The Long and Short of It: The Madcap History of the Skirt

by Ali Basye and Leela Corman

From its simple beginnings as a unisex body wrap to its bold march forward as an iconic symbol of femininity to a haute couture fashion statement, the skirt has had a perilous journey--one day subject to accolades, the next ridicule, and even coming under fire before the Supreme Court. Cultural icon, garment of personal expression, verb or slur, the significance of the skirt is grander than merely serving as an article of clothing. Through the years,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061212989
• ISBN13: 9780061212987
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.3" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

great!

This is the best book I've read about fashion in a long time. AliBayse is a fantastic writer!

book snooper finds a gem

Alright, I would not have given this book a thought, but one night I saw it sitting on our table, obviously something my wife had found interesting. Being myself a strange fact freak, and self-proclaimed encyclopedia of odd knowledge, I thought I would thumb through this for a new tidbit, I could toss at my most times annoyed friends. About an hour later,I found myself finsihing what I found to be an incredibly well researched history of what I now realize an important part of American pop culture and fashion. The two things I found most facinating were the garment studies applied to old films such as Tarzan/Jane series, and the pop culture influenced skirts that were also game boards, pinning the wearer to the ground while friends played backgammon and checkers around her (or his, as in the case of Ed Wood) folded knees. Since every example could not be illustrated, the editor has done a fantastic job of selecting the ones that you look for after reading the kitchy text. In short. A quick read that will not let down purveyors of fashion, art , and culture. Never to forget a great bit of memory feed for the know-it-all

book couture

Not only is it the perfect size to fit in my jeans-skirt back pocket, this book packs so much interesting (and funny) information into it's colorful pages I want to take it any place I might need a quick escape (like the bus, or ummm work). Until I'm finished reading it, of course, and then it's got its place on my coffee table. I love the illustrations and witty repartee, and the book just looks smart, too. I can finally play it off like I'm that well-dressed, flirty, and sophisticated girl with her finger on the pulse of fashion. Amen for books that do the work for you. I recommend it!!

a BIG little book

I was bowled over by this clever book. Well researched, written in an engaging style, sophisticated AND funny, with so many tidbits of information, that it was exciting to turn the page to see what new surprising fact would appear. Didn't know there was so much to know about the skirt! I recommend this book to all women ( men will get a kick out of it too ), and wonder what Ali Basye's next book is about? Please hurry, Ms. Basye! I loved this BIG little book!

Fun and Witty !

Fun and witty perfectly describes this book! It's a great little page turner that tells you everything you'd ever want to know about the history of every woman's favorite clothing item, the skirt, with great illustrations to boot. I would definitely recommend this book -- it's the cat's meow! (see section on flapper slang) Read and enjoy !