Women I Have Dressed (and Undressed!) [Hardcover]

Arnold Scaasi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2004

A premier American fashion designer shares his intimate experiences with famous women from the past half century including Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, and Barbara Bush; describing how their personalities, preferences, and belief systems impacted his designs and the larger fashion arena. 30,00

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For five decades, Scaasi has created clothes for rich and famous women from Joan Crawford to Joan Rivers. Now he dishes on some of his famed clientele, from their measurements to their quirks. How else would we learn Mamie Eisenhower refused to wear a bra? Especially entertaining is his account of how a Jewish boy from Montreal (Scaasi is Isaacs spelled backward) came to design new habits for an order of nuns. Mostly, though, the book is a name-dropping romp through high society. Scaasi rubbed elbows with Jackie Kennedy, but demolished Kim Novak's ego by insisting her neck wouldn't accommodate a particular collar. Scaasi basks in the reflected glory of his celebrity customers and revels in fabrics, feathers and furs, sharing 66 photos and plenty of chitchat. Alas, his title is misleading: he devotes chapters to women, like Princess Diana, whom he has met but not dressed. Scaasi reserves special accolades for Barbara Bush, whom he garbs and adores, but that doesn't stop him from making cutting remarks about Laura Bush's inaugural gown. In fact, Scaasi can be viciously catty when critiquing other fashionistas. His memoir is, at heart, gossip for the celebrity-obsessed, with a caveat: it's mainly for those who worship a bygone era (e.g., Scaasi dressed Rose Kennedy, not Nicole Kidman).
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Review

"Fashion designer Arnold Scaasi spills the beans about a lifetime filled with fun, fashion, and fabulousness." -- Harper’s Bazaar

"Made to order for fashionistas and those who love them. Watch out for flying bold-faced names." -- New York Post

"Pleasingly wicked. This is a rose-tinted look down memory lane." -- W Magazine

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; First Edition 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 edition (August 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743246950
• ISBN-13: 978-0743246958
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,143,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Dull....., January 1, 2011

By 

R. Dubrow (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Women I Have Dressed (and Undressed!) (Hardcover)

Scaasi has dressed and designed for some of the most fascinating women of the past and present, and this is the best book he can write? Dull from start to finish; only the chapters on Streisand and Laura Bush show a little bit of life. Avoid.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good book of its kind, December 31, 2004

By 

Stephan Onisick (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women I Have Dressed (and Undressed!) (Hardcover)

This is the kind of book I have a fatal weakness for. You get little points of information you never knew about both stars and first ladies. I read it in one sitting!
If you like glamour, if you like celeberties, if you like living life with style, get this book! Mr. Scaasi not only knows clothes, he knows how to maintain friendships and move in the highest circles. A fascinating read.

5.0 out of 5 stars So much fun!, January 2, 2005

By 

HeyJudy "heyjudy" (East Hampton, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Women I Have Dressed (and Undressed!) (Hardcover)

Fashion designer Arnold Scaasi has seen many of the most important American women of the 20th Century in their underwear. In consequence, he knows their secrets, which he shares in his memoir, WOMEN I HAVE DRESSED.

This book just is plain old fun. Scaasi drops lots of names, and he tells lots of tales. Whether it's sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom or dining with Diana, Princess of Wales, this boy from Montreal has done it all.

In the process of designing his gorgeous couture garments, he has learned intimate details about some of the most beautiful women in modern history, such as Elizabeth Taylor, and some of the most famous, such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

WOMEN I HAVE DRESSED is Scaasi's own story. It makes for a wonderful read.