Publisher's Synopsis
Celebrating ingenuity in both personal beauty and clothing, this witty book examines the extremes of beauty for both men and women throughout history. With fashion time lines, tidbits such as men in tights or heels, and certain cautionary tales of therapy by scalpel, this book explores vain traditions, new and old, of fashionable endurance. Complete with reproductions of fine art, it marvels at the whims and customs that have dictated fashion in cosmetics, hairstyle, body shape, and clothing, from the much-desired 'Roman nose' of the 16th century to Madonna's trendsetting laced corsets. Whether it is the impulse to fit in or even show off, this book explores an expression of looking good and creating human art-vanity.
