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Non-White or Non-European Clothing History Resource Books

6/22/2020

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When it comes to clothing/costume history many of us studying in the west tend to skim over non-European and non-white clothing. There may be one special class on Indigenous dress or Saris, or Kimonos, but nothing substantial. Most of my resource books also barely scratch the surface of any other topic than European fashion history. I decided to try to gather books for fellow costume curious people to have a starting point to educate ourselves about these non-white and non-European fashion histories. 
This is in no way the ultimate list. There are so many other books out there and books yet to be published. Use this list as a jumping off point for your own book research and not as the authority on the only books there are. 
I always suggest looking at your local library for these books. If they don't have them ask for them to purchase them. If you choose to purchase them yourselves I would suggest finding small book stores. Literary Hub has a list of Black owned book stores you can check out and order from online! (The Lit Bar in NYC carries many of the books I list below.) 

The Way We Wore: Black Style Then
by: Michael McCollom

The Way We Wore: Black Style Then contains photos from 1940's through 2014 when it was published and includes photos from the collection of the author's family and friends. The forward is written by Geoffrey Holder, the original costume designer of The Wiz on Broadway. Holder was also a director and actor both in theatre and on film. 

"Style for me can be louder than words. It speaks volumes. This was the genesis of the book."-Michael McCollom

An interview from Life and Times by Kathy Iandoli with author Michael McCollom can be found here. 
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New African Fashion 
​by: Helen Jennings

“A refreshing and commendable stab at an extremely broad and underrepresented market.” --Worn Fashion Journal

Jennings is the former editor of ARISE, a fashion magazine focusing on contemporary African fashion and co founder of Nataal, a media brand celebrating contemporary African creativity. 

New African Fashion was published in 2011 and focuses on African fashion designers, fashion lines, photographers, and models. 

Here is a link to a preview of the book on its publisher's site. 

Dandy Lion: The Black Dandy and Street Style
by: Shantrelle P. Lewis

"Described as “high-styled rebels” by author Shantrelle P. Lewis, black men with a penchant for color and refined fashion, both new and vintage, have gained popular attention in recent years, influencing mainstream fashion." -About the book

This coffee table resource book not only has brilliant photography but speaks about dandyism, street style, hip hop, fashion as rebellion, etc. 


Here is an interview from Cool Hunting (by Katie Olsen) with author Shantrelle P. Lewis.
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The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women
by: Catherine E. McKinley

This book is set to publish in early 2021 and contains photos gathered by McKinley from many different African countries. 

McKinley has also written:
  • Indigo: In Search of the Color That Seduced the World
  • The Book of Sarahs: A Family in Parts
She also curated Aunty! (with Laylah Amatullah Barrayn)  at United Photo Industries Gallery in Brooklyn in 2018. 
​
Read a NY Times article about it here. 

More Books

  • Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity'-by Monica L. Miller
  • Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion- by Marcellas Reynolds
  • Fashion History: A Global View- by Linda Welters and Abby Lillethun
  • The Social Life of Kimono: Japanese Fashion Past and Present- by Sheila Cliffe
  • How to Slay- by Constance C.R. White
  • Unseen: Unpublished Black History from the New York Times Photo Archives- by Dana Canedy, Darcy Eveleigh, Damien Cave, and Rachel L. Swarns
  • Costume and Fashion: A Concise History- by James Laver
  • Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats- by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry
  • Native American Clothing: An Illustrated History- by Theodore Brasser
  • Caribou Skin Clothing of the Igloolik Inuit- by Sylvie Pharand




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Plague Doctors-Curious Fashion History

