Couture

It's fun having an in house fashionista, I get to quiz her on fashion history. Today's question, "When was the first fashion magazine published?" Answer towards the end.

We think of made to measure clothing as the ultimate luxury but before the fashion industry was invented, made to measure was all there was, it was old hat and not terribly exciting even for the cream of society. What fun in wearing something unique to you.

Fun is wearing what can be imitated. How does a woman know if her gown is stylish if she can't see it on someone else? How do you establish that you set on a trend early if no one else can copy you. Likewise what do you do when you see clones of yourself wherever you turn? The most fashionable women in Paris 1670 had an answer.

In 1670 Duchesse de Berry invited her most stylish friends, the best seamstresses and tailors and most celebrated hairdressers to her home, there she presented a plan. That evening those present invented Couture. The women agreed to put away their one off gowns in favor of the tailors creating fashion for all. The fashion plates of the day ordered the new designers gowns be brought to them as soon as they were ready. Once the ladies of Versailles and the designers began working together to make fashion public the key ideas we take for granted quickly fell into place. The "look" the way an entire ensemble worked together, the fashion season, questions of what's in, what's out began to emerge. Accessories became important. For the first time women spent more than men on clothing. Within several years concepts that have lasted 350 years were put into place.

Within a very few years the couture houses began going retail and down market. To spread the new gospel of fashion for the masses, the fashion press was invented. In 1672 Le Mercure galant (Gallant Mercury) was the first newspaper to report on fashion.

I'm stuck in a most wonderful book, The Essence of Style by Joan DeJean. I'd read it before, lent it out and like a bad cold it returns, placed back on the shelf and taken down anew. I love this book for explaining simply why and how items we perceive as luxuries came into being. Champagne, diamonds, red soled shoes, couture, comfortable furniture are all French inventions. Amazingly all born around the same time, the late 1600's.

Toad

book report day

It has been unseasonably cold. For the past 3 weeks daily highs in the 50F's, hard rain every other day, the iron horse is broken beyond repair, nothing to do but spend afternoons curled up with a book or two. Mercifully, this weekend highs are forecast in the 90's.

I'll share my findings with you.


Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden.

I knew nothing of the Burden family before picking this up. It was a surprise to me to learn the mousy little Latin teacher at my high school, was Wendy's uncle, but that is my only connection. Little did I know he was one of the richest men in America.

The Burden family are descendants of Commodore Vanderbilt. By Wendy's birth in 1955 the family had ossified to a group of bright, underachieving misanthropes. Her family memoir, is perhaps unintentionally, the funniest book I'd read in a very long time. The privileged are different, mostly in ways you'd wouldn't even dream of. You wouldn't wish their life on anyone you remotely cared for.

Great beach reading.


Kid Carolina by Heidi Schnakenberg

This is a biography of R.J. Reynolds, Jr. son of the founder of RJ Reynolds Tobacco. After his parents early death, Junior was left a great fortune and little responsibility, never a good combo. The burden of family, money, free time led to a playboy life, and a life long inability to accept personal responsibility for any of his actions. In a phrase, he became a world class drunk. Not much of a story, and feels like it's a morality tale written by or for 12 year olds.

Give it a pass.

How could I not love it? I've had a crush on Dominique since forever.

Perhaps because I'm male, or more likely I was going through my, let me fix it phase, that I got bogged down. It was a tough go for a while for me, before I finally got it .

So I put it down for a day or two, then was able to get into the rhythm of the story. The best review I've read was Sunday in the NYT, I'll let them tell the story. They do it better than I could ever hope to.

Buy 2 copies, and give 1 away.

Were you aware that most of what we conjure up when thinking about French style, its sense of fashion, furnishings, champaign, jewelry, and cafe society, sprung from whole cloth during the reign of The Sun King, from 1660 to 1715? I wasn't.

Prior to his reign, France was barely recognized by Europeans. Venice had style, London had quality, Amsterdam had money. By 1700, Paris was recognized as the world capital of style, a position it still holds.

If you are interested in the history of fashion and lifestyle, I recommend it.




The final installment of Johnny's trilogy of food writing. If like our family, you travel with Apple's America as a guide to good eats, you will enjoy it.

Not a great beach read, but a perfect vacation afternoon read. Its chapters are by geographic area. No need to read it sequentially.

Enjoy your day at your neighborhood independent bookstore. They need your support.

Toad