Author Description

Svelte flappers in smart frocks and chic hats personify the style of the jazz Age, and this outstanding resource features hundreds of such deliciously distinctive images. Featuring selections from hard-to-find fashion catalogs published by the well-known but now-defunct B. Altman & Company, this volume offers a sumptuously authentic record of the delectable fashions of the 1920s. Over 700 illustrations, detailed descriptions, and prices for a vast array of upscale women’s clothing and accessories include knitted sportswear, sophisticated satin evening dresses, one-piece bathing suits of wool jersey with parasols and rubber bathing caps, cloche hats of straw, felt, and silk, and elegant shoes, ranging from sporty buckskin oxfords to satin slippers and pumps. A selection of dress and casual attire for children appears as well. Profusely illustrated and brimming with detailed information, this volume represents not only a first-rate record of the everyday fashions of the late 1920s but also an intriguing look at the mail-order advertising of the era. Fashion enthusiasts, historians, and all lovers of nostalgia will rejoice in the perennial appeal of these stylish images.