The Thoughtful Dresser: The Art of Adornment, the Pleasures of Shopping, and Why Clothes Matter

by Linda Grant

“You can’t have depths without surfaces,” says Linda Grant in her lively and provocative new book, The thoughtful Dresser, a thinking woman’s guide to what we wear. 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 how we choose to dress defines who we are. How we look and what we wear tells a story. Some stories are simple, like the teenager trying to fit in, or the woman turning fifty renouncing invisibility. Some are profound, like that of the immigrant who arrives in a new country and works to blend in by changing the way she dresses, or of the woman whose hat saved her life in Nazi Germany.

The Thoughtful Dresser celebrates the pleasure of adornment 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion, Essays, Memoir, Sociology, History, Biography

228 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

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 did further post-graduate studies at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada, where she lived from 1977 to 1984.

In 1985 she returned to Britain and became a journalist. From 1995 to 2000 she was a feature writer for the Guardian, where between 1997 and 1998 she also had a weekly column in G2. She contributed regularly to the Weekend section on subjects including the background to the use of drug Ecstasy (for which she was shortlisted for the UK Press Gazette Feature Writer of the Year Award in 1996), body modification, racism against Romanies in the Czech Republic, her own journey to Jewish Poland and to her father's birthplace and during the Kosovo War, an examination of the background to Serb nationalism.

Reviews

[Bloodorange · Rating 2 out of 5]

Linda Grant is a British writer of Eastern European descent, and the aim of this book - the way I read it - is to present fashion as a serious topic. And it goes a little overboard.

While the extracts concerning purses, shoes or department stores, and their link to women's liberation (stretched over time), were interesting, though not necessarily enlightening, the thesis that the desire to be beautifully attired is a reaction to the trauma of the Holocaust is far fetched (and, based on my limited experience with survivors of the camps, quite unfounded). Constructing a chapter proving that Americans could not 'do business as usual' after 9/11 because war never reached their territory, while Londoners showed "Blitz spirit" after 7/7 - was, even to me, not in a good taste (parts of my city were turned to rabble in WWII, and we had random street executions among other things; this may have something to do with resilience, but only when seen from a distance).

Also, it was completely unfair on the author's part to close the book with a pretty detailed account of one of the character's experiences in Auschwitz - that's not what I bargained for, reaching for a book on fashion - to support her thesis that fashion is a manifestation of the indomitable human spirit. (The afterword that follows is about the author buing herself a too-tight Armani coat thanks to the in-store fitting service -because it is important to follow a dream.)

Two stars, because the above-mentioned ending made me wince - I may revisit the ratings, if I find some use for th highlights - but the book contains many interesting chapters and passages on:
- clothing and migration (fashioning oneself)
- Dior's New Look;
- department stores, as the first public spaces accessible to modern, well-to-do women;
- Poiret
- dressing while middle-aged
- sexiness;
- chador.

The whole thing is very subjective, very personal, and filled with opinions, and it is easy to come across some that may appear jarring.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 three things she mentions in the subtitle; and she often writes chapters as collections of scarcely-related digressions. Grant also includes a heinous and completely unnecessary story on pages 68-69 (which, if you decide to read this book, I highly recommend skipping). What is most disappointing about this book is its failure to accomplish its ostensible purpose: to convince the reader that fashion isn't merely superficial (and I would have been an easy reader to convince, because I already believe that fashion can be much more than skin-deep).

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never felt any real connection with the story or the author. I was expecting more research, but instead I got a lot of the author's personal experiences and her insights, with some quotes by notable fashion designers on fashion (Dior, Chanel, etc). The only part I liked was the history of Catherine Hill, a Holocaust survivor who would later come to work for and then own her own boutique that carried pieces from Dior and other high end designers.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 their back when they wake up in the morning. Clothing speaks volumes. The most moving and poignant parts of the book are when Grant touches on the role that clothing played in the Holocaust and September 11th- pointing out, for example, that the displays of shoes and clothing taken from Holocaust victims before their entrance into concentration camps are some of the most powerful exhibits in Holocaust Memorial Museums. This book won't turn you into a fashionista, but it will make you re-consider how you dress.

