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Dressing Up: The Women Who Influenced French Fashion Hardcover – October 19, 2021

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

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How wealthy American women--as consumers and as influencers--helped shape French couture of the late nineteenth century; lavishly illustrated.

French fashion of the late nineteenth century is known for its allure, its ineffable chic--think of John Singer Sargent's Madame X and her scandalously slipping strap. For Parisian couturiers and their American customers, it was also serious business. In
Dressing Up, Elizabeth Block examines the couturiers' influential clientele--wealthy American women who bolstered the French fashion industry with a steady stream of orders from the United States. Countering the usual narrative of the designer as solo creative genius, Block shows that these women--as high-volume customers and as pre-Internet influencers--were active participants in the era's transnational fashion system.

Block describes the arrival of
nouveau riche Americans on the French fashion scene, joining European royalty, French socialites, and famous actresses on the client rosters of the best fashion houses--Charles Frederick Worth, Doucet, and Félix, among others. She considers the mutual dependence of couture and coiffure; the participation of couturiers in international expositions (with mixed financial results); the distinctive shopping practices of American women, which ranged from extensive transatlantic travel to quick trips downtown to the department store; the performance of conspicuous consumption at balls and soirées; the impact of American tariffs on the French fashion industry; and the emergence of smuggling, theft, and illicit copying of French fashions in the American market as the middle class emulated the preferences of the rich. Lavishly illustrated, with vibrant images of dresses, portraits, and fashion plates, Dressing Up reveals the power of American women in French couture.

Winner of the Aileen Ribeiro Grant of the Association of Dress Historians; an Association for Art History grant; and a Pasold Research Fund grant.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This handsomely illustrated, anecdotal volume illuminates the symbiotic relationship between late-19th-century Parisian fashion houses and their well-to-do American clients. Block, a senior editor for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s publication department, writes winningly."
the Washington Post


Winner of the Victorian Society in America Book Award, 2022


"Like The Gilded Age, Elizabeth L. Block’s Dressing Up puts the women of the era—and their dresses—at the center of its narrative. Block’s new book frames the wealthy elites who shaped the Gilded Age economy, culture, and politics as consumers, and focuses on the wives and daughters of elite businessmen and financiers. Such an emphasis allows Block not only to insert women and women’s agency more meaningfully into Gilded Age history, but also to explore the economic consequences of the fashion trade. In Block’s narrative, elite women were more than a passive manifestation of Thorstein Veblen’s 'conspicuous consumption.' They were active players in a transatlantic network of commerce, power, and privilege that allowed them a position of influence within U.S. society by turning fashion and the dresses they wore into cultural capital."
– Library Journal

Review

“Block takes the study of nineteenth-century French fashion and its consumers to a new level with her keen synthesis of an impressive group of sources.”
Pamela A. Parmal, Chair and Curator of Textile and Fashion Arts Emerita, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
 
“A long overdue study of maison Félix, nuanced critique of the relationship between the Parisian haute couture and coiffure industries, new reading of the assertive role of U.S. clients and the architectural spaces they occupied, and detailed interpretation of fashion at the 1900 Paris Exposition are among many reasons this meticulously researched and beautifully written book makes a major contribution to late nineteenth-century fashion studies.”
Amy de la Haye, Professor of Dress History & Curatorship, London College of Fashion

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The MIT Press (October 19, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0262045842
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0262045841
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.37 x 1.12 x 9.37 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

About the author

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Elizabeth L. Block
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Elizabeth L. Block, an art historian, is a Senior Editor in the Publications and Editorial Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Dr. Block earned her PhD in art history at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, with a focus on 19th-century U.S. painting. She also holds an MA in American Studies from Columbia University, and a BA in English and Art History from The George Washington University.

Dr. Block's book "Beyond Vanity: The History and Power of Hairdressing," published by MIT Press, is available now.

A pioneer in the field of hair studies. . . . A clear reminder of how much the culture around hair reflects the racial and economic inequalities of society writ large."—Hyperallergic

"In addition to a lot of fascinating stories, and some truly frightening 19th century technology, the book is also an argument for the study of hair as a related but separate from fashion."—Forbes

Her book "Dressing Up: The Women Who Influenced French Fashion" was published by MIT Press. It is the winner of the Victorian Society in America book award 2022, and was shortlisted for the Association of Dress Historians 2022 Book of the Year.

Her articles appear in American Art, Town & Country, and Slate. She provides interviews to BBC News and BBC Woman's Hour, The Gilded Gentleman podcast, and Dressed: The History of Fashion podcast. She speaks widely at private and public venues, including the National Arts Club and New-York Historical Society.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
45 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the book for its visual quality, including illustrations and photos. They find it visually appealing and engaging, transporting them to a more glamorous time. The pacing is described as interesting and compelling, with informative content.

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5 customers mention "Visual quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's visual quality. They find it visually appealing, with beautiful illustrations and photos. The cover is described as coffee table-worthy. Readers describe the book as an engaging read that transports them to a more glamorous time.

