The Hundred Dresses: The Most Iconic Styles of Our Time - Hardcover

This glorious book sews together a story for every style and makes you look at your own wardrobe anew and wonder what adventures you should be having with your own dresses. -- Ruth Singer, author of Sew It Up and The Sewing Bible Celebrities, movie stars, literary and historic figures, you and I wear them, wore them, or want them. This wonderfully illustrated book of iconic dresses is told with wit and wisdom...a joy to look at and to read. -- Ilene Beckerman, author of Love, Loss, and What I Wore What a supremely witty, highly informative, and great-looking book this is! It made me want to be a woman. -- Henry Alford, author of "Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That?": A Modern Guide to Manners Like a wonderfully illustrated bird-watcher's guide, but to frocks, The Hundred Dresses: The Most Iconic Styles of Our Time is a whimsical and inspirational taxonomy: from the J Lo, via the Space Empress to the Vreeland. * The Sunday Telegraph * In this book Erin McKean, with a little help from talented illustrator Donna Mehalko, details one hundred dresses that she deems the most iconic styles of our time ... Information on background, accessories, related items and the people who made it famous accompany each dress in the book, and there is a healthy dose of humour too. -- Jennifer Schembri * My Creative Diva * [This book] is a wittily written guide to the most iconic styles of our time. Each dress is well illustrated and Erin's pithy descriptions are fun ... In addition you get an accessories guide, a worn by whom and names of designers of such dresses. This is the formula for the book, Erin's crisp observations keep the book going ... I'll never look at clothes the same ever again. -- Karen Platt * Yarns and Fabrics *

The dress is the last bit of femininity in our closets; it's the only item of clothing which (most) men and women don't share. Wearing a dress is a powerful way for women to express themselves--and every style conveys a different message. Inspired by the Eleanor Estes' children's classic The Hundred Dresses, Erin McKean's classic-to-be by the same title, with chic illustrations by Donna Mehalko, is a definitive look at the dresses, vintage and modern, that make an inarguable statement about the woman who wears them. Each evocatively illustrated entry identifies one of a hundred different dresses accompanied by a witty and informative look at the history of that particular style, famous wearers (if applicable), and what message, subtle or overt, is conveyed by the dress. Notes on where such a style could be observed and accessories of the wearer are also included. Featured are The Wench; The Sari; The Vreeland; The Wrap; The Austen; The Beckham; The Siren (any style, as long as it's red); The Chanel Ingenue; The Caftan; The Guinivere; The Jackie; The Slip Dress; The Biohazard (any dress dangerous to bystanders or the wearer: think Lady Gaga); and scores more. The book also includes a suggested reading list of fashion books, dresses from literature, and an index. Part style commentary, part fashion blueprint, part clever field guide, The Hundred Dresses will ensure that no woman (or man) ever underestimates the power of the dress.