From Rags to Riches: A History of Girls' Clothing in America [Hardcover]

Leslie Sills (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Who thought up bloomers? Why were three-year-old colonial girls bound up in corsets? How did fashion like voluminous mutton chop sleeves and incredibly wide skirts with hoops in them catch on? In pictures and a lively text Leslie Sills displays and discusses practical as well as outrageous garments, how clothing was made, the girls and women who made the clothes, and how fashion was marketed to women.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8–From confining stays in the Colonial period to Victorian-era hoopskirts, through bustles, bloomers, and rompers, to the comfortable outfits of today, Sills shows how American girls' clothing has closely correlated to cultural expectations and gender roles. She effectively presents garments as a form of communication within the context of historical attitudes and events, reflecting changing ideas about childhood in general and girls in particular. Her commentary includes contemporary thinking on discipline and education and its effect on styles. Numerous well-captioned vintage portraits and photographs illustrate her points. While never crossing over to actual fictionalization, the author extrapolates details about the pictured individuals on the basis of their appearances. Describing a 19th-century photograph of young textile workers, she writes, The girls' clothing and postures say a lot about their lives. They look quite proper because they had to be, and then provides information about the daily lives of mill girls. Sills includes individuals from varied geographical areas and social classes, from the obviously wealthy to the working strata, as well as African-American slaves and a Native American youngster. The effects of historical events such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and wartime shortages of fabric are noted, as is the impact of prominent people ranging from Queen Victoria to Shirley Temple. This visually pleasing volume will be useful to students researching American history, popular culture, or fashion, or just looking for a fun browse.–Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. A history of girls' clothing may not seem the liveliest of topics, but the sparkling design of Sills' overview makes this a pleasure to page through. Sills skips through centuries of American history, describing what girls wore and how the outfits reflected what was happening at the time. For instance, in colonial days, when girls were considered miniature women, stays in their clothing kept them straight and tall. By the mid-nineteenth century, as women's rights became an issue, bloomers appeared. A marvelous collection of paintings and photographs show off the apparel. Some of the most interesting are the earliest--paintings of girls who look like adults. The illustrations are placed on brightly colored pages, and their placement gives the feel of a scrapbook. They capture the times, and though minorities are represented, there are no pictures of girls in slavery and only a few of girls at work. A terrific roundup of resources, including lists of Web sites, museums, and media, makes it easy for kids to learn more. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1 edition (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823417085
• ISBN-13: 978-0823417087
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,227,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a beautiful book, May 2, 2005

By 

Anne Kofke (boston,ma) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Rags to Riches: A History of Girls' Clothing in America (Hardcover)

This is the fourth book by Leslie Sills, a Boston area artist and art teacher. Her books are about women artists (painters, sculptors, photographers,to name a few) and are intended for middle school aged children. As a parent of an 11 year old son and a 14 year old daughter, I own and have read all four books and enjoyed them greatly. I have given many as gifts to kids, teachers and parents. From Rags to Riches is gourgeously designed, thoughtfully written and thoroughly researched. It is full of fascinating photographs and history; Leslie Sill's most recent book reflects an understanding of the complex social, economic and cultural factors that influence fashion, art and asthetics.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reader-friendly guide to fashion, September 15, 2005

By 

blbooks "Becky" - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Rags to Riches: A History of Girls' Clothing in America (Hardcover)

FROM RAGS TO RICHES is a nonfiction guide to the history of girl's fashion from Colonial times (1600's) to present day. Attractive layout and generous use of both colored and black and white photographs and illustrations, add readability to the well-researched text. Arranged chronologically, FROM RAGS TO RICHES consists of twelve chapters ranging from two to four pages in length. For example, "Bustles and Ruffles: Stylish Girls of the Late Nineteenth Century" is three pages in length and contains seven illustrations (both photographs and sketches). In addition to illustrations, FROM RAGS TO RICHES contains sidebars for many (if not all) of its chapters. Italicized words in the text are words defined in the glossary. Bustle for example is defined as "a cotton pad mounted on a steel or cane frame, then attached by hooks or laces to a waistband under a skirt." Bibliography and webography are included as are listings of museum and organizations.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Rags to Riches..., May 7, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: From Rags to Riches: A History of Girls' Clothing in America (Hardcover)

This has been the first book of Leslie's I have read and I love it. Once I got it, I ran straight home to read it. I always saw previews when I went over her house for art class, but never gotten to read the thoughtful writing that's in it. The book is about girl's clothing from the early 1600's to the present. Me being a girl of 14 and having a passion for fashion, the book really gave me a history point of view of clothing that I would never get anywhere else! So please get the book, read it and be inspired becuase once you've finished, you'll never be able to wear the same clothes.