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13th out of 104 books
—
19 voters
Love, Loss, and What I Wore
Just as a familiar old song can bring into focus an event from the past, so for Gingy Beckerman, the clothes in her closet are like a magic key opening a door to the past. From her Brownie uniform to her Diane von Furstenburg wrap dress and her Rita Hayworth-style strapless from the Neiman Marcus outlet store, each outfit in LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE tells its own story....more
Hardcover, 164 pages
Published
January 9th 1995
by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
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Not the time to write a book review, but perhaps it's good for my sanity. My father-in-law is dying at this moment and I got into a panic attack deciding whether or not to go to LA for the funeral. Then, while packing, still unsure what to do, it suddenly dawned on me to wear only dresses while in LA. I said to Frank, "I just needed to figure out what to wear," and I immediately thought of this book, which I've never read but whose title has stayed with me. Love, Loss, and What I Wore. A dress f...more
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I picked up this book on a whim from Amazon's December Kindle book sale because it sounded cute. And it was! It was very cute! It especially read well on my Kindle app on my 7" Android tablet.
It may read even better on a full-size tablet like an iPad, as it's got these adorable full-color illustrations depicting what the author wore all the way from when she was a child in the 40s (Brownie uniform, Easter dresses) through high school (fantastic prom dresses, and a party dress that may have gotte...more
It may read even better on a full-size tablet like an iPad, as it's got these adorable full-color illustrations depicting what the author wore all the way from when she was a child in the 40s (Brownie uniform, Easter dresses) through high school (fantastic prom dresses, and a party dress that may have gotte...more
I met Ilene Beckerman at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop at the University of Dayton. Ilene is a striking older woman in a sparkling headscarf that complements her "diamond" nose jewel. Her gypsy countenance is hard to miss. It was after we struck up a friendly banter that I discovered she is the author of the subtly moving "Love, Loss, and What I Wore," which was made into an off-Broadway play by sisters Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron. Ilene spoke at one of the workshop lunches, and her unders...more
I thought this would be something a la "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" or a "Shoe Addicts" book when I downloaded it. Imagine my surprise when I opened the file, and it was a more like a 24 page scrapbook. The drawings look like something done by the average 10-12 year old, and they exude a charming primativeness about them. (I wished my e-reader shows colour, because I'm sure they're better that way). With each drawing is a little explanation of the outfit, the occasion, and the friends. I...more
I really enjoyed reading this concise fashion memoir. The humor is wry, the prose sparse, and the illustrations evocative.
From page 68: "It was strapless, with rows of black velvet alternating with rows of blackk faille. It was very tight.
...
I almost got into trouble at that party. I think it was because of the dress."
pg. 84 "I don't remember the boy I went with or the prom, just the dress."
Near the end, Beckerman writes of her granddaughter, "I watch her face as she looks in the mirror and see...more
From page 68: "It was strapless, with rows of black velvet alternating with rows of blackk faille. It was very tight.
...
I almost got into trouble at that party. I think it was because of the dress."
pg. 84 "I don't remember the boy I went with or the prom, just the dress."
Near the end, Beckerman writes of her granddaughter, "I watch her face as she looks in the mirror and see...more
I had a bit of time left over after the Berg book, so I read through this book that has been around for awhile. This is a book I cannot relate to AT ALL. Author Beckerman sketches and describes all the significant dresses she wore at various points in her life, from Brownie uniforms to wedding dresses, to things she bought after her divorce. Along with the outfits, we get a good, if sketchy, view of what life was a like for a girl who lost her mother too early, whose father left her upbringing t...more
I love the idea of pairing these simple sketches of clothing (did anyone else do these when they were young?) with scraps of information about real experiences in the clothes. Though it is a refreshing new way of presenting a life story, I cannot imagine a real person whose years consisted solely of lighthearted flirting, nocturnal romps, and special occasions. Where are the stained and steadfast pajamas? What about the outfits that served during hard work or inclement weather?
In this way, the...more
In this way, the...more
There doesn't seem to be much substance to this slight volume illustrated with cartoon drawings by the author of clothes worn and connected to her memories. I chose to read it in preparation for possibly directing a staged reading of the play.
However, since I grew up roughly paralleling the same time period, many of Ilene Beckerman's choices resonated with me and recalled outfits and memories of my own. For that reason alone, the book and its drawings were charming.
And when you stop to realize t...more
However, since I grew up roughly paralleling the same time period, many of Ilene Beckerman's choices resonated with me and recalled outfits and memories of my own. For that reason alone, the book and its drawings were charming.
And when you stop to realize t...more
Can you really call this a book? I read it cover to cover during the commercial breaks of an hour-long tv show. Whatever you want to call it, I found Ilene Beckerman's quick stroll down memory lane to be refreshing. All major events in Beckerman's life - from dates to divorces - are tied to an outfit. While I was reading it, I realized I could match every significant memory in my life to what I was wearing at the time. I remember a special trip to Atlanta to pick out three outfits for my bat mit...more
I read this book while having my hair done, it was a great bridge between the book I had just finished reading (Cutting for Stone) and still wanted to think about, and the next one on my list. This is very short and very enjoyable. The author lets you have a peek at her life by recalling her outfits and where she wore them to. If she wrote a more detailed account of her life I would probably pick it up. It reminded me a lot of my mother's accounts of her life; she lived in a time like the author...more
I believe my opinion is biased because I saw Ilene Beckerman speak about her books before I read this. She is an excellent speaker - funny and poignant. As for the book, it is almost as much a fashion history review as it is a memior. I enjoyed it very much, but I could see how it might be easy for a reader to miss some of the finer points and deeper emotions. It goes from talking about dresses and hair styles to decisions about ending a marriage quickly --but who hasn't been mulling over a deci...more
I love the concept of an autobiography told through clothes, and I love the personal touch of the simple drawings of each outfit described, but this book has always seemed oddly dispassionate to me. Maybe it's because the perpetually sleepy facial expression in the drawings make the author look aloof, or maybe I'm just addicted to exclamation points. But I've read this book twice, once as a teenager and now as an adult, and both times I've felt like I wanted to love it more than I actually did....more
This is the type of book I would love to write and illustrate for myself. Not because I'm really into clothing and what I wore exactly, but because I enjoy following a thread though life. Ilene does a fabulous job of taking the reader through her life, outfit by outfit, in a concise and amusing way. You feel you get to know her, and just enough about her and the people in her life through their influences on what she wore and why. A unique and exquisitely simple take on an autobiography.
