Fashions of a Decade: The 1940s
Grade 7 Up-- Baker explains how Nazi invasions and Japanese bombings forced rapid economic and therefore fashion change. Rationing became the order of the day. To save material, skirts narrowed and shortened; the midriff was bared in swim suits; pockets, buttons, and trim were regulated; and attached coathoods were banned. Costantino looks at The 1930s , when 23 million people were out of work; even the rich found it necessary to watch expenditures carefully, and Coco Chanel reduced her prices by 50%. Splashed with full-color photos and illlustrations, plenty of verve, and enticing information, both books connect political and social history with the reasons people chose particular dress modes. The reading lists and other reference aids make them handy for researchers, but they are also delightful to browse through and certain to lead young people to ponder their own sartorial choices. Two books that will be interesting to anyone searching for the whys and wherefores of human identity.- Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KYCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.