have any favourite apron or general domestic history books?