Nevertheless, She Wore It

Nevertheless, She Wore It, by Ann Shen

A review by Amy Quinn

Today is the book birthday of “Nevertheless, She Wore It” by author and illustrator Ann Shen and let me say, it is FANTASTIC. 

Shen’s newest book is phenomenal, timely and iconic! 50 different looks are featured, chronicling women’s style trends against culture and world history and it is truly fascinating. Did you know that when the bob hair style came into the early 20th century, young co-eds could be expelled from school for getting one, and that the Washington Post wrote an article in 1925 called “The Economic Impact of the Bob”? (There were only 5000 beauty parlors in 1920, but over 21,000 in 1925, once this hair style became popular.) 

Mary Tyler Moore wanted to wear capris and flats on The Dick Van Dyke Show...because that's what women were really wearing at home.... but she had to alternate her capris with looser fitting pants in various scenes because network executives were concerned about the “cupping under” of her form-fitting capris, and wanted to go easy on viewers as they became used to seeing her behind.  

TV executives didn’t like belly buttons either, and though Jeannie, Ginger and Mary Ann dared not bare theirs, Cher (and the women on Star Trek) braved the frontier, defying the Code of Practices for Television Broadcasters that was in place until NINETEEN EIGHTY-THREE.  #what

With sharp illustrations that capture every look from du-rags to denim shorts to dissent collars, you'll want to grab this book for anyone who loves culture, history and fashion. It would make a great gift, but you should probably just go ahead and gift yourself one, too. I did.  

Thanks to #netgalley for letting me have an advance reader's copy of this great book with the BEST title! It was a joy to read! 

$22.50 UDS at Target