When designer Anne Fogarty first published Wife Dressing:The Fine Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife in 1959, her witty blend of fashion savvy and wifely advice encapsulated the sensibilities of the era, and women everywhere embraced her observations and expertise.
Opinionated, outspoken, yet always a lady, Fogarty speaks her mind on a wide range of sartorial subjects: what comprises good and bad taste, what fashion rules were meant to be broken, and appropriate attire for every occasion. (Of course, having an 18" waist doesn't hurt when it comes to being fabulous, whether the occasion is a TV interview on Edward R. Murrow’s Person to Person or an intimate soirée chez Fogarty.)
While some of the material in Wife Dressing is delightfully kitschy, much is still as relevant as when it was published almost half a century ago. "You are you," she advises. "You are not the model in that photograph or the girl beside you in an elevator or a woman eating lunch at the next table. What they are wearing may stop traffic, but be sure it’s right for you before emulating the effect."
With charming stylish pen-and-ink sketches throughout and even a Chic Test to determine your own Fashion IQ, Wife Dressing is an entertaining walk down memory lane—in the proper foot attire, of course!
Available as a re-release from Glitterati - with an updated introduction from fashion commentator Rosemary Feitelberg - at Amazon.com.
- Lesley Scott
