Elizabeth Donoghue: The Unforgettable Trends of Forgotten Fashion

I was so excited to write a review of the new humorous book, Forgotten Fashion, by Kate Hahn, that I skipped over the second part of the title: "An Illustrated faux History of Outrageous Trends and Their Untimely Demise". Yes, the tales are made up, and no, I didn't know it the first time I read the book. The faux trends seemed so true to life, television (especially Project Runway), and culture, to me, as to be completely believable. The 28 faux trends profiled in Forgotten Fashion span the years 1903 to 2005. The book is written in a tongue-in-cheek Lemony Snicket style and the brilliant illustrations help to tell the tall tales. Take the 1903 Sidesaddle Motoring Coat: the tale of the "Ladies Ford Arabian", a motorcar made for Detroit debutantes. It came with a Sidesaddle Motoring Coat which "was cinched at the waist with a... [read full story]