Time for a book chat! Seems like I’ve been reading a lot lately, and a couple of these really captured my interest. There is a lot of non-fiction in this group. So grab a cuppa, and let’s chat about books today.

Claire McCardell : The Designer Who Set Women Free by Elizabeth Evitts Dickenson – or click On Audible and use your member credits to get it. Do you have a garment in your closet with pockets? How about a pair of ballet flats? Do you own a pair of denim jeans? If so, you have this pioneer of women’s fashion to thank for those along with many other innovations ahead of their time. This book is a fascinating look at how fashion in the early 20th century influenced the emancipation of women from the social strictures of the time. As hemlines rose in the 1920s, and women fought for the right to vote, Claire McCardell looked at the clothes she wanted to wear and designed them. At a time when a woman could be put in jail for wearing pants in public – yes, jail time – she designed and wore them anyway. McCardell was the first to put pockets in dresses, something actually scandalous at the time as it would “distort” the ideal female form. She stopped designing dresses requiring corsets, and embraced the natural female body, providing clothes that were comfortable to wear and less restrictive in range of movement. She eliminated darts for the bust in her early designs, and created soft draping with bias cuts for an easier fit and a reduced production cost. She used pleats and gathers to shape her garments rather than the tighter, restrictive clothing requiring corsets. She was the first to design and produce a wrap dress, something ubiquitous today. The first design was called a Popover dress. Originally designed for department stores, it was a runaway best selling ready to wear design.

Soon after, her designs were produced in patterns for the home sewist. She made more wrap dress designs as they needed less fitting and looked good on most women, and added the wardrobe idea with just a few mix and match pieces to last for days while traveling. Her designs are timeless, and I see echoes of her originality in the stores today. Her home sewing patterns were offered by McCalls, Butterick and Vogue.

McCardell was the first to use denim in women’s wear, something we all live in today. And she was the first to put in pockets for women’s jean styles. The story of how her designs influenced societal change is fascinating. Even if you don’t have much of an interest in fashion, this book will open your mind to the power one woman wielded at a time when women were encouraged to return to the home and kitchen after World War II, and Dior reintroduced corsets. Receiving a number of awards later in her career, it is unfortunate that her name was forgotten with the rise of new designers, mostly men, in the 60s and 70s. But even they acknowledge the influence McCardell had on their own designs. This was a true maverick in the garment industry, and one you will enjoy reading about.

What Shall I Wear? By Claire McCardell – Since I had read about the life of this remarkable woman, I had to read her fashion advice book. This book is a reprint of a book published in the 1950s, updated with photographs of some of the authors actual dresses. The text is a glimpse into the life and values of the time, and in some cases will seem dated and in others just downright wrong to our modern way of thinking about women and their clothing. But the insight into how this maverick of a woman had to navigate her own ideas in a world where too many rules applied is priceless. This is an advice book, which some will find charming on how to wear gloves and hats. But the advice on finding your own style is timeless. Claire McCardell wanted women to be comfortable, with low heel shoes, well fitting pants, and dresses that didn’t have form fitting darts but rather soft gathers held in with a belt. Her advice on buying fewer items of higher quality is classic. This is a fun book to read, as a history lesson with a different point of view.

If all this makes you curious to see Claire McCardell designs, like it did for me, check out these links. The first one is a blogger who did extensive research into her patterns. This is fascinating reading will amaze you at her ideas ahead of their time.
https://fashionillustrationtribe.com/claire-mccardell-fashion-designs/
https://www.mdhistory.org/exhibitions/claire-mccardell-exhibition/
https://archive.org/search?query=claire+mccardell

I found two more books in the Downton Abbey series at the local library’s used book store and snapped them up for my collection. Chronicles of Downton Abbey looks at the individual characters in the series, their back stories and motivations for their actions. One of the really interesting ones was of Thomas the footman. His scheming and unscrupulous actions are born of ambition, and fueled by his treatment from others particularly regarding his difference. The other surprising one was Branson, his transformation from chauffeur to gentleman, and the conflict within him as he becomes the very thing his politics rails against. As he gets to know the family of his wife in the aristocracy, he begins to realize that they are not all as he has been taught. Each character is discussed within the social customs of their time at the beginning of the show, and the changes as it advances into the 1920s.

The other one is Behind the Scenes at Downton Abbey, which takes the reader through the hundreds of jobs behind the camera from script writing, costuming, hair and makeup, set decoration, location sets, props and more. The wardrobe section was fascinating, as each character was given her own palette of colors and styles, reflective of the personality of the character. So much thought went into the details, it is amazing to read.

