Description
Book SynopsisHow did women begin wearing pants? Prior to the 1920s it was a rarity to see women in pants in the Western world, but as the silk pajama trouser suit moved from the boudoir to the beach in the early 1920s it cemented the image of the trousered woman.
Worn by Jean Harlow and Marlene Dietrich, painted by Raoul Dufy and immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night, between the two world wars pajamas came to symbolize much more than sleepwear. This book explores how the pajama phenomenon was not only critical to the careers of designers such as Chanel, Patou, Poiret, and Schiaparelli, but how the versatile garment was also bound to the independence of women and influenced culture more broadly.
Through meticulous research and never-before-seen images, the authors position pajama fashion in the context of the Golden Age of Travel, the rise of Hollywood, and the changing political climate of the early 20th century, to reveal how the rising trend in sleepwe
Trade Review
D’Agati and Schiff’s insightful and detailed analysis elevates pajamas, at last, to their rightful position in the history of modern fashion. Enriched by a superb collection of illustrations, this book represents bedtime reading at its most sophisticated. * Alison L Goodrum, Norwich University of the Arts, UK *
Drawing from a wealth of original material, D’Agati and Schiff provide a long overdue investigation into a transformative garment that embodied modernity in the early twentieth century. The connections between beach pajamas and orientalism, casual dress, and women’s rights are skillfully explored and contextualized in this beautifully illustrated book – an enriching contribution to fashion history. * Sonya Abrego, Parsons School of Design, The New School, USA *
Table of Contents
List of Figures Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Beach Pajama Origins Eastern Pajamas and the Western Imagination Sleeping Pajamas and Lounging Pajamas The Ballets Russes Paul Poiret and the jupe-culotte Early Gym Wear and Swimwear 2. Beach Pajamas: 1919-1927 The Advent of Beach Pajamas: “No More Sunburned Knees” The Rise of Resort Culture The Lido: “Pajamaland” Pajamas on American Beaches Early Beach Pajama Styles Controversy: “She Shocked Palm Beach!” Mary Nowitzky 3. Beach Pajamas: 1927-1939 The French Riviera: “The Chic World Turns Proletarian” Sporting and the Rise of Athleticism Nautical Style Sun Worship The Great Depression: Ready-to-wear, Tubfast, and Homesewn Workwear Influences 4. Beach Pajamas’ Influence Pajamas and Modernity Collegiate Fashions Evening and Formal Pajamas Hollywood: “Over the Footlights to the Public” The Beginnings of American Sportswear Conclusion Bibliography Index
