Recommended Reading: Art and Beauty

 

Beauty Book Recommendations

Art & Beauty Books


I haven't done a book review or recommended reading in quite some time and I apologize for that. For this month, in keeping with the theme of beauty, I cant recommend just one book. There are so many. So let this be a post about the many I consider relevant and then you can choose based on my selection. Or go here, for others I might have missed. 

Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - Beauty and social conventions of the Gilded Age. Before the Gibson Girl, this was the bible of social behavior and womens wear. 


The Power of Glamour by Annette Tapert - Beauty conventions of the 30s, 40s & 50s. The advent of Diors New Look. Bias cuts, tailored suit and bound button holes anyone?


A Cultural History of Western Fashion: From Haute Couture to Virtual Couture by Bonnie English and Nazanin Hedayat Munroe -  discover the world of couture and the influence it wields in shaping what we wear, how we look and present ourselves and values as a society.


The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison - Beauty conventions as seen through the eyes of the disadvantaged. 


Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin - Beauty and makeup conventions of the current century. I love the photo cover of this book. One side, the face of a black model. The other side, the face of a white model. Together its a beautiful portrait. Masterful!


The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger - Beauty conventions of the current century. Youve seen the movie, but have you read the book?


You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Revel About You by Jennifer Baumgartner - Beauty conventions on clothing as social uniforms. 


The Art of Bev Doolittle by Bev Doolittle - Camouflage art at its best. Amazing!


Art that Changed the World: Transformative Art Movements and the Paintings That Inspired Them by DK - Master works from prehistory to present day.


Architecture: A Visual History by Jonathan Glancey - A travelogue of amazing architecture through the ages. 




These are only a few of the books Ive found that illustrate beauty conventions and art influences which have shaped our societal behaviors. I hope this opens an awareness and inspires you to learn more. 

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