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All the Rage
Stories from the Frontline of Beauty: A History of Pain, Pleasure, and Power: 1860-1960
Published by Pegasus Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
A panoramic social history that chronicles the quest for beauty in all its contradictions—and how it affects the female body.
"Women have been fat or slim, hyperthyroid or splenetic, sallow or pink-cheeked, slouched or erect, according to the prevalent notions of beauty." —Cecil Beaton, The Glass of Fashion
Who decides what is fashionable? What clothes we wear, what hairstyles we create, what color lipstick we adore, what body shape is "all the rage". The story of female adornment from 1860–1960 is intriguingly unbuttoned in this glorious social history. Virginia Nicholson has long been fascinated by the way we women present ourselves—or are encouraged to present ourselves—to the world.
In this book, we learn about rational dress, suffragettes’ hats, the Marcel wave, the Gibson Girls, corsets, and the banana skirt. At the centre of this story is the female body, in all its diversity—fat, thin, short, tall, brown, white, black, pink, smooth, hairy, wrinkly, youthful, crooked, or symmetrical; and—relevant as ever in this context—the vexed issues of body image and bodily autonomy. We may even find ourselves wondering, whose body is it? In the hundred years this book charts, the Western world saw the rapid introduction of new technologies like photography, film, and eventually television, which (for better and worse) thrust women—and female imagery—out of the private and into the public gaze.
"Women have been fat or slim, hyperthyroid or splenetic, sallow or pink-cheeked, slouched or erect, according to the prevalent notions of beauty." —Cecil Beaton, The Glass of Fashion
Who decides what is fashionable? What clothes we wear, what hairstyles we create, what color lipstick we adore, what body shape is "all the rage". The story of female adornment from 1860–1960 is intriguingly unbuttoned in this glorious social history. Virginia Nicholson has long been fascinated by the way we women present ourselves—or are encouraged to present ourselves—to the world.
In this book, we learn about rational dress, suffragettes’ hats, the Marcel wave, the Gibson Girls, corsets, and the banana skirt. At the centre of this story is the female body, in all its diversity—fat, thin, short, tall, brown, white, black, pink, smooth, hairy, wrinkly, youthful, crooked, or symmetrical; and—relevant as ever in this context—the vexed issues of body image and bodily autonomy. We may even find ourselves wondering, whose body is it? In the hundred years this book charts, the Western world saw the rapid introduction of new technologies like photography, film, and eventually television, which (for better and worse) thrust women—and female imagery—out of the private and into the public gaze.
Product Details
- Publisher: Pegasus Books (August 6, 2024)
- Length: 480 pages
- ISBN13: 9781639367061
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Raves and Reviews
"[Nicholson's] wonderfully engaging investigation has a feminist quandary at its heart."
– Harper's Bazaar
"This is a fascinating book: funny, unexpected, forgiving, political, personal, glamorous, and yes, quietly, angry. Read it for the amazing stories; stay for the self-knowledge. Or the Revolution."
– Prospect Magazine
"Virginia Nicholson's history of modern women's dedication to their appearance is full of ironies. She is particularly good at how a body looks when styled according to the fashions and expectations of an era. A compelling account."
– Literary Review
"Nicholson's lively, intimate history of beauty wants us to take a more sympathetic view of the women who engage in the often-condemned and sometimes dangerous quest for gorgeousness. All the Rage sits you at the dressing table of history: a place of dreams, doubts, self-harm, and hopes. More interesting than a simple catalog of beauty's ills would have been. Here, beauty is sometimes an oppressive force, and sometimes a way for women to negotiate their way around other oppressive forces."
– The Times
"Bold in its scope, yet filled with intriguing details and thoughtful, original analysis."
– Justine Picardie
"Virginia Nicholson is one of the great social historians of our time. No one else makes history this fun."
– Amanda Foreman
Praise for Virginia Nicholson
"Fine intelligence and irresistible brio... How Was It For You? is a kaleidoscopic tribute to the generation that put the "F" into feminism. I ripped through it with gusto and delight."
– Tina Brown
"Intimate, immersive, often moving, How Was It For You? subtly but powerfully subverts complacent male assumptions about a legendary decade."
– David Kynaston, author of The City of London
"Sparkling. There is a wonderfully diverse range of voices. We have a long way to go, but reading this book made me grateful for how far we have come."
– Daisy Goodwin, The Sunday Times
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