The Complete Book of Fashion History: A Stylish Journey Through History and the Ultimate Guide for Being Fashionable in Every Era

Gr 4–6—A lighthearted romp through the fashions of the ages, this short and colorful book includes amusing illustrations of clothing, accessories, and customs. Starting, fittingly enough, with "Prehistory" and working all the way up to contemporary fashion, the chapters also feature funny fake advertisements for the accouterments of the day, such as pocket watches in the "Romanticism" chapter ("A pocket watch on a chain always gives the right time"), Rolling Stones T-shirts for the 1960s, and hand-shaped "scratchers" for lice-ridden wig wearers of the rococo era (eek!). Historical tidbits discuss—lightly—relevant events, including wars and social movements, and the influence of monarchs, celebrities, and, of course, designers on trends. Men and women are well represented in the pages, which are a bit disorganized but bright and lively. The illustrations also depict some people of color. However, the many superskinny figures might be a turnoff. A chapter about ancient China makes light of bound feet, and for some reason the text skips the 1930s altogether, jumping from the 1920s to the 1940s (the rest of the following decades are covered). A few typos and errors in chronology appear, and a glib suggestion to use shoe polish as mascara in the 1940s chapter (because of World War II shortages) is downright bizarre. That said, most of the other tips to dress the decades are cute and informative, and the appendixes of fashion time lines and style icons are lots of fun.