The Classic Ten: The True Story of the Little Black Dress and Nine Other Fashion Favorites (Paperback)

~ Nancy MacDonell Smith (Author)
Key Phrases: little black dress, New York, Saint Laurent, Harper's Bazaar (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Smith's endearing and quirky book centers on colorful myths, historical facts, meanings, methods and many other allures surrounding 10 wardrobe basics. The stars here are the little black dress, the suit, the cashmere sweater, the white shirt, the high heel, the trench coat, blue jeans, pearls, lipstick and sneakers. MacDonell Smith, the fashion news and features director at Nylon magazine, chose these items for their glamour and simplicity. Her analysis ranges from the historically-based ("The most potent permutation of white-shirt innocence was the version worn by schoolgirls... young, naïve, virginal") to the celebrity-based (Isabella Rossellini on suits: "Men's suits... are incredibly comfortable and sexy"). It's a cute idea, although the book tends to get bogged down by too much text and not enough art. Sidebars and photos are conspicuously absent, and only die-hard fashionistas may have the ambition to persevere through the entire work.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Nancy MacDonell Smith explores the origins, meaning, and remarkable staying power of the ten staples of feminine fashion:
* the little black dress
* the white shirt
* the cashmere sweater
* blue jeans
* the suit
* high heels
* pearls
* lipstick
* sneakers
* the trench coat
Tracing the evolution of each item from inception to icon status, she reveals the history and social significance of each, from the black dress's associations with danger and death to the status implications of the classic white shirt. Incorporating sources from history, literature, magazines, and cinema, as well as her own witty anecdotes, Smith has created an engaging, informative guide to modern style.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (October 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142003565
• ISBN-13: 978-0142003565
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #337,423 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun and familiar, February 3, 2004

By A Customer

It's hard to find good, lively fashion writing that's geared to the consumer -- not just to the elite insiders working in the fashion industry. This book fills a need for the everyday fashionista who loves to read intelligent copy about clothes, especially the classics already in her closet. The author knows her subject and her affection is contagious.

There's nothing much new here, but still, it's loads of fun to rehash. Reading these essays, I had a vague sense that I'd read some of the material in several other places by several other authors -- such is the familiarity of the Little Black Dress, for example. (Everyone wants to own the LBD and every fashion writer in America has written about it. Ditto the trench coat.)

But don't let that spoil the fun and romance of this delightfully fun read! It's a great little tribute to the classics, and deserves a place on your nightstand.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, informative and surprising, October 25, 2005

By	dnk "dnkboston" (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

While I would still qualify this as "light" reading, it's an intelligent read about a subject some have written off as too inconsequential and that others have elevated to deadly seriousness. This book strikes a nice balance, coming from the point of view that our clothing says a lot about us, whether we are conscious of it or not.

While I appreciated the author's writing style and observations (I burst out laughing when she described wannabe hip hop fans in pursuit of the perfect sneaker as foot fetishists), she didn't go out of her way to be too clever or witty (although she did quote quite a few people who arguably do, especially the designer- Manolo Blahnik?- who declares that it's all about extremities and the rest of the body is boring. Okay...) In the ten main chapters, the book provides a history of the evolution and a commentary on the social significance of each of the classic ten style items, almost all of which are interspersed with personalities who embodied the spirit of the item. (It should be noted that Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel made an appearance in almost every chapter. Where would modern fashion be without them?)

Some points that will stay with me: the seventies/early eighties trend towards natural and the cosmetics executive who bragged about her skill applying twelve different products to achieve the natural look; the evolution of the men's suit to embody the Greek (Greco-Roman) ideal of the perfect body; the foot fetishisms that seem to inform so many footwear designs (and a deplorable ad by Apostrophe involving fetishism and murder- remind me not to buy any of their shoes!).

While I couldn't argue with her choices, I found it odd that she did not include black boots or the perfect scarf in her list. That may have pushed her over the all-important number ten, but since she sort of cheated in her discussion of the white shirt (which refers to both the button down version and the T-shirt), I think she should have found a way. But that's a very minor complaint.

If you're interested in fashion history and modern dress, this will be an enjoyable read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just how DID these classics come into our fashion vocabulary?, November 15, 2007

By	overtakenbyanap "overtakenbyanap" (BC in Canada) - See all my reviews

Why do these Ten (and I agree it could have been more) classic items figure in almost every list of basics for anyone wanting to dress well?

This book answers the question and gives a thumbnail sketch of fashion history, tracing the evolution of each item as it became a classic.

This is a great book, glad I bought it, the writing is fresh easy and interesting, and each chapter holds it's own.

I'd happily buy another book by this author, especially if she chooses to write about some of the other classics that didn't make her first ten.