Next, another Masterpiece Theatre series, Victoria, was just a beautifully done as the Downton series. The companion book, Victoria The Heart and Mind of a Young Queen is well written and full of details of her life. Using her own words in her diaries and letters, the reader has a sense of her ideals, her joys and her sorrows. It is lavishly illustrated with photos from the series, details about the wardrobe and jewelry, the fairy tale marriage to Prince Albert, and her early reign as queen with trusted advisors and those who wished her to fail.

I do love a good cookbook, and this one that publishes in October is one to look for. This book is a comprehensive guide to buying and cooking the myriad of varieties of fish and shellfish. Ask your library to get this one too, although if you love seafood as I do, you’ll want your own copy. You might need several for gifts, too. Pre-order with a 12% discount on Amazon.

The Blue Food Cookbook: Delicious Seafood Recipes for a Sustainable Future (A Comprehensive Guide, from Buying and Preparing to Cooking Delicious Nutritious Blue Food Recipes) by Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver is due to be published in October. This huge cookbook of 400 pages is a master class in seafood variety, buying, and cooking. The first 40 pages focus on seafood and its impact on both health and environment. Part 2 gives a thorough review of pantry supplies, equipment, spices, herbs, oils and more to make the tastiest dishes. Part three contains lessons on cooking techniques. Recipes begin with fish stocks on page 84, continuing for close to 300 more pages of mouth watering ideas and ways to enjoy more varieties of fish than most of us eat. Not every recipe has a photo or illustration, but the photos included are beautifully done. I highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to learn more about sustainability and the diversity the waters on our planet offer to our tables. My only criticism is in the first text portion, there doesn’t seem to be a clear definition of what constitutes blue food. Is it all seafood, or only that which is sustainable? What seafood is sustainable these days? Other than that, the recipes look fabulous, and I’ll be looking for more varieties of fish to try in the future. This is one to ask your library to add to its collection, and maybe get one for yourself.

Then it is back to fiction with a book that also will not be published until October. But if you are a Jan Karon fan, and wish to visit Mitford at Christmas, get on your library’s hold list now so you’ll be first in line for this one. My Beloved (Mitford Years, #15) by Jan Karon – A book and a letter meant to be a Christmas gift go missing, and travel around the town, changing ideas as they pass from hand to hand. Father Tim ministers to his flock, and quirky characters live their lives in the small North Carolina town. The only quibble is in the chapters where Ms Karon writes in what she calls “vernacular speech”, with lots of dropped vowels replaced with apostrophes. It slowed down the reading a bit too much when every “the” is written th’, plus a lot more words that have to be figured out. As she explains in the author’s notes, her intent is for the reader to understand the characters. But I found it tedious. However, overall, the story is vintage Mitford, and quite enjoyable. I’ll remind you about this one when it publishes. Get it for free with an Audible trial, or use your Audible credits. My Beloved on Audible.

The Late Bloomers Club by Louise Miller – Charming novel set in Vermont. Nora owns the small town diner, inherited from her parents. She is the solid and steady sister, to Kit who is flighty and free wheeling. When the town cake lady, Peggy, is killed in a car accident, her house and land are left to Nora and Kit. As the sisters delve into the estate, they find Peggy was considering selling to a big box developer, which sets the small town on edge. As the novel progresses, Nora and Kit disagree on how to move forward, and Nora discovers a secret. The prose is easy reading with an interesting story full of wonderful characters and the happy ending we all want, in a very creative way. On Audible.

Lastly, Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham – I reviewed this book for you back in June and it has now published. This story starts slowly as we ease into the life of a woman in transition. She has quit her journalism job in protest for being passed over for promotion in favor of free lance work that isn’t going well. When her father calls unexpectedly, and sends her home to her estranged mother in South Carolina, the memories of her sister’s unexplained disappearance surface again. As she decides to visit areas that her sister used to frequent, she stumbles onto a seasonal job that seems like an answer. But finding a hidden diary will change everything, as the entries describe a similar situation to her sister, and sheds light on another unsolved murder. Like a freight train, the story gathers speed and momentum, building as it goes to the point where it become impossible to put down. Five stars! Forget Me Not On Audible.

Please check out the links to the books to find out more about each one, get ISBN numbers for your library to order, and see more photos of great dishes in the cookbook. Your clicks on my Amazon affiliate links help support the blog. Don’t have Audible? Click on Audible Free Trial to see if you like it. Thank you.

What are you reading now?

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