20th-Century Fashion Illustration

The Feminine Ideal

This fascinating retrospective chronicles the rise and development of modern fashion illustration from the early 1900s to the dawn of the twenty-first century. Its lively narration, illustrated by over seventy original works by fashion's top illustrators, explores the social context of fashion illustration with feminine ideals that characterize each era:
• The Temptress (1900–20) — Turn-of-the-century stage idols and screen vamps
• The Garçonne (1920s) — The emancipated post–World War I woman
• The Grown-Up and the Glamour Girl (1930s–40s) — Working girls and movie stars of the Great Depression and World War II
• The Princess (1940s–50s) — Dior's New Look and the USA's postwar cultural dominance
• Twiggies and Hippies (1960s–70s) — Protest and revolution, The Beatles, Twiggy, Warhol, psychedelics, flower children, and women's libbers
• The Jetsetter (1980s–90s) — The Me Generation, the cult of fitness and perfection, supermodels and super career women
• The Fashionista (1990s–2000s) — The massive influence of entertainers, sports figures, and the rich and famous
• The Lady or the Tiger — Summarizes the Ideal's march through the century
Professional fashion illustrator Rosemary Torre taught for three decades at New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology. Her original and authoritative survey features informative captions for each image and detailed biographies for every illustrator. Fashion-conscious women of all ages will treasure this captivating book, as will students and professional fashion and costume designers.