A Perfect Fit: Clothes, Character, and the Promise of America

by Jenna Weissman Joselit

A striking and inventive social history of the role of clothing in the making of modern Americans.

While fashions of the rich and famous have been lessly chronicled, little attention has been paid to the meaning of clothes for everyone else. Yet between 1890 and the outbreak of World War II, as ready-to-wear came into its own, the clothes of ordinary Americans claimed the nation's attention. Allied with civic virtue, fashion now played an increasingly important role in shaping the national character.

Drawing on a wealth of sources -- from advertisements, trade journals, and health manuals to sermons, science, and songs -- acclaimed historian Jenna Weissman Joselit shows how the length of a woman's skirt, the shape of a man's hat, and the height of a pair of heels enabled Americans of every faith, color, and class to feel part of the modern nation. As moral arbiters warned that extravagant attire might undermine equality, and gentlemen worried that wearing colored shirts rered them less manly, the newly arrived and newly emancipated -- immigrants and African-Americans -- wondered just how much jewelry was appropriate to their new status as citizens. Engaging, imaginative, and original, A Perfect Fit uncovers a time in American history when getting dressed was more about fitting in than standing out and vividly shows how clothes expressed the spirit of democracy and the promise of America.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Fashion, Sociology

228 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2001

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the argument, but wished there was a bit more meat and more analysis of the supporting visuals.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this; it's written very accessibly and includes a lot of pictures, mostly from advertisements.

Covering 1890-1930, this book discusses clothes as symbolic of what it means to be American and, thus, spends a great deal of time on African American, Jewish, and other immigrant populations and how they achieved or failed to achieve belonging based on their clothing.

Joselit has a knack for uncovering the silliest, most ridiculous, and over the top comments made by moralizers; parts of this are deeply funny to read.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

How clothes made America by defining the middle class through generic off-the-shelf ready mades and modern advertising. Hats, suits, skirts and heels. Index and notes

[Gail Kennon · Rating 3 out of 5]

entertaining and informative especially for someone like me who knows very little about fashion.

[Dora Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and easy-to-read treatise on clothes as a reflection of American moral fiber during the period from the late 1880s through the 1920s. The book was not very academically sound but it did include examples and some citations. Also she skips around a bit across a wide period of time in discussing each theme. Her points about fashion in general, jewelry, furs, hats, and men’s wear were all clear and obvious, however, and her arguments, although not complex, made sense.

[Apryl Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was this a Master's thesis? It read like a research paper. Well-researched, yes, but a compelling read? No. I recognize much of this from my Fashion History class a BGSU--a favorite--and it was good to see a compact guide to this period of such ENORMOUS change in clothing. The industrial revolution spawned ready-to-wear clothing manufacture. The working classes were beginning to have options in dress. Come to think of it, this should've been another episode of BBC's People's Century.

[Caitlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea :( Liked the concept but not the execution.

[Erika Mulvenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with some of the other reviews here; loved the premise of the book, wished there was more "meat" including supporting materials.