[Nina · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 a book about dressing. It's almost as if the author had this backstory and thought throwing it in towards the end of the book would make it a great work. She also talks about 9/11/01 a lot, how it affected everyone, "flag dressing",(and she isn't an American anyway) but the other item is what really pissed me off. You don't put someone's story about surviving Auschwitz in a book that talks about how fabulous Anya Hindmarch's handbags are. You just don't. The book is a will o' the wisp. I love clothes and shopping as much as the next woman, but this book really didn't inform me in any way. And I don't really buy the "incredible resilience of the human spirit" vis a vis nice clothes. Give me a break. Skip this one, folks.

[WORN Fashion Journal]

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 connection one can have with a particular pair of pink suede wedges or a handbag passed down through generations. Though a few of her interview-heavy defences may take long to execute, Grants argument is definitely convincing. Clothing isn’t just something we put on to cover our naked bodies: our wardrobes are our autobiographies. Clothing shapes who we are and communicates our personalities to the world before we have the opportunity to speak. Next time someone tries to tell me fashion is insignificant, I may just shove The Thoughtful Dresser (politely) in their face. (Reviewed By Stephanie Fereiro)

[carrietracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 date rather than classic. It reminded me of my initial feelings of panic when a good friend from high school became part of a New York crowd that exchanged designer pocketbooks with the seasons. I will never be someone who could dispose of an item worth hundreds or thousands of dollars simply because it had become passe, not by virtue of becoming actually ugly or outdated or out of style, but because 3 months had passed and fashion is so serious that it had moved on.

I just can't. Nor do I want to be part of that world. I ended up resenting clothes and shopping. It was pure relief to return this to the library.

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 "fashion" has changed. Women especially have been treated badly by fashion. Think of footbinding, the corset, stiletto heels, or the dreaded pantyhose. People judge you based on what you wear, and may despise the most wonderful person with the most terrible clothes. Clothes float over the reality of who we are. Superficial.

But. As Linda Grant points out, clothes are necessary, clothes allow us to express our identities, and clothes can give us comfort. She offers valid example after valid example of how fashion can benefit us. She points out, rather brilliantly I think, that a person can live in a box on the street, starving, and people will walk past with barely a glance. However, if someone were to take all of their clothes off and go walking down the street, they would be arrested. The point is, even if we say we don't care what people wear, we notice. A good outfit can make us feel better. Can make us feel confident. And as Catherine Hill, fashion icon and Auschwitz survivor, can attest, clothes can make us feel human.

Catherine Hill's story is a common thread throughout these essays, and she made me view clothes and fashion in a new light. After all, in the beginning the Nazis made every Jew wear a gold star on their clothes. Silk or burlap, you were marked as a Jew. In the camps, Jews were stripped, dehumanized, and sent into the gas chamber. They were given identical striped garments. All sense of uniqueness or identity was removed. So Catherine Hill, holocaust survivor, has spent the rest of her life clothing women. Making them feel beautiful. Making them feel human. Food for thought.

A well written and balanced exploration of fashion. Who knew?

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I now feel the need to go and buy a good handbag. Thanks Katharine

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

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. This is not too bad a fault given that the essays were probably written at different times, but it suggests that this writer has said all that she can about this subject. Two, Grant comments on the events of 9/11. While she characterizes those who blame America and Americans for this atrocity committed by non-American as 'shrill', she still refuses to blame the prepretators of this outrage because of the poverty and humiliation they have suffered. She also very subtly blames Americans. I HATE it when Brits who think they are right about everything but really know nothing talk about American politics.