On my first day of second grade, I wore a blue Annie-inspired dress my mother sewed for me. On the day I graduated high school, I wore, under my gown of course, a purple v-neck top and a pair of white (oh lord!) shorts. I could go on...
While this was not a book filled with prolific prose or revelatory passages, it did appeal to me. I could appreciate the way certain articles of clothing made the author feel (the black dress, the stockings) and how some items became significant ony because of wh...more
While this was not a book filled with prolific prose or revelatory passages, it did appeal to me. I could appreciate the way certain articles of clothing made the author feel (the black dress, the stockings) and how some items became significant ony because of wh...more
This little book of sketches gives readers a look at the clothes that have graced the closet of Ilene Beckerman over the years. While reading Ilene's reflections on her life and viewing her illustrations, it took me back in time to some of my favorite outfits and the moments that occurred while wearing them; some fashion dont's and some that brought smiles. A great gift for a girlfriend, or something sweet to add to your own library.
The author recalls important moments in her life through clothes, accessories, and hairstyles as they belonged to her or some of her female friends and family. A combination of fashion and memoir akin to Madeleine Albright's Read My Pins, but on a smaller and simpler scale - short, with hand-drawn sketches, and more easy to relate to than the life of the former Secretary of State. 3.5 stars.
139 pages of a life -- read it in hour (or less). I'd requested book from library to go along with a fashion history/careers unit for 16yo dd. Very fun -- great idea of way to chronicle life-events. Absolutely loved that many special pieces were homemade. (**Noticed as posting this book, there are at least two other books with same title, different authors.)
Interesting concept for a book. Illustrations bring to life what she wore as in this creative autobiography. Ms. Beckerman gives a brief glimpse into her life. There in lies the problem. It left you wanting more. Very monotonous. The Ephron sisters turned it into an off broadway play. Didn't have a chance to see it. Must have have made a wonderful one woman show.
This beautiful little book will resonate with any woman who grew up, as I did, surrounded by strong, stylish females--a mother, aunts, and first cousins who shaped everything from my dress code to my world view. The white dickey is to this author what the madeleine was to Proust; if you’re like me, you’ll be flooded with nostalgia as you read.
A memoir that will take about half an hour to read. And re-read. My mother can remember what she wore on every significant occasion in her life,so I gave this book to her when it was first published. I eagerly took it back when she downsized, and have passed it on to my daughter. History, social commentary and a couple really sad moments.
A surprisingly poignant little book,, it takes you back to special clothes you had at various times in your life and memories surrounding them. The author goes through growing up, two divorces and the loss of a child. Each told very briefly (one page) and illustrated on the facing page by an article of clothing, mostly dresses (remember those?).
I re-read this little picture book today, after noting it was now an off-Broadway play. It is charming and poignant; a styles parade and one woman's long life in short fashion. An endearing, thoughtful, perhaps crushing walk down memory lane for those women born in the '40s and '50s. Perhaps a Valentine's gift for your mother or sister?
Great book written and illustrated by Ilene Beckerman. She remembers, as many of us do-what we were wearing when the major milestones of our life were passing: Our Brownie uniform, first dress up dress, favorite skirt, etc. The stories are short, but amazing and touching. A great rainy day read for reminiscing.
A life told with style. I remember a few outfits from my childhood--mainly because I only had a few--but Beckerman seems to have total recall of nearly every outfit she ever wore and the circumstances in which she wore them. This deceptively small book packs a big punch and brought tears to my eyes.
Fascinating! The author/illustrator encapsulates her life, from age seven through grandmotherhood, in a series of clothing drawings and the written memories that each item of clothing elicits.
The concept is similar to that in contemporary books wherein different foods evoke memories.
The concept is similar to that in contemporary books wherein different foods evoke memories.
A short little fun read. I think if this was written today, it could easily be a bunch of blog posts. Her entries were interesting but very much to-the-point. It would have been nice to know more of her story, but I liked that there were gaps in time that left a lot to the imagination.
Very short, fun, and light-hearted. To be honest, I was expecting more out of it from the title. I kept waiting for the author to go a little deeper, but she maintained a fairly removed stance in every description of the article of clothing and where/when she wore it. i suppose that perhaps the author's intention was to keep it sort of juvenile, but it really left me wanting more, both from her descriptions of the clothing, and her emotional attachments to them. - Natalie
I am not sure what I was expecting, but I expected more. It's short (I read the entire book in 30 mins while eating lunch) and sweet. It did make me think about the memories I have associated to clothing- which caused some nostalgia, but otherwise, there's not much here.
A version of this book should be written by every woman. The concept is better than the finished prodict, though, as I wanted stories that were a little more fleshed out. I think the adaptation would probably a fantastic read. Not a great choice to read on an e-book.
As a lover of clothes and stories, this book was sweet, beautifully illustrated and sort of inspirational. It makes something as simple as sorting a closet or packing a bag more special. Recommended for all clothes horses, garment lovers and appreciators of the small stories in the seemingly ordinary and everyday.
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