5/18/2020

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When one thinks of a doctor today, a picture of a person in scrubs, maybe with a white lab coat or disposable gloves on with a tie on mask may come to mind. Most would not instantly think of a figure covered in a long robe or coat with a bird head. But, during the 1600s some in Europe would describe doctors just like that; figures covered from head to toe in long robes with a beaked mask. 
When the Great Plague swept through London doctors needed a way to protect themselves when making house calls. Many chose the uniform credited to Charles de Lorme, a French doctor. De Lorme's uniform included a wax covered coat, trousers connected to boots, hat, gloves, and a beaked mask. Most of the costume was to be make out of leather with none of the wearer's skin showing least his pores soak up the "miasma". 
Sicknesses, especially the Black Death, Plague, Great Plague, etc. were thought to be caused by bad air or "miasma" so the beaked mask carried sweet or strong scented herbs and the waxed coat often was infused with a scent as well. These measures were thought to protect the doctor as he treated his patients, although no firm scientific proof was available. Ultimately their outfits did little to protect them. 
The visual of the "plague doctor" is so iconic that many different societies have used the shape and symbol. In Italy the long shape of the beaked mask became popular in commedia dell'arte performances as well as at carnival celebrations. The costume was rightly so associated with death, forever tying it to horror movies and video games.
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Image of plague doctor uniform from the Wellcome Collection, London.
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Incarnation of the plague doctor imagined by the creators of popular video game Fortnite.
Plague doctors were as ineffective as the protective suits they wore. Bad air was not the cause of sickness; poor hygiene and lack of sanitation spread the disease. Some historians even doubt if they wore these uniforms at all. There is evidence of satirical cartoons, masks themselves, and the writings of some doctors, but many believe even if they were worn, they may have only been worn in Italy, France, and England. 
References:
Wellcome Collection-Deadly Stinks and Life Saving Aromas in Plague Stricken London
How Stuff Works-17th C. Plague Doctors Were the Stuff of Nightmares
​National Geographic-Why Plague Doctors Wore Those Strange Beaked Masks
The Timetables of History by Bernard Grun
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How Illnesses Affected Fashion

5/4/2020

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I am currently home in my comfy clothes writing this article as the TV show I was working on has been paused due to COVID-19. While sitting at home I was wondering what this pause would mean for costumes, clothing, and fashion, and what other viruses and illnesses have done to affect fashion throughout history. (Fitting no?)

Smallpox

Smallpox has been around since the 6th century according to the CDC. It is identified by the flat rash it spreads on the skin. It usually starts near the mouth and as it spreads it turns into very unpleasant filled bumps. It usually leaves those infected with pitted scars where the bumps used to be. 
​During the 1600s small decorative patches made out of silk, leather, or cotton were plastered to the face to "hide" imperfections, especially pockmarks. Many women and men kept these patches or "beauty marks" in small decorative boxes to then be attached to their faces with a form of glue. This fashion trend started in France but took hold in other European countries. Although "beauty marks" were great to cover up small scars and marks, you had to be careful. If you plastered them ALL to your face you'd be too overt, if you placed just one or two, too bleh. You needed to be Goldilocks and and find the amount that was "just right".
These small decorative patches went out of style along the same time that the smallpox vaccine became widely available and administered which was roughly in 1798. Although those "beauty marks" fell out of fashion, recently jewels, stickers, and face jewelry have become more wide spread. After knowing origins of these patches one can't help being reminded of it when they see the odd holographic face sticker.  
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18th Century fabric patches or "beauty marks" from the Wellcome Library, London
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This box held rouge and "beauty marks" for its owner ca. 1750 -Met Museum Online Collection
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These modern "beauty marks" or face stickers can be purchased at many clothing or makeup stores.

Tuberculosis

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Portrait of a Girl-Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller 1840
In the Victorian era Tuberculosis (disease caused by bacteria that attack the lungs and is spread through the air) was an epidemic in Europe and the US. The disease was romanticized and many of their beauty standards emulated those with Tuberculosis. It was seen as feminine; brought about due to nervous sensibilities, and if you were beautiful you were predisposed to the disease! 
Victims were thin, "swan like" some references state. Thinness was achieved through long tight corsets that make the wearer thin, not curvy as later corsets did. Necklines were low to show off any thinness and any visible bones, especially shoulder blades. The almost translucent skin was mimicked by fashionable ladies paining on blue veins with "makeup".  Pale complexion was highly prized as were dilated eyes. (Some used deadly nightshade drops to make their eyes bigger. You can read about it here.) The nickname for the fashion was "consumptive chic" with tiny waists, lighter skin, and colored cheeks.
Smallpox and Tuberculosis are just two examples of how diseases have affected fashion throughout history. There are many other epidemics and illnesses that have changed the way we dress.  Maybe I'll research a few more in the future for part 2 if I end up having to extend my social separation. Stay safe and healthy. Don't forget to was your hands!
References:
  • CDC.GOV
  • Smithsonian Magazine
  • Consumptive Chic by Carolyn A. Day
  • Survey of History Costume by Phillis G. Tortora and Keith Eubank
  • Collectors Weekly
  • Why'd They Wear That? by Sarah Albee
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Hennins/Boqtas-Curious Fashion History

