A Perfect Fit Clothes, Character, and the Promise of America

by Joselit, Jenna Weissman

• ISBN13: 9780805054873
• ISBN10: 0805054871
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-05-01
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks

Summary

While fashions of the rich and famous have been endlessly chronicled, little attention has been paid to the meaning of clothes for everyone else. Yet between 1890 and 1940, as ready-to-wear came into its own, fashion for ordinary Americans played an increasingly important role in shaping the national character. Drawing on advertisements and health manuals, sermons and songs, acclaimed historian Jenna Weissman Joselit shows how the length of a woman's skirt, the shape of a man's hat, and the height of a pair of heels enabled citizens of every faith, color, and class to feel part of the modern nation. Engaging, imaginative, and original, A Perfect Fit uncovers a time in our history when getting dressed was more about fitting in than standing out.

Author Biography

Jenna Weissman Joselit is currently visiting professor of American studies at Princeton University and the author of numerous works of cultural history, including The Wonders of America: Reinventing Jewish Culture 1880-1950 (winner of the Jewish Book Award in History). Joselit has also curated and consulted on more than thirty exhibitions throughout the country. She lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(6)
A la Mode	7	(36)
Down with the Corset and Up with the Hemline!	43	(32)
The Mark of a Gentleman	75	(26)
Where Did You Get That Hat?	101	(28)
Oh, My Aching Feet!	129	(20)
The Truth about Fur	149	(22)
Say It with Jewelry	171	(18)
Conclusion: Emphatically Modern	189	(8)
Notes	197	(42)
Illustration Credits	239	(2)
Acknowledgments	241	(4)
Index	245