This social history of an undervalued garment highlights 10 styles and their various offshoots. Included are such groundbreakers as Fortuny's Delphos gown, Serena Williams's tutu tennis dress, Coco Chanel's LBD, Diane Von Furstenberg's wrap dress, Marilyn Monroe's naked dress, the poodle skirt, the miniskirt, and Billy Porter's tuxedo gown. The author looks at skirts and dresses through various lenses -- gender, race, class, popular culture, politics. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell writes in her author's note that she intended the book "to correct some outdated and even damaging misconceptions." She has succeeded, or at least made a valiant effort, with this detailed and wonderfully readable microhistory. Since the e-galley I reviewed didn't include photos and illustrations, I did a lot of googling as I read, and now I'm determined to purchase a copy of the finished book.

[Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

When I first saw the title of this book my eyes widened in wonder and I thought: "no way... there is no way an author can write an entire 272 page book about... skirts!" And so... my interest was piqued.

Oh my goodness! Wow... I was wrong. The author wrote a very thorough book about the role "skirts/dresses" have played in the twentieth century within a social and fashion-historical context. It is very clear that Chrisman-Campbell has thoroughly researched her subject. I liked her clean, matter-of-fact tone which was not bogged down by superfluous wording. It let her research shine and got her message across to the reader.

From era to era, "skirts" have prevailed, influenced and paved the way of fashion and stood the test of time, evolving and adapting in an effort to stay relevant. One of my personal favorite is the section on Coco Chanel. For me, she was an incomparable fashion influencer, as was her iconic little black dress which never faltered in its popularity to this day. The section about the "tennis dress" was an entire movement that could have had its own book. My "oh wow" senses kicked in during that discussion. To be honest, each chapter was fascinating as it was enjoyable to read about past celebrities/influencers as pertaining to their context with skirts/dresses.

I found this book to be thoroughly detailed in its execution, a "smart" book endowed with a plethora or facts that made for an entertaining read. You will have to pick up a copy to learn of all the juicy details.

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the lovely opportunity to read this ARC and submit an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

This book was mostly about one’s emotions, passions and ways to keep them inside or... not being able to do so. Because of that, you could quickly find yourself reading on. When you read about an emotion for 100 pages or so, you’re bound to do just that, but trust me when I say - stick around for the ending. It was perfect..

The actual history of various skirts/dresses (the LBD, the wrap dress, etc.) was interesting and quite readable. Unfortunately, this book was a letdown for me on two major fronts:

1.). There were absolutely zero photographs or images in the ARC. I'm hoping that's just an issue specific to the ARC since the blurb calls it "beautifully illustrated". It really, really needs visuals.

2.). More importantly, there was a lot of uncomfortable fat-shaming, body-shaming, and prescriptive ideas of femininity. While the author includes one token paragraph about "body positivity" in the section on Bodycon dresses, it comes after a long discussion of Spanx. The author states that she wholeheartedly agrees with a 60's assertion by Vogue that pants are a great thing "on the proper figure". Anyone want to hazard a guess as to what Vogue, and by extension, the author, deems a "proper figure" (hint: I'm sure it's very white and very thin)? There is absolutely no pushback on that idea or to the many, many quotes about trim figures, the ideal of slimness, and what's 'flattering". There's also no pushback on the idea that skirts are somehow essentially feminine. The premise is simply accepted without question.

Both of these issues made this, on the balance, more unpleasant than enjoyable to read and I wouldn't really recommend it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This book by a fashion historian Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell is at once entertaining and educational. It reveals many interesting facts of how what we wear, what we are told to wear or not reflects our place in society and draws a portrait of our world.. Some of the facts are shocking, some are amusing, many are quite unexpected.. You will learn for example that well into the 1980s Frick Museum in New York kept a wrap skirt to lend to those female researchers who came in wearing pants. The author explains, these things she is telling us "aren’t just quaint history lessons; legal disputes over appropriately gendered attire are more timely than ever." The book is an equally great read for serious history students and fashion aficionados in addition to the people interested in the subject of feminism.

A delightful read, crammed with marvelous tidbits about fashion, history, feminism. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the pleasure of the read.

A fascinating book on women's fashion and the life of the skirt. We see the evolution of womenswear and the history that goes along with it. I really enjoyed the knowledge of the author,
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

From wrap dresses to strapless dresses to miniskirts, Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell's SKIRTS is a thoroughly researched look at women's wear. She challenges the notion that wearing pants was the liberating fashion choice people may think, and instead shows us that skirted outfits really define femininity in all eras. After all, it's not pants that changed the nation like the miniskirt or went down in history like Marilyn Monroe's "naked dress" as she sang "Happy Birthday Mr. President."

Anyone interested in the history of women's fashion will find this book delightful. It's a quick read and has plenty of bibliographic information to further reference. The only thing I felt was missing were illustrations--the book had none. And yet, there is plenty of photographic evidence to take this up a notch.

