Book cover of Dressed for Freedom: The Fashionable Politics of American Feminism

Book description

Often condemned as a form of oppression, fashion could and did allow women to express modern gender identities and promote feminist ideas. Einav Rabinovitch-Fox examines how clothes empowered women, and particularly women barred from positions of influence due to race or class. Moving from 1890s shirtwaists through the miniskirts and…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Dressed for Freedom as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I’m currently writing about the reasons young women today choose a sexualized aesthetic (crop tops with tight leggings, sexy selfies on Snapchat and Instagram) and the backlash they face from parents and others. Dressed For Freedom showed me that women have long been criticized for wearing clothes that make them feel independent—and that clothes are a way for women to assert their autonomy.

Who knew that flapper fashion a century ago was so scandalous? Anyone criticized for wearing tight leggings in public should read this fascinating and entertaining history book because it will help them understand that today’s battle over…

If you love Dressed for Freedom...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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