Ann Mailo 10-M-2 FPE

BOOK REVIEWS

WHY IS A DRESS? by Elizabeth Hawes, The Viking Press, New York, 1942, 185 pages.

This is "belated" because the book was published in 1942 and this review comes only 27 years late! If you will bear with me, though, I will tell you a bit about the book and why I feel it is worth reading by every TV sister. Many of the large libraries will have it, though they may have relegated it to the sub-basement due to its age! If your public library does not have this book, I'm sure you can borrow it under the Inter- library Loan plan from a library that does, so that you can read it.

The book is basically written as a career guide for the young girl or boy who wants to become a dress designer. Since it was written in 1941, right at the time when WWII was affecting fashion and the manufac- ture of clothing, a lot of it will sound like history. For example, throughout the book the prices quoted reflect 1941 prices, so you will have to mentally multiply these by four or so to approximate today's prices. But just overlook these minor bothers and concentrate on Chap- ter 4-Why Wear Clothes? or Chapter 10-What is a Beautiful Dress? or Chapter 14, which contains a superb bibliography.

The author, about whom I've been able to find little biographic ma- terial, is obviously highly intelligent, and displays a keen sense of humor as well as a thorough insight into all the behind-the-scenes matters that go into producing finished dress for the American woman to wear. (Ed. note: The author is best known for her other book "Fashion is Spinach." She is an active dress designer in N.Y. and last year showed the first skirts for men in her collection.) The book is well- written, and Miss Hawes tells it like it is throughout. There are also plenty of excellent little tips for TV's.

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