The Latin American Fashion Reader

by Regina A. Root (Editor), Joanne B. Eicher (Series Editor)

Latin American fashion's recent gain in popularity can be seen most obviously in mass-market ranges throughout the industrialized West. From the tango-inspired dress of Argentina and guerrilla chic in downtown Buenos Aires to swimwear on Copacabana Beach and the rainbow that adorns Mayan women, Latin America has long been a source of inspiration for designers throughout the world. Until now, however, the pivotal role played by dress in this region has surprisingly been overlooked. This book is a long overdue assessment of Latin America's influence on global fashion. The authors examine the significance of textiles and dress to Latin American culture and the reasons behind it from fashion history to popular culture and the (re)making of traditional garments, such as the poncho, the guayabera and maguey-fiber sandals. This book also considers fashion icons such as Frida Kahlo and Eva Peron, women who have been worshipped and transformed into marketable symbols of exoticism and passion, as well as the key role that dress played in their rise to celebrity on the international stage. Providing a first and definitive overview of Latin American fashion, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in Latin American cultural studies or fashion history.Winner of the 2006 Arthur P. Whitaker Prize, awarded by the Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies

Genres: Fashion

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2005

Reviews

[Edie Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on content this book deserves five stars. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a rough read. All that academic talk kept me dangerously close to falling asleep. In most of the articles, if you took out the conscientious babble each paragraph could probably be to a single sentence.

But there’s so much here to fascinate. The chapters include the political significance of women’s hair combs in Mexico, the lifestyle associated with the poncho in Argentina, the role of icons such as Frida Kahlo and Eva Peron, the truth behind the myth of the girl from Ipanema, etc. However, I felt the entry on Christy Turlington and Rosa Lopez, though interesting, was way off topic.

This is no coffee table book. That might be an improvement. The few pictures are in black and white whereas the examples mentioned demanded many full color illustrations. I also think that a good solid edit of the text would greatly improve it.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aesthetic Style The aesthetic of the writing is minimalist and straightforward. The author avoids complex metaphors in favor of clear and direct communication. This stylistic choice makes the book accessible to a wide variety of readers. See examples of the book's unique formatting at this link. >>> https://script.google.com/macros/s/AK...