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for inviting me to read a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review on NetGalley.

Skirts by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell is a great non-fiction. The history was fascinating and super interesting from beginning to end.

From ancient Greece through today's genderfluid fashion, Skirts takes through the history of the skirt, and by extension, how women were treated throughout history. Fashion was dictated by fabric availability and blends, by utilitarianism, and by social mores.

Easy to read non-fiction
I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy to see pictures

4.0/5

An interesting social and fashion history, "Skirts" follows the history of ten skirts or dresses across the twentieth century. From the Tennis Dress to the Strapless Dress, the miniskirt to the Little Black Dress, the Wrap Dress to the Naked Dress: which design icons created the most iconic versions and why? What were they imagining the dress/skirt said about women and did women always agree with them? Some fashions, like the Delphos and similar dresses inspired by ancient Greek designs might stay largely in the realm of haute couture, but other skirts or the little black dress went from fashionable evening wear to everyday with ease. Author Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell includes interesting historical tidbits behind the fashions and her easy, relaxed writing style keeps the reader engaged throughout the book.

Discover the true origins of the poodle skirt, what the phrase "loose women" historically refers to, and more, from war time rations to post war reactions to modern day red carpet interpretations of dresses that have been morphing in and out of fashion for more than a century-and why- in this readable and interesting social history told through fashion's eyes.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Chrisman-Campbell's Skirts looks at the history of womenswear through the lens of game-changing styles like the little black dress and the Bar Suit. These influential garments illuminate the times in which they were first worn―and the women who wore them―while continuing to shape contemporary fashion and even opening the door for a genderfluid future of skirts.

At once an authoritative and comprehensive work of history, Skirts charts the changing fortunes, freedoms, and aspirations of women themselves. This is a book that will appeal to anyone interested in fashion or history, especially if they have worn skirts themselves.

I liked this book a lot and found it very interesting, however it would be a much better book if pictures had been included. I'm not sure if they will be in the final edition, but they should be. I kept switching between reading the book and going to google to see what the book was talking about. Easily 5 stars with photos, 4 without.

This was very well researched and interesting. I only wish it had illustrations. I stopped every few pages (sometimes even paragraphs) to Google the outfit being described.

I read an electronic ARC of this book; therefore, I did not have access to illustrations and photos that may be included in the final version. I rated the book 4.5 stars for this reason and rounded down.
As a university student, I took a couple of historic costume classes. Many of the key fashion designers and figures of the early to mid 20th century were discussed. I enjoyed learning about other fashion pioneers about whom I had no prior knowledge such as 1920s tennis star, Suzanne Lenglen. Well-written nonfiction stimulates the reader to learn more about the topic. I looked up further information about Lenglen.
As I studied fashion in the 1980s, much of the content of this book is new to me as the 80s have since become history. I enjoyed reading about more modern fashion trends and personalities.
This is a great book for people studying fashion, women's history, sociology and history in general. It is not necessary to be a student of fashion to enjoy and appreciate this book.
It includes an extensive bibliography.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

A very interesting look at the history of skirts/dresses. Each chapter talks about a different style or type of skirt. Very informative even for non-skirt loving people. Quick read.

The evolution of the skirt over pants took quite a bit longer than it should have in my opinion. Practicality should be first and foremost I think. And a lot of other women thought so too. And so we have the evolution of the skirt. Soldiers marched in skirts as did the suffragists and the civil rights marchers. Famous women all over the world made their stands in skirts.

The author takes us along to the twentieth century where things begin to change. And what a good look it was. From the LBD to the Bar Suit, the Taxi dress, and the Pop-Over, which I loved because it said it came with a potholder! Can you imagine?

My own mother never wore a skirt. Ever. Lots of dresses and later pants, but I never saw her wear a skirt. I, on the other hand, own tons of them and love them. This book was fashion fun. I loved every minute of it.

NetGalley/September 6, 2022, St. Martin’s Press

I really enjoyed this very well-researched and well-written book about the history of the evolution of skirts/dresses and the role the designers played in the fashion industry. I particularly liked the way it was divided into different fashion styles such as Tennis Dress, Little Black Dress, Wrap Dress, Strapless Dress, just to name a few. I also loved the information about the fashion designers of the different styles. Overall, this was a very enjoyable and informative read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this wonderful book.

Skirts was very well researched and a very informative read. I really liked how all of the pieces and trends were connected back to one another and layered so that you could really get a sense of history and behaviors changing over time.

My thanks to Net Galley for inviting me to review this and to St. Martin's Press.

Very thorough, interesting, well researched, and informative narrative on the evolution of skirts and dresses and their impact in society of the years

Enjoyable read. My only negative comment I was getting a bit overloaded with information to process but did not hate this.