I have such an adoration for great fashion illustrations. Must have come from my grandmother, who was always sketching the sweetest little snippets— handbags, high heels, my old ballet shoes even. So I fell in love with this recent title The Hundred Dresses, with commentary by Erin McKean and illustrations by Donna Mehalko. 100 dresses fill its pages… a sketch, description, and history of each, plus which fashionistas wore it, and how you should accessorize it.
Flipping through the pages, you’ll find iconic pieces, like the Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the Bond Girl, the Marilyn, and the Pretty Woman. You’ll see classic shapes that you always attribute to a certain wearer or designer, like the Caftan (Elizabeth Taylor), or the Wrap Dress (Diane von Furstenberg). And you’ll find gowns that you never ever realized were icons before, like The First Oscar (worn by Renee Zellweger, Rooney Mara, Jennifer Lawrence, and Marion Cotillard— check now and you’ll laugh!).
McKean has rounded up, give or take, the most famous dresses from the past century, from the June Cleaver to the J.Lo to the Jersey Shore. Only disappointment? No sign of a “Lilly” or “The Shift.” Other than that, this is a pretty darn comprehensive guide. Read (or, admittedly, browse the photos) for pleasure, or use it as the ultimate dress resource and field guide.
The Hundred Dresses
By Erin McKean
Illustrated by Donna Mehalko
Bloomsbury, 2013
$23
I love this so much! I definitely want to check this book out 🙂
Ahhhh this book is perfect! I want it for my coffee table!
That book looks like a must have for any fashionista!
-Sharon
The Tiny Heart
Headband Giveaway!
this book looks so gorgeous! adding it to my new apartment wish list 🙂
This book looks great! Love the illustrations
Pearls, Diamonds and Everything Else
this book is beautiful!!!
and i fell in love with your blog 🙂
following you on twitter, bloglovin and instagram 😉
kisses
Greta.
I just love fashion sketches – I will have to check out this book!
I picked up her book “The Secret Lives of Dresses” at random and I fell in love with her writing! I’ll have to check this out!
This looks like such a beautiful, happy book. The illustrations are gorgeous, it would be perfect for my coffee table 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
xo
Alanna
I love these illustrations! I think I might check out this book, it’d be a great addition to my coffee table!
xo, Yi-chia
Always Maylee
So cute! This reminds me of the Nina Garcia books with the adorable illustrations. I always wish that the sold them as individual art pieces so you could frame them and display! I’m alway tempted to buy a second copy just so I can rip the pages out!
-L
What a pretty book! I’d love it on my coffee table — when I have a home and a coffee table!
-Kodi
grey et al