Nazi 'Chic'?: Fashioning Women in the Third Reich (Dress, Body, Culture) [Paperback]

Irene Guenther (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 185973717X | ISBN-13: 978-1859737170 | Publication Date: July 2, 2004 | Edition: First Edition

We are all familiar with the stereotype of the German woman as either a Brunhilde in uniform or a chubby farmer's wife. However, throughout the interwar period fashion was one of Germany's largest industries and German women ranked among the most elegantly dressed in all of Europe. This book explores the failed attempt by the Nazi state to construct a female image that would mirror official gender policies, instill feelings of national pride, promote a German victory on the fashion runways of Europe, and support a Nazi-controlled European fashion industry. How did the few women with power maintain style and elegance? How did the majority experience the increased standardization of clothing characteristic of the Nazi years? How did women deal with the severe clothing restrictions brought about by Nazi policies and the exigencies of war? Nazi 'Chic'? addresses these questions and many others, including the role of anti-Semitism, "aryanization," and the hypocrisy of Nazi policies. The result is the first book in English to deal comprehensively with German fashion from World War I through to the end of the Third Reich.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a serious and deeply researched study of a subject that is too often dismissed...Nazi Chic is a book about fashion without being faddish. It is a book for historians as much as for students of fashion and design, chic without the kitsch." --David Cesarani, editor of Final Solution

"An exhaustively researched, well-written, and highly original book." --Jonathan Petropoulos, Claremont McKenna College, author of The Faustian Bargain: The Art World of Nazi Germany

"Brilliant and chilling." --Valerie Steele, author of The Corset: A Cultural History

"Stylishly written, and without jargon, this is a rare work of cultural history. With its delightful vignettes and intelligent argumentation, it takes one on a delightful tour through the world of Nazi fashion." --Eric A. Johnson, author of Nazi Terror: The Gestapo, Jews, and Ordinary Germans

About the Author

Irene Guenther is Professor of History, Houston Community College. She was short-listed for the prestigious Stern Prize from the German Studies Association in 2002.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berg Publishers; First Edition edition (July 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 185973717X
• ISBN-13: 978-1859737170
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,007,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book - Highly Recommended, May 25, 2006

By 

history buff - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nazi 'Chic'?: Fashioning Women in the Third Reich (Dress, Body, Culture) (Paperback)

For an unusual and insightful look into the Third Reich, I highly recommend this book. The title is a bit of a pun, as the subject material covers the Nazis' unfashionable attempts to maniplate control over female fashions and women's roles through the use of propaganda and manipulation of the fashion industry. The book is well researched, well written, and discloses new findings exposing the purging of Jews from the German fashion industry. The book also details information on the little known German Fashion Institute and the very fashion-conscious Nazi officials' wives and their hypocritical husbands. The book accurately portrays the parody of Nazi political folly, as well as the realism of the devastated German home front through the lives of German women during WWII and the millions of women in the concentration camps throughout Europe. Be forewarned - this is one of those books that once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down until you reach the last page.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nazi Chic is a GREAT Read; extremely well-researched, May 25, 2006

By 

A. Collie "avid reader" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nazi 'Chic'?: Fashioning Women in the Third Reich (Dress, Body, Culture) (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the period and/or in fashion. Loved the anecdotes! Fascinating from front to back. The pictures made the book even more enjoyable.

Can't wait to see what else Ms. Guenther writes!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An EXCELLENT book tying Nazism and fashion!, December 16, 2008

By 

Lily and the Book Lady "Lily and the Book Lady" (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nazi 'Chic'?: Fashioning Women in the Third Reich (Dress, Body, Culture) (Paperback)

Ok, I must warn you I'm a bit biased - I've had a class with Dr. G. As in class and this book, her knowledge of Weimar and Nazi Germany is amazing. This book has been well-researched with her many trips to Germany and she fluently speaks German - no need to have anyone else translate the documents and interpret for her. She's a great professor, a great author, and a great historian. I recommend this book because it not only covers fashion, but goes into the Nazi system, its hypocrisy, and the devastation on the homefront and in the concentration camps through the lens of fashion. And it is written so EVERYONE can understand and get something out of it! A must-read for anyone interested in Nazi Germany, women's history, and/or fashion!!