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The Thoughtful Dresser
by
Linda Grant
'A good handbag makes the outfit. Only the rich can afford cheap shoes. The only thing worse than being skint is looking as if you're skint.' For centuries, an interest in clothes has been dismissed as the trivial pursuit of vain empty-headed women. Yet, clothes matter, whether you are interested in fashion or not because what we choose to dress ourselves in defines our id...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
by Virago Press (UK)
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I really liked parts of this book but was ambivalent or disagreed with other parts. The author mounts a fairly convincing defense, in my opinion, of the love of fashion. “Fashion is largely to do with pleasure, and pleasure is not rational, for we do not choose to eat, say, a chocolate eclair, with the aim to fulfill our daily calorie quota.” A love of beauty, whether you find it in fine art, sunsets, or the draping of a well-constructed garment, is not something to be despised.
She touches on h...more
She touches on h...more
There are snippets of this book that I found interesting – such as the stuff about Catherine Hill. I can see how, after being in the camps, she would want to be surrounded by beauty. And the history of fashion and shopping. And even about the author’s own family – how her immigrant grandparents and her parents used clothing to project onto the society around them.
However, there is so much of the book that I don’t find interesting and even find downright irritating/offensive. Why would the author...more
However, there is so much of the book that I don’t find interesting and even find downright irritating/offensive. Why would the author...more
This book- way more insightful and meaty than the title suggests- is a must-read for any person who wears clothing. Grant is a fashion writer with expensive, haute couture tastes, but the book isn't about labels and name-dropping the movers and shakers of the fashion world. Instead, she skillfully argues that clothing is important because it's what makes us human. Many in this world claim to not care or know much about fashion, but the fact of the matter is that everyone chooses what to put on t...more
I loved this thoughtful and intelligent apologia on fashion, style, and the importance of adornment. I think that these are serious subjects and worthy of the serious, but lightly written, attention Grant gives to them. I was especially moved by the concentration camp stories and brought to tears to read of the Nazis characterizing camp inmates as Stucke or pieces. Clothes gave back the humanity of these tortured victims.
I would have given it 5 stars except for two things. One, it was repetitive...more
I would have given it 5 stars except for two things. One, it was repetitive...more
Clothes matter, whether you are interested in fashion or not, because how we choose to dress defines who we are. This book celebrates the pleasure of our attire and is an elegant meditation on our relationship with what we wear and the significance of clothes as the most intimate but also public expressions of our identity. Linda Grant explores both the dark side and the light side of clothing and fashion. In many ways she makes the point that the attraction of fashion and beautiful clothing is...more
This is a book of essays about fashion, and you have probably had a gut response to that sentence. You've either thought about the glamour of a beautifully made dress, or you've gagged a bit at the superficiality of it all. What I learned in the course of reading this book is that either reaction is perfectly valid, and both reactions are based in truth.
Clothes are, by their very nature, superficial. We select them, wear them, and discard them often based on a whim or because we're told that "fa...more
Clothes are, by their very nature, superficial. We select them, wear them, and discard them often based on a whim or because we're told that "fa...more
Wow. It has been a looooong time since I reviewed any kind of book. And when I started this book, I didn't think I would ever finish it, but last night in the wee hours of the morning when I should have been sleeping I got to the end. Hallelujah - I finally finished a book!
I really, really enjoyed this book. As I have gotten more involved in the style blog community - both with my own blog and in reading others, I felt like this was a good time to explore some deeper thoughts on fashion and styl...more
I really, really enjoyed this book. As I have gotten more involved in the style blog community - both with my own blog and in reading others, I felt like this was a good time to explore some deeper thoughts on fashion and styl...more
An extension of this writer's blog, about our relationship to clothes and adornment. Unfortunately, there was so much wrong about this book that I gave it one star. The writer is obsessed with Dior's "New Look" and her history of clothing is somewhat interesting. She lost me with the story of Catherine, a successful retailer in Canada. The whole story of Catherine's Hungarian, middle-class upbringing and then being caught in the Holocaust was gratuitous and to my mind, in extremely poor taste in...more
THE THOUGHTFUL DRESSER by Linda Grant
Linda Grant is an English journalist and author whose book The Clothes on Their Backs was shortlisted for the 2008 Booker Prize. It was apparent from reading this book last year and her that she has a love of clothing and dress, not just for protection or warmth, and not just to show off brands, size of budget and so on. For her dress and clothing are an integral part of our self expression, who we are and where we have been. This latest book takes a very per...more
I really appreciated this book. It is a thoughtful collection of musings on the relationship between women and clothing. I have always believed that what we wear matters and as I finished this book last night I found myself thinking about my maternal Grandmother Louise. She was a classic Navajo woman who always wore colored skirts and velvet blouses with her hair up in a bun and beautiful silver and turquoise jewelry. She spoke very little English. She didn't shop at department stores or read fa...more
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Fascinating walk through the 20th century and our relationship with clothing. The author makes an interesting point that when we have lost "everything," chances are, we are still wearing something. She weaves the story of Holocaust survivor and fashion entrepreneur Catherine Hill throughout the narrative, telling the woman's story of maintaining her inner self and later, helping other women find themselves through clothing.
