Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet

Front Cover
Simon and Schuster, 2012 M09 11 - 320 pages
In the beginning there was the fig leaf...

and the toga. Crinolines and ruffs. Chain mailand corsets. What do these antiquated items have to do with the oh-so-twenty-first-century skinny jeans, graphic tee, and sexy pumps you slipped into this morning? Everything! Fashion begets fashion, and life—from economics to politics, weather to warfare, practicality to the utterly impractical—is reflected in the styles of any given era, evolving into the threads you buy and wear today.

With the candidness, intelligence, and charm that made him a household name on Project Runway, Tim Gunn reveals the fascinating story behind each article of clothing dating back to ancient times, in a book that reads like a walking tour from museum to closet with Tim at your side. From Cleopatra’s crown to Helen of Troy’s sandals, from Queen Victoria’s corset to Madonna’s cone bra, Dynasty’s power suits to Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits, Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible takes you on a runway-ready journey through the highs and lows of fashion history.

Drawing from his exhaustive knowledge and intensive research to offer cutting-edge insights into modern style, Tim explains how the 1960s ruined American underwear, how Beau Brummell created the look men have worn for more than a century, why cargo capri pants are a plague on our nation, and much more. He will make you see your wardrobe in a whole new way. Prepare to be inspired as you change your thinking about the past, present, and future of fashion!
 

Contents

Section 1
9
Section 2
13
Section 3
22
Section 4
26
Section 5
27
Section 6
50
Section 7
51
Section 8
69
Section 17
139
Section 18
143
Section 19
151
Section 20
170
Section 21
179
Section 22
194
Section 23
223
Section 24
233

Section 9
76
Section 10
89
Section 11
92
Section 12
99
Section 13
107
Section 14
127
Section 15
129
Section 16
130
Section 25
241
Section 26
263
Section 27
278
Section 28
285
Section 29
297
Section 30
298
Copyright

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About the author (2012)

Beloved pop culture icon and New York Times bestselling author Tim Gunn is best known as the Emmy Award–winning host of Project Runway. He also hosted two seasons of his own Bravo makeover series, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, and was the host of the reality TV series Under the Gunn.

Ada Calhoun was the founding editor-in-chief of the award-winning parenting site Babble.com. She is the co-author of Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making it Work, and has written for The New York Times, New York magazine, the New York Post, Salon.com and Time magazine. She lives in New York City with her husband and young son.

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