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 assume everyone (read: every woman) is interested in fashion? I honestly believe some aren’t – and what’s wrong with that if they aren’t? She gives lots of examples that seem to be based on gender stereotypes that get my hackles up. Also, of the author herself, she seems terribly shallow in the majority of examples she uses from her own life – and I don’t mean because she’s interested in fashion, but because of how she’s interested in it. It comes across as she’s interested only in the “now” fashion and not so much in creating her own style. And I cannot forgive the fact that she akins getting rid of clothing she’ll never wear to murder but she wears real fur!!

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Epictetus, who lived between circa AD 55 and AD135, advised:’Know,first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly’...it is the clothes that allow us to find out who we are.”

A book like this makes me happy. Linda Grant has encapsulated the history of personal fashion. As a plus-sized reader, it was refreshing to hear her calling out the icons of fashion to stop presenting women as thin=svelte= best when they themselves are “victims” of “middle aged spread “ such as Alexander McQueen in his “heyday”.

Using examples of Auchwitz, 911 in NYC, and other personal specific examples in history, Grant explains, in non-fashionista terms, what it means to dress oneself through history, down to a marvelous chapter on handbags(*my* personal “obsession”) and challenges the industry to present us with comfort, dignity and style.

This book will sit among my tomes on Chanel and Donna Karen. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend this. 5/5

[I received this book as part of a contest and voluntarily reviewed it]

[Readings n' Musings · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intelligent look at fashion, how it makes us feel and what it contributes to our lives.

"You can’t have depths without surfaces. It’s impossible. And sometimes surfaces are all we have to go by."

"Clothes were more than what you put on; they were the means by which you situated yourself in the present tense, and perhaps more important, at the time, the way you could be guaranteed to annoy or even horrify your parents. For we understood that we were the generation that had been born young and would stay young forever;"

"For we understood that we were the generation that had been born young and would stay young forever; growing old, as one’s parents did, was a bizarre, mysterious lifestyle choice they had once fatally made—as if it had been their intention to have wrinkled skin and gray hair and spreading flesh, undiscussed illnesses and old-people’s Crimplene skirts."

"When I try to look back at my life, when I try intensely to remember, and to understand who I once was, I find myself thinking about what I wore. Because these outer forms were a means of expressing something about what I wanted to be."

"the rest of us find that what we wear is like a light switch. It turns on and brilliantly illuminates what lies beneath."

"Fashion has a life and laws of its own which are difficult for the ordinary intelligence to grasp. Personally, I know exactly what I must give to my designs: care, trouble and enthusiasm. They must be the reflection of my everyday existence, showing the same feelings, the same joys, the same tenderness."

"Fashion is all tied up with modernity, for fashion is always about what is now, of the moment."

"Fashion is about the constant motion of time, and a defense against time."

"Washing your clothes, choosing them carefully are the first steps back to having a place in the world."

"Young girls did not carry powder and paint around with them, we fresh-faced innocent darlings. The frame bag had about it poise, certainty, and the possession of a wallet with sufficient amounts of cash, and possibly that new and frighteningly adult possession, the credit card."

"have learned to only buy what I love and what is life enhancing, regardless of its cost."

"Take pleasure, I thought, take it while you can."

[Evelyn Sander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its good parts were good, but it was pretty uneven— possibly due to being recycled from the author’s blog entries. I really liked the way this book put fashion and clothing into perspective in history and society. Although not too discerning or much of a shopper, I very much enjoyed my trip this week to the fashion history exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. But then the book got way too depressing, discussing among other things fashion in the context of

- the prohibitive expense of the best clothing, the quality difference of which is clear to the refined eye
- the fat and ugly people shaming, and the fact that the designers aren’t even interested in selling their clothing to the majority of the population
- women over 50, who will always either be unseen or be too old for any fashion, ultimately looking like a disaster
- 9/11 and the subsequent fashion of wearing red white and blue patriotism on your sleeve, literally
- The Holocaust, with detailed descriptions of Jews dressing their best on their way to Auschwitz

No question if was well written, but it was ultimately such a downer. I understand the choice to discuss depressing periods of history, but I do not forgive the book for feeling the need to first make me first paranoid about my lack of interest in clothing and shopping, with quite persuasive statements like “everyone is interested in clothing even if they claim they are not,” and then stating that it was hopeless anyway - the age/size/attractiveness cutoffs guarantee that I cannot possibly do it right.

