Seduction: A Celebration of Sensual Style [Hardcover]

Caroline Cox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2006

Seduction is the first book to explore the sensual style of the seductress, from Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour in pre-revolutionary France, through the screen queens of 1930s Hollywood, such as Jean Harlow and Marlene Dietrich, to the contemporary sex sirens of today, Madonna and Jennifer Lopez.

In chronological, themed chapters, international fashion authority, Caroline Cox explores the art of seduction, examining the many ways in which women have used their environment, clothes, and behavior to create a seductive allure. The lively and authoritative text is accompanied by gorgeous new and vintage images. Seduction is a visual feast and a fascinating study of the development of a woman's means of sedecution throughout the centuries.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fashion historian Cox (Stiletto) offers an in-depth history of the seductress in this lavish volume, packed with vintage and contemporary images. Beginning in the 18th century, Cox reveals how women have seduced men using everything from aphrodisiacs to lushly-decorated boudoirs to the all-important deployment of stockings. Icons such as Marie Antoinette, the flappers of the 1920s, Jayne Mansfield and the women of Sex and the City all make appearances. Among other topics, Cox offers an analysis of the evolution of women's undergarments, from the drawers of the 1700s to Jane Russell's cantilevered bra (engineered by Howard Hughes) to the now-ubiquitous thong, rooting her observations in sociological issues as well as fashion evolution. Her scholarly approach makes the work much more than a coffee-table photo-book, detailing not only what happened during a particular era, but extrapolating the consequences. Cox ably demonstrates, for instance, how something as simple as white satin "transformed the look of fashion," leading to a disregard for "naturalness" in favor of "artificially constructed glamour." Though an over-reliance on quotes weakens her voice and lends the text a thesis-like feel, those with an interest in the evolution of style, feminism and cultural mores will find the book a valuable and beautiful resource.
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About the Author

Caroline Cox, professor of cultural history at the University of the Arts London, is a leading fashion authority whose work explores the relationship between fashion, beauty, and culture. A lecturer and broadcaster, she is also a cultural trends advisor at Vidal Sassoon. Her previous books include Stiletto, Seduction, and The Handbag.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Harper Design; First Edition ~1st Printing edition (October 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061138150
• ISBN-13: 978-0061138157
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #891,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How The Boudoir Became the Woman's Seat of Power, June 14, 2009

By 

James R. Holland "Author of Boston's Notable ... (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seduction: A Celebration of Sensual Style (Hardcover)

This slick, beautifully illustrated coffee table book deals with the history of seduction and it's very well done. After an excellent introduction, the book has five chapters with titles such as "Cupids & Courtesans, A Glimpse of Stocking, Nights in White Satin, Pretty in Pink and Kiss & Tell." The first one gives a brief history of the development of the boudoir in the French Court and describes the world of the King of France's mistresses. Marie Antoinette, after giving birth to 10 children had finally developed a chronic headache (soon to be permanently remedied by the French Revolution) and the other women of the royal court moved mountains to attract the wandering eyes of the lonely, sexually unsatisfied French sovereign. The book is also the history of sexy, erotic underwear, which is how pictures from Agent Provocateur, Victoria's Secret, La Perla, and fetish couturier Atsuko Kudo manage to find their way into the illustrations. "Caroline Cox explores the art of seduction, examining the many ways in which women have used their environment, clothes and behavior to create a seductive allure." The book covers the time period of the 18th through the beginning of the 21st century of the European, British and American world of fashion.
The illustrations for the volume are a fascinating collection of famous French, Italian and English paintings by Francois Boucher, George Barbier, Fragonard and many others, French and glamour post cards, Hollywood publicity photos, advertising photos, corset and girdle drawings and even famous sexy pin-up illustrations and covers of old magazines such as the French magazine "Seduction." Together they provide a fascinating look at the points the author is developing. It was nice to see the paintings of some of the most famous courtesans in history as well as postcard photos of popular dancers and courtesans such as the exotic dancer and spy Mata Hari, La Belle Otero, Liane de Pougy, Camille Clifford, Emilienne d'Alencon (of the Follies Berggeres), Madame du Barry, and Madame de Pompadour to name only a few of the historic women whose illustrations grace the 8 1/2 X 12 inch sized pages of this book. Marlene Dietich, Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard, Ginger Rogers, Clara Bow, Betty Compson are a few of the hottest divas that followed the age of the liberated flapper in the Roaring Twenties. There are also lots of later Hollywood sex idols such as Garbo, Novak, Monroe, Mansfield, Russell, Madonna, Stone, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Jolie in the book, but since most people already know their faces, there are not as many as with the women of the 1930's "Golden Age" of the silver screen, which in many people's opinions were much, much more beautiful and sexy than the current movie queens. The early movies of the 1920s and 1930s were certainly more sexual until the government censors took control, but alas, that's another story.
Hollywood has naturally become the world's model for seduction and the vamps that personified the naughty images of female seducers. This book reproduces many no longer seen pictures of the starlets and female movie idols of the 1930s.
Summed up, the author describes her book, as "The art of seduction was one of the only routes to female power before the 20th century. By changing themselves from passive objects of male consumption to active agents of their own sexuality, the courtesans of the 18th Century set the scene for the divas of today." This is a fun book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seduction... the art worth mastering..., November 22, 2008

By 

J. Page "tdrss" (Southwest USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seduction: A Celebration of Sensual Style (Hardcover)

While accidently searching this "seduction" when looking for the "Art of Seduction," I was pleasantly surprised at what is book had to offer. The author's sociological perspective is outstanding, at what is, in effect, a sociological phenomena. Style formed by the wear of women in sensual clothing is a group (sociological) phenomena, as well as an individual (psychological) one... If you are interested in the topics discussed within, give this book a look...