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Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore (Smith College Historic Clothing Collection)

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Description

An unprecedented look at women’s everyday clothes—from Sylvia Plath’s Girl Scout uniform to psychedelic microminis, modern suits, and fast-food workers’ uniforms—this fascinating volume shows how American women from every background have lived, worked, and dressed for 200 years. Groundbreaking in its focus on the everyday clothing of ordinary American women—a subject neglected in most fashion histories—Real Clothes, Real Lives highlights over 300 garments and accessories from the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection. This unique survey honors countless lives, tracing through the lens of dress how women’s roles have changed over the decades. Each piece holds colorful stories about the woman who wore it, the one who made or bought it, and her context in place and time. Whether homemade or ready-made, many of the garments are modest and inexpensive. Some are one-of-a-kind pieces; others are examples of clever making-do, which seems particularly relevant today; and most reflect the popular styles of their era. Among the many extraordinary examples are a rare World War I uniform worn by an American woman working behind enemy lines and a 1970s go-go dancer’s costume. Exceptional photography and rich archival visuals accompany the highly readable texts, which offer a wealth of historical and social analysis of a side of fashion and feminism rarely considered. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rizzoli Electa


Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 5, 2023


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0847873137


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 35


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.77 x 1.01 x 11.28 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #90,214 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #86 in Fashion History #173 in Fashion Design #198 in Women in History


#86 in Fashion History:


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Tuesday, Sep 16

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Beautiful and informative history of women’s everyday fashion
I love this book. It is a well-curated collection of women’s clothing through the years with historical context. It is written by an expert and focuses on what real women wore, not just high fashion. I really enjoyed reading it and like to look at the photos and illustrations. Great for people who like fashion or women’s history. I highly recommend. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2025 by Laurie Sue

  • Great research, fascinating read
I love this book! It treats fashion as part of real life, and includes wonderful interpretations of each piece shown. The photography is stellar, too.
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024 by Penelope

  • Beautifully written and photographed
This book takes my breath away every time I open it! It’s full of rich history and so much interesting information. I ordered a second copy for my mother who loves history. Elegantly bound.. I leave it on my coffee table.
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2023 by Gray Fleming

  • Beautiful volume of a unique collection
This is an oversize volume, beautifully produced. The Smith College collection is unique with many items associated with Smith alumnae and an emphasis on working class clothing and accessories. The collection includes intimate home wear, maternity wear, service uniforms and “homemade” items. One particular favorite is Sylvia Plath’s Girl Scout uniform, p. 190. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2024 by Joan M. Yost

  • Great resource on surviving working women that from a U.S university collection
This book covers the few survivors, repairs and all of the clothing most women wore for the last 200 years. Wonderful color photo quality, illustrations, and information on these rare survivors as most clothing 98-99% people could afford was mended, altered, remade, passed down, and reused until there was little to nothing left. I think this is essential reading for those interested or studying clothing history. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2025 by Cindi

  • Great Analysis of Everyday Women's Clothing
The quality of photography and printing of this wonderful book is outstanding. The intro and text provide excellent socio-cultural insights to everyday women's clothing, including uniforms, day dresses and hats. I wish there had been a bit more coverage of special-ocassion wear, as not all women's frocks were as drab as many of the ones included in this otherwise terrific addition to the canon of books on the history of fashion. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2024 by S. Crockett

  • Unique book on historical clothing
At last a book on what the common women wore! Lots of quality photos. I enjoyed reading this from cover to cover!
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2023 by Jane W

  • Informative, touching and nostalgic.
The collection is extensive and how it and the narratrive depicts the lives of women is touching. I highly recommend this book.
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2024 by Robin

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