Behind nearly every garment in the feminine wardrobe there is a first of its kind that has spawned countless others. While the definitive example – often created by a single designer – has achieved iconic status, its various reinterpretations, season after season, have become fashion staples. Take Coco Chanel’s short, simple black dress first published in American Vogue in 1926, for instance. Vogue predicted that the LBD would become ‘a sort of uniform for all women of taste’ and, indeed, it proved to be one of Chanel’s greatest contributions to fashion. Icons of Women’s Style examines, item by item, the most influential and legendary clothes and accessories – their provenance and history, the stories of their design, the celebrities who made them famous and the various ways they have shaped how women dress today.

About the Author
Josh Sims is a freelance style writer, contributing to the likes of The Financial Times, The Independent, The Independent on Sunday, Mail on Sunday, Channel 4, the BBC, Esquire, GQ, Wallpaper* and i-D. He is also author of Rock/Fashion (Omnibus), A Dictionary of Fashion Designers (Collins), Mary, Queen of Shops (BBC Books) and contributor to several fashion books from Taschen. He has extensive contacts within the style and mainstream press.

CONTENTS

1) OUTERWEAR
Trench coat
Riding coat
Leather jacket
Cape

2) SKIRTS
Miniskirt
Pencil skirt
Circle skirt
Skirt suit

3) DRESSES
Little black dress
Empire-line dress
Shift dress
Halter-neck dress
Prairie dress
Wrap dress
Shirt dress
Kaftan
A-line dress
Pleated dress

3) TROUSERS
Leather trousers
Palazzo pants
Leggings
Culottes
Jeans
Hot pants
Trouser suit
Harem pants
Capri pants
Pajama pants

4) TOPS
Breton top
Blouse
Twinset
Crop top
T-shirt
Tube top

5) UNDERWEAR
Tights
Bra
Slip
Corset

6) LEISURE AND SWIMWEAR
Bikini
Jumpsuit
Swimming costume
Leotard

7) SHOES
Stiletto
Platform
Ballet pump
Riding boot
Sandal
Plimsoll
Cowboy boot
Kitten heel and slingback
Wedge

8) ACCESSORIES
Silk scarf
Cloche
Costume jewellery
It bag
Beret