"...Ps the visuals were equally as enchanting. Could have been a picture book but so glad it wasn’t!" Read more

"Beautifully illustrated––the cover alone makes it coffee table worthy!––this is a fascinating account for anyone interested in fashion and fashion..." Read more

"A gorgeous book that sucks you in and takes you away to a more glamorous time. Ms. Block does a brilliant job capturing it all!" Read more

"Beautifully written and very informative." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They describe it as well-written, intellectually challenging, and smart.

"An incredibly interesting and compelling book. Full of great research told in a digestible, contemporary way which meant I wasn’t overly burdened..." Read more

"...cover alone makes it coffee table worthy!––this is a fascinating account for anyone interested in fashion and fashion history...." Read more

"Beautifully written and very informative." Read more

"Gorgeous and smart!..." Read more

Fascinating, well written read
5 out of 5 stars
Fascinating, well written read
An incredibly interesting and compelling book. Full of great research told in a digestible, contemporary way which meant I wasn’t overly burdened with facts and was able to concentrate on the illuminating aspects of such a transformative cultural (and industrial) period. I hope this author publishes more of her fabulous work!Ps the visuals were equally as enchanting. Could have been a picture book but so glad it wasn’t!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2023
    An incredibly interesting and compelling book. Full of great research told in a digestible, contemporary way which meant I wasn’t overly burdened with facts and was able to concentrate on the illuminating aspects of such a transformative cultural (and industrial) period. I hope this author publishes more of her fabulous work!
    Ps the visuals were equally as enchanting. Could have been a picture book but so glad it wasn’t!
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Fascinating, well written read

    Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2023
    An incredibly interesting and compelling book. Full of great research told in a digestible, contemporary way which meant I wasn’t overly burdened with facts and was able to concentrate on the illuminating aspects of such a transformative cultural (and industrial) period. I hope this author publishes more of her fabulous work!
    Ps the visuals were equally as enchanting. Could have been a picture book but so glad it wasn’t!
    Images in this review
    Customer image
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2022
    Beautifully illustrated––the cover alone makes it coffee table worthy!––this is a fascinating account for anyone interested in fashion and fashion history.

    Although intellectually rigorous it’s also a consistently compelling and enjoyable read.

    In other words, serious scholarship combined with the feeling you've somehow stumbled on a glossy late 19th century issue of Vogue!

    Highly recommend.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Gorgeous Book (full of Gorgeous Clothes)

    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2022
    Beautifully illustrated––the cover alone makes it coffee table worthy!––this is a fascinating account for anyone interested in fashion and fashion history.

    Although intellectually rigorous it’s also a consistently compelling and enjoyable read.

    In other words, serious scholarship combined with the feeling you've somehow stumbled on a glossy late 19th century issue of Vogue!

    Highly recommend.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2022
    A gorgeous book that sucks you in and takes you away to a more glamorous time. Ms. Block does a brilliant job capturing it all!
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2022
    Cover many of the 19th century French courtiers.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2022
    Beautifully written and very informative.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
    I am an amateur dress historian who has a special interest in Victorian era clothing with an Instagram account of over 60,000 followers. I couldn’t wait to sit down and read this book. It is full of gorgeous portraits, old photographs of the original owners in the outfits, photos of the gowns as they are now in museums. This book isn’t just for people who love beautiful French clothing from the Victorian time, it is also full of American history (economic, dress, architectural, financial etc) that many would find interesting. It is a special jewel in my cabinet of costume history books. M BLOOMSBURG @historicalclothing
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Beautiful French Designs and the Interesting American Women who Wore them

    Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
    I am an amateur dress historian who has a special interest in Victorian era clothing with an Instagram account of over 60,000 followers. I couldn’t wait to sit down and read this book. It is full of gorgeous portraits, old photographs of the original owners in the outfits, photos of the gowns as they are now in museums. This book isn’t just for people who love beautiful French clothing from the Victorian time, it is also full of American history (economic, dress, architectural, financial etc) that many would find interesting. It is a special jewel in my cabinet of costume history books. M BLOOMSBURG @historicalclothing
    Images in this review
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    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2022
    A fantastic read on the history of fashion and the photos are INCREDIBLE. will look fabulous on your coffee table too! Highly recommend.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2021
    This book is like a well crafted and researched piece of art
    2 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cecília
    4.0 out of 5 stars a great contribution to dress history
    Reviewed in Brazil on June 8, 2024
    A detailed research with important information and interesting perspective concerning the globalized features of fashion and dress. I liked it and it was very useful to my own research!
  • kate m
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting!
    Reviewed in Canada on March 25, 2024
    A great look at the women and historical events that shaped ideas of fashion even into the present day.
  • Isaías
    5.0 out of 5 stars Todo perfecto
    Reviewed in Spain on January 31, 2022
    Todo perfecto
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    Isaías
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Todo perfecto

    Reviewed in Spain on January 31, 2022
    Todo perfecto
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