Grant takes what is almost always thought of as a superficial topic and...more
Grant takes what is almost always thought of as a superficial topic and...more
This series of meditations on the nature of fashion & style was a roller coaster ride of a book because for every part that made me say GOOD POINT, LINDA GRANT there was a groan-worthy joke about women spending too much money on shoes that cause them excruciating pain and girls love to shop, bla bla bla. This book is meant to make the case for women who love clothes but it's sort of preaching to the choir because I can't imagine anyone who thinks fashion is boring or pointless reading this a...more
This is a very readable series of essays on clothing and human identity. Grant redeems fashion from the critics who dismiss it as vain or shallow, and bring it into a higher realm of artistic and sociological conversation. She can find complex emotion and intellectual calculation in pair of stilletos. The writing is very smart, studded with several carefully constructed surprises.
I was reminded of a one-man play I saw many years ago, in which Robert Wilson, playing Hamlet, used evocative costum...more
I was reminded of a one-man play I saw many years ago, in which Robert Wilson, playing Hamlet, used evocative costum...more
An engaging combination of sociology, history, and memoir. Well-written and humorous at times, but of the fashion/style-related books I've read, this one certainly has the heaviest subject matter. The author spends a couple of chapters chronicling the life of a Holocaust concentration camp survivor who speaks about the role clothing has played in her life (before, during, and after her time in one of the camps).
It's not all dark/heavy, though. The author spends an entire chapter talking about h...more
It's not all dark/heavy, though. The author spends an entire chapter talking about h...more
What I really liked about this book is that it gave you permission to think about fashion and clothes without needing to apologize for it. There were some very touching stories in here interwoven with thoughts on dressing and clothes. Bits of it got a little ranty, and some bits I don't get generally in real life (designer handbags being that in particular for me, not saying they are wrong, just that I don't get it), but overall I enjoyed this journey with the author looking at clothes even when...more
Assigning a star rating to this book was difficult. I'd probably give it a 2.7 or 2.8. The first 40% of the book was fascinating and brilliant. The last 25 pages were also fascinating, but disturbing. Unfortunately, the middle of the book floundered, alternating between boring, repetitive, and occasionally interesting. One of the most disappointing aspects of this book was the tendency to repeat the exact same sentences and points in the latter half of the book as were used in the first half. If...more
Thoughtful this book was not. It was a highly disorganized jumble of information. I may have been able to forgive or overlook that, because there were some fascinating points and cases mixed in there, but I could not get over the intense snobbishness. I like clothes. I own fairly nice ones, but I do not have a single designer label in my closet. By Grant standards this makes me pretty much a joke of a woman. With all of her intense scrutiny I started to wonder if my entire wardrobe was out of da...more
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"I prefer it that my clothes express something of who I am, conceal as well as they are able my numerous flaws, are aesthetically pleasing, and demonstrate some understanding of style and current trends while not being in thrall to the fashion pages."
Me too!
I am interested in style - both from a historical perspective and from a middle aged (?) mom trying to become a MILF.
This book looks at style and fashion throughout the ages, with a focus on Chanel's iconic style, also juxtaposed with how...more
Me too!
I am interested in style - both from a historical perspective and from a middle aged (?) mom trying to become a MILF.
This book looks at style and fashion throughout the ages, with a focus on Chanel's iconic style, also juxtaposed with how...more
I picked this book up thinking I would like a humorous defense of my desire to shop for clothes. It was way more than I expected. In the very first chapter the author talks about her fascination with a pair of vintage red high heels she once saw in a museum; who they belonged to and what they might have meant to their owner. By the time you find out it was a Holocaust museum, Grant has you hooked on fashion as a metaphor. Between humorous riffs on the vagaries of fashion, she continually pulls y...more
Have you ever tried to explain to someone why fashion isn’t stupid or meaningless? I have, and it’s not always easy. Lucky for me, Linda Grant has written an entire book in fashion’s defence. Analytical and critical, Grant discusses the symbolism of clothing and adornment throughout history, looking as far back as the Old Testament. Written in a smart, cheeky, and poetic style, almost like a novel, the book draws on Grant’s personal experiences with clothing, demonstrating how intimate a connect...more
This is one of the emptiest books I've ever read. Ironically, there is very little that's thoughtful about this book. Grant seemingly can't make up her mind about what she wanted this book to be (an autobiography, a biography, a treatise?); she both repeats herself and contradicts herself (which demonstrates the poor organization, poor substantive editing, and poor thinking that riddles this book); she often takes her own assumptions as absolute truths; she doesn't adequately address any of the...more
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May 27, 2010
AdultNonFiction Teton County Library
is currently reading it
·
review of another edition
This is such an excellent book! Grant's take is that no one, no one at all, doesn't care about what they wear, that what we put on our bodies makes us human.
