The 40'S & 50's : Utility to New Look

by Helen Reynolds

Traces changes in fashion during the 40s and 50s including military styles, utility clothes, Dior glamour, and the modernist look.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion, History

32 pages, Library Binding

First published September 26, 1999

Reviews

[Victoria Moore]

Splashy, with full color and black-and-white photos then elegantly framed by green woven fabric trim, "20th Century Fashion The Forties and Fifties" by Helen Reynolds was an immensely readable visual treat I know fashion lovers, of all ages, would adore exploring. Divided into 14 different chapters, ranging from one to two pages each, I found the text to be just as compelling as the visuals.
While the sections "Utility Fashion," "Hollywood Glamour," and "Dior and the New Look" really sparked my imagination and made me long for a more glamorous time, "America and Consumerism" and "Zooties, Hipsters, and Beatniks" brought me back down to earth as an African-American female more comfortable with the diversity and inclusion featured in these sections.
In addition to all of the valuable information within the main part of the book, the "Timeline," "Glossary" and additional literary and internet resources, in the back, were also worthwhile.

[Faith Fishcrazy]

I read this for educational purposes and was not disappointed.