American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion

by Patricia Mears

This beautifully illustrated book is the first to examine the relationship between innovation and aesthetics as expressed by American couturiers and fashion designers from the late 1910s to the present day. The book, which accompanies a major exhibition at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, reveals that great design and great style were consistent elements in the work of American’s best fashion designers.

 

Patricia Mears introduces many great forgotten figures, as well as many familiar names: work by lesser-known figures such as Jessie Franklin Turner, Ronaldus Shamask, and Charles Kleibecker is discussed alongside pieces by more celebrated creators, such as Halston and Charles James; work by designers of the past is juxtaposed with that of present-day designers such as Rick Owens, Yeolee Teng, and Maria Comejo. James’s grand and structurally imposing gowns from the 1950s appear alongside contemporary Infantas by Ralph Rucci; the section on draping juxtaposes 1930s gowns by Elizabeth Hawes and Valentina with more contemporary garments by Jean Yu and Isabel Toledo; clothing cut into pure geometric shapes like circles, triangles, and rectangles is illustrated by World War I–era teagowns by Jessie Franklin Turner, Claire McCardell’s mid-century rompers garments, and modern sportswear by Yeohlee and Shamask.

 

While the United States may be best known worldwide for its casual mass-marketed garments, Mears demonstrates that artistry, innovation, and flawless construction are the true marks of American fashion.

Genres: Fashion

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Patricia Mears is the Deputy Director of The Museum at FIT.

Reviews

[Lore · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a hard book to review...

For starters the title is a misnomer considering that the contents of the book only cover the evolution of fashion in the United States, and the Americas comprise the whole of the American continent. Considering how much the world has evolved in its regards towards cultural appropriation, this use of the American adjective ts particularly offensive to the rest of North America, Central America and South America. Specially having in mind how different culturally and aesthetically they are from one another.

Regarding content, on the one hand it was really dully written, with a monotonous tone and a lackluster narrative, while on the other it was really interesting content with great photography.

It had lots of obscure data about designers that are not very known and it managed to establish an outstanding chronological evolution of pattern making in the United States. However, it was a chore to stay focused and engaged and not skim the pages.

It was quite sad that the author didn't manage to introduce a little charisma or engaging anecdotes to ease the reader into the heavy technical aspects. A little would have gone a long ways. Anyhow, a great tome for fashion design students interested in pattern making, the evolution of the technical aspect of geometric cutting and garment construction in general throughout the history of design in the United States.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for those interested in a very detailed history of the process of fashion. There is no index, so if you are trying to locate specific designers within the book you'll have to mark the pages yourself while you read. Gorgeous full-page photos that show multiple views of pieces and also close-ups of fabric.

[angela tsui · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best fashion history in america