She holds that clothes are our identifier, life's communicator, an event and a story in every case. It is a history of fashion, a social commentary, a soliloqy to creative wears, a collection of stories of what clothes have done, and can do, in lives. I love it!
Available at Teton County Library in Nonfiction, call number: 391.2 Grant
She holds that clothes are our identifier, life's communicator, an event and a story in every case. It is a history of fashion, a social commentary, a soliloqy to creative wears, a collection of stories of what clothes have done, and can do, in lives. I love it!
Available at Teton County Library in Nonfiction, call number: 391.2 Grant
Even if you are not interested in fashion (or not studying like I am) I highly recommend you read this book! It isn't so much about fashion design, but fashion on a human level, deciphering stories of people experiences with clothing and how important what you wear can be to peoples lives. I particularly found the part about Nazi Germany absolutely fascinating, as obviously fashion was not at the forefront of women's minds, but did give them a glimmer of hope and normality.
Not being very into fashion, I still thought this looked interesting, and it is. Smartly written, edifying without being boring, and often funny, this is a great read if you think you don't care at all about what you wear, or wonder why other people spend so much time and money on their fashion/labels/outfits. I have noticed that since starting to read this, I have given a bit more thought to what I have on before leaving the house!
This book needed a serious overhaul by an editor. Linda Grant needed to decide whether she wanted to write about a.) her personal relationship/memoir with fashion, or b.) Catherine Hill. It did not make sense to write about them both, in these haphazard, scattered chapters. This could have been a strong book if she had written about one or the other, but instead, it comes across as the random ramblings of a woman who is peripherally fascinated by dress.
An interesting, but somewhat superficial, exploration of why clothes and fashion matter. I think I was expecting a bit more depth, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.
I definitely think the book would have benefited from more critical editing - the overall flow could have been smoother, and several times I found myself reading passages that were simply restatements of points previously made. Yes, that's a bit picky, but it's something I noticed.
I definitely think the book would have benefited from more critical editing - the overall flow could have been smoother, and several times I found myself reading passages that were simply restatements of points previously made. Yes, that's a bit picky, but it's something I noticed.
A wonderful and quick read that delves into the world of fashion and the perceptions of the women who thoughtfully dress.
Loved it. As a homemaker, I often dress a bit to go out as a signal to myself that I no longer need to clean, rinse, scrub or put away anything while I'm gone from my domicile. And to remind my husband that I'm his lady, not just the mother of his children.
Loved it. As a homemaker, I often dress a bit to go out as a signal to myself that I no longer need to clean, rinse, scrub or put away anything while I'm gone from my domicile. And to remind my husband that I'm his lady, not just the mother of his children.
Interesting book; sometimes repetetive; seems as if the author is sometimes defensive and want to explain to the reader why she is writing this book. Asserts that if one does not think that dressing is important, such a person is superficial and just pretending...Some incidents and stories are good....overall ok...nothing to rave about...
A Great Book!!! It is not a style book teaching women how to dress but describing how clothes can be something far more than just a superficial and shallow obsession. With great historical facts, Grant explains how the act of being a "thoughtful dresser" can help to boost one's status and self-esteem and how clothing can become a "fabric friend."
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Fashion Book Lovers!: The Thoughtful Dresser by Linda Grant | 3 | 34 | Jul 31, 2010 08:53pm |
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Linda Grant was born in Liverpool on 15 February 1951, the child of Russian and Polish Jewish immigrants. She was educated at the Belvedere School (GDST), read English at the University of York, completed an M.A. in English at MacMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario and di...more
More about Linda Grant...
Linda Grant was born in Liverpool on 15 February 1951, the child of Russian and Polish Jewish immigrants. She was educated at the Belvedere School (GDST), read English at the University of York, completed an M.A. in English at MacMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario and di...more
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“Clothes as text, clothes as narration, clothes as a story. Clothes as the story of our lives. And if you were to gather all the clothes you have ever owned in all your life, each baby shoe and winter coat and wedding dress, you would have your autobiography.”
—
8 people liked it
“Clothes as text, clothes as narration, clothes as a story. Clothes as the story of our lives. And if you were to gather all the clothes you have ever owned in all your life, each baby shoe and winter coat and wedding dress, you would have your autobiography. You could wear, once more, your own life in all its stages, from whatever they wrapped you in when you emerged from the dark red naked warmth of the womb to your deathbed.”
—
2 people liked it
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