[Donna Neeper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bored with my usual genre of reading, I asked AI to recommend a book with these parameters: fashion, history, women, modern.

One of the books in the list was Linda Grant's, "The Thoughtful Dresser." It was the subtitle that drew me in however, "The Act of Adornment, the Pleasure of Shopping, and Why Clothes Matter". How could one author hope to cover all that? I had to check it out and happily my library had it.

I fully enjoyed the book. Other reviewers said it didn't speak to them, but I found plenty to ponder, lots to agree with, and several times laughed out loud because finally someone had printed what I had always thought: clothes matter and they matter more than most people want to admit.

Her delicate direction of thought as to WHY they matter comes through the true-life story of Catherine Hill who suddenly found herself without ANY clothes at a Nazi Concentration camp through which she was the only surviving member of her immediate family. How Linda Grant wraps Catherine's life story (from interviews) through the book is brilliant. I'm so glad I sat down and devoured the content, I'm richer for it. Fashion may seem silly to some, but nevertheless, some people can make it make sense... even some who come into it from literally nothing.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author writes it in a chatty and engaging style, so that you don't feel she is preaching at you to make you feel like you are a loser, style-wise. She discusses fashion, style, shopping, and what clothes do mean and can mean to the wearer.

Besides her own observations, she focuses on a few individuals and tells their stories. In some ways, this book feels more like a series of essays, but they it all works put together this way.

If nothing else, borrow this book for the library so that you can read the beginning of one of the later chapters her commentary on seeing the designer Alexander McQueen and the discussion of some of the well-known high-end designers. Her comment about Karl Lagerfeld made me laugh out loud!

I wish I had read her blog when it was current, I think she would have been a happy, interesting spot in the world of style blogs.

If you enjoy hearing about fashion, style, and some history, you will probably like this book. I borrowed my copy from the library, and am seriously considering purchasing one for myself, so I can dip into it every once in a while.

[Cameron Toney · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read that this book was an extension of the authors blog everything became clear. Books that were blogs is a format that I wish I liked more than I do. They are often disorganized, hopping madly from idea to idea with no clear structure or central thought. I do love a good blog, but they are open ended creative projects. A book is a limited creative project, and so the rules are a bit different.
I absolutly believe that clothes and fashion are important. I find what we wear to be one of the most interesting questions about who we are as people. Clothes have amazing powers. I was hoping for thoughts on this subject.
I didn't get it here.
The sections are all over the place. Thoughts contradict each other. And while I absolutely love the New Look, the slapdash emphasis on it was rather mystifying.
Also, the author is very loud when she thinks someone is too fat. She can be downright cruel about people wearing things that she thinks dont suit them. (She does mention, offhandedly, that she has struggled with her weight, so this seems to be something more about her than about anything else.)
This book was not what it title suggested.

[Abigail F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed individual chapters of this memoir/fashion history, but I couldn't really grasp the structure. I think the overall thesis was that fashion is something people (or rather, women, according to this memoir) turn to even in the darkest of times to find joy and expression, but this got muddled for me as I couldn't always see clearly from Point A to Point B. I loved the chapters on Catherine Hill, but was unsure why they were apportioned out the way they were within the memoir. Grant's mother seemed a pivotal force, and yet, I never got a sense of her as a woman, or even what she really meant to Grant besides the adage that the handbag makes the outfit. Grant writes that this book was conceived of at the same time that she started a blog of the same name, and this book feels like a year's worth of blogging printed out and bound -- individual posts on related topics that sometimes go together, sometimes not. It works in blog form, but I'm not sure it was entirely effective as memoir. Still, it was very readable and interesting, with some fantastic writing.

