From School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up-A fast-paced romp through the fashions of the past 40 years, these books are full of bold, full-color photographs and texts that are more like extended captions. Fashion's influences on world events, entertainment, cultures, and technology are explored, as are the ways in which styles were influenced by these forces. The authors include the extremes as well as the changing wardrobes of everyday people. Mods and hippies dominate The 60s, with miniskirts, Eastern influences, and art as fashion included. Punks and glam rockers take over in The 70s, with disco, denim, and the emergence of Japanese designers. Power dressing, androgyny, sportswear, and grunge characterize The 80s and 90s, as well as retro looks and advancing technology producing new fibers such as Tencel and Gore-Tex. The books conclude with time lines that connect trends with world events, technology, famous people, and art and music. The "Fashions of a Decade" series (Facts On File) includes volumes on these decades, although the value of the `90s volume is limited due to its 1992 publication date. Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler's Vanity Rules: A History of American Fashion and Beauty (21st Century, 2000) is heavy on commentary and description and light on illustration, and better suited for research.-Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS

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