Fashion Criticism

Seven billion humans on the planet clothe or adorn themselves every day. Yet the subject of dress – it’s language; its influence on the way we express our identities, desires, allegiances, aspirations and (in many cases, our servitude) – has rarely been considered worthy of serious inquiry. This essential anthology of essays on fashion corrects that oversight ... and it does so with exceptional verve and intelligence. * Judith Thurman, The New Yorker * From Oscar Wilde’s musing on corsets to Connie Wang’s discussion of Wokeness, this dazzling compendium of critical fashion writing—with a sweep of over one hundred years—is as fun to read as it is intellectually provocative. * Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, US * [Fashion Criticism: An Anthology] represents a step forward to considering fashion criticism a respected discipline alongside cultural criticism. Moreover, it can be a very useful resource for those who wish to deepen their knowledge on the subject, and it might even help them develop their own critical skills for fashion writing. Eventually, this anthology demonstrates how politics, gender, race, and other socio cultural issues are extremely interconnected with the matters of dress. Fashion criticism can be another way of examining those contexts and enrich the conversation with new, stimulating perspectives. * The Journal of Dress History * Reprints of lesser-known essays (Campbell’s “What Happened to the Afro?”), plus essays that use a variety of approaches, from glamorous description (Long’s “Feminine Fashions”), to social theory (Sontag’s “Looking with Avedon”), make this a solid primer on cultural criticism and fashion journalism. * Library Journal * A welcome anthology of fashion criticism establishing that writing about fashion can be as influential as designing it. Ranging across late nineteenth century gazettes, twentieth century newspapers and twenty-first century posts, it’s a key reference work for reading about how fashion measures up. * Alistair O’Neill, Central Saint Martins, London, UK *