4/27/2020

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During the later middle ages young women wore cone shaped head wear called "Hennins". These hennins were either single or double cones worn on the head and sometimes draped in a veil. This often hall hat was held on the wearer's head by a small metal strap or tab that rested on the forehead to counteract the weight of the hat. 
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Mary of Burgundy, 1528 is wearing a single cone hennin. As the entire hennin isn't in the frame of the portrait it could be considered a "Steeple Hennin" which could reach as high as 45"!
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"Portrait of Isabella of Portugal," ca. 1450 Isabella is wearing a double cone hennin aka "Butterfly Hennin".
So, some of those medieval movies throughout history with their "princess hats" are somewhat correct! Maid Marion in Disney's 1973 animated Robin Hood wore a butterfly or double cone hennin. Her character designer, Ken Anderson, cheekily used her ears to create the shape. 
​Your dress up "princess hat" is actually older than the medieval times as mentioned in a Smithsonian Magazine article. It is believed, at least the single cone hennin was designed with heavy influences from the Mongol married women's head coverings known as Boqta. These headdresses sat more vertically and according to some historical accounts made it very difficult for Mongol women to enter and exit their tents! Most were made out of wool or flannel, but some of the richer women had them made with red silk.
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This plate from "Mongol Court Dress..." shows women wearing the very tall Boqta while at court. It is believed they did not wear them for riding or other manual labor.
Why did ancient and not as ancient women want such tall head pieces. I can only imagine the headaches that came along with them.
But, even more recent women have worn headpieces that added to their verticality. Fontages in the 1700s were so tall that some women DIED after they caught fire from the candelabras and chandeliers overhead. I guess what they say in Texas is right, "The taller the historical headpiece, the closer to the fashion god" ...or something like that. 
References:
  • Why'd They Wear That? By Sarah Albee
  • Met Museum
  • Smithsonian Magazine
  • Mongol Court Dress, Identity Formation, and Global Exchange By Eiren L Shea
  • Killer Fashion By Jennifer Wright
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Overalls-Curious Fashion History

4/6/2020

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While quarantining in my apartment during Covid-19 in New York I have made a habit of wearing a pair of plum cotton overalls to be comfy but to also wear actual clothes instead of a pair of joggers or my pajamas. This got me thinking, "What is the history of the overall?"
In the US we call the garment that consists of trousers with a front bib and over shoulder straps "overalls". They are traditionally made out of canvas or denim and used as a work garment, but they can also be made of cotton or another fabric. "Overalls" are not to be confused with "coveralls" which is like a "onesie" or "boiler suit". "Coveralls" are an all-in-one garment that includes sleeves and can be seen as a uniform for mechanics, painters, etc. 
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Ad from a California newspaper (c. 1890) for Levi Overalls
The western idea of overalls is thought to have been created during the gold rush when Levi Strauss (you know, Levi jeans) created a work trouser for miners to wear that was sturdy and long lasting. 
Although we pair denim overalls with the birth of the garment, the term "overalls" has been around since the 18th century. It derived from the practice of people wearing protective clothing over their more expensive/nicer clothing. A form of trouser was worn as an outer layer over a second garment as protection. 
"Slops" could be considered the first iteration of overalls in history, even before Mr. Strauss created his denim marvels. Workers, uniformed personnel, and the lower class tend to wear the style of garments once worn by the upper class decades before. The "slops" I am referring to are oversized trousers worn by workers and sailors in the 1700s; not the high court "slops" or "gallygaskins" of the men of court in the early 1600s. They were worn as protection while working in fields, or sailing (as not to soil their sailor uniform).
Overalls were a piece of work wear from their inception until roughly the 1940s when young boys and some girls would wear the garment as play clothes. They were considered outdoor wear still, but made less rigid and a little more "in fashion" with the time. 
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Today overalls are still worn by toddlers and children as they are an easy outfit to be put in and if your child is extra active, tends to stay on better than a pair of trousers and a shirt. 
​Overalls have also made their way onto runways and into high fashion as well as street wear. Brands from Madewell to designers like Yojhi Yamamoto have created their own versions of overalls for both men and women. Hip hop artists of the 80s and 90s wore them as well as the  influencers and celebrities of today.
Join me while staying at home and wearing overalls. Pair them with an oversize comfy jumper for a cozy cuddle, or add a sharp button front blouse/shirt to feel a more "at work" while working from home.  Whether they are denim, cotton, or jersey, pop them on and enjoy! 
References:
  • Levi.com - History
  • Survey of Historic Costume by: Phyllis G. Tortora and Keith Eubank
  • Worth Point
  • Vintage Dancer
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