[Mary Dayhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helped put perspective on the issue of clothes having worn hand-me-downs from my cousins and my mom shopping at thrift stores for her 9 children. I didn't learn anything about clothes as a youngster - I remember going school clothes shopping at Montgomery Wards with my mom and telling her I wanted a 5-pack of boys multicolored Tee Shirts and two pairs of Levis (1971 freshman year). In grade school my grandmother would make me a new dress each fall and I was an ungrateful child who knew not the value of my grandmother and her gifts. Now I am sixty years old and after reading Grant's book I will be a more thoughtful dresser (no more Walmart multi-colored T-shirts and Costco blue jeans).

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a lot of feelings reading this book. Bits of it I really enjoyed. I loved the human stories. behind the clothes. I was particularly fascinated by the woman who bought hundreds of items and never wore any of them. I wanted to know much more about that particular story. I found the episode about the leather jacket and what women of a certain age 'should' wear, really annoying and just as I was getting ready to hurl the book to the four winds, I found the chapter about dressing real bodies and the difference between designers and the reality of the women they make clothes for really interesting and compassionate. It was, for the most part, fascinating.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books ever. So well written, rich in detail, and simply delicious to take in every word. I could read this book over and over again forever. It helped shape my world view on fashion. The book argues how fashion isn't vain and self-absorbed, but innately human. It runs through the changes in the fashion and the industry over the past century and a half. It helps tell the story by weaving through the life of Catherine Hill during and after the Holocaust.

"In clothes the story of the human race begins."

[ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories held hidden grains of truth that I will reflect on and come back to as time goes by. Others express perspectives that I have always felt to be true but could never quite figure out how to express. The issue were the others; messy and confusing in terms of relevance, and a bit outdated in terms of language. It came so close to being a 5 star read... if only it had a stronger structure and argument.

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you read through this book, you would question yourselves: What clothes mean to me? Why do I crave for luxurious clothing items? Can I justified the costs for something I love in this high fashion environment? Will the style of this item fade in years?

Shopping is already an exhausting experience, but a beautiful closet that makes you happy/smile every morning is also priceless.

[Clare Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

So intelligent women can be interested in clothes, well I think we’ve established that.
Ms Grant seems to be struggling with ageing and makes a lot of derogatory comments about women’s bodies which really got on my nerves.
If you’re interested in the role of fashion in normal women’s lives I would recommend ‘Women in Clothes’

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

For every woman who reads VOGUE and The New Yorker (or The Economist). A clever, competent writer, Karen Grant writes about clothes with the emotion and intelligence they deserve. I loved this book - her observations and anecdotes were pertinent and often entertaining. What we wear and why we wear it is a hugely important question for anyone who gets dressed in the morning.

[Bryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh dear, I let this one go too long -- I remember enjoying it, but very few of the details. There was a good mix of personal stories and fashion history and theories on aesthetics and women's fashion and such, and while I am definitely not part of Grant's world, I appreciated the window onto it that this book gave me.

[Edwina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up. The red shoe story at the beginning seems to be the best part. I'm sure she had lots to say but I wasn't feeling the love.

I love the idea that clothes do matter, and I guess I just needed a few minutes of validation. Not a whole book.

[Helen Herbek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh how I was rooting for the author to find her thesis, but she never did. I’ve added a star for some brighter moments, but am leaving the experience worse off, as a 40 something women, for having learned the phrase ‘mutton dressed as lamb’.

[Mrs Fieldmouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and insightful, the author takes an unconventional look at the factors that influence the way we dress with some fascinating personal stories of the fashion industry throughout. I really enjoyed it!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intellectual view of fashion and its meaning, especially to women.
So any interesting ideas are discussed, that I will reread this book to try and take them in more thoroughly.
One star knocked off as I didn’t feel the parts on 9/11 or Auschwitz added anything to the book.