Serah-Marie Mcmahon

This reminded me a little of Sarah Albee's Why'd they wear that? but it's a shorter, more tightly focused book. Working from the head down, each "chapter," one spread or two pages, looks at a different lethal fashion accessory or manufacture and relates it to a modern equivalent.

You may know of the origin of the "mad hatter" with the poisonous use of mercury in making men's hats, but did you know that the use of mercury wasn't regulated in the US until the 1990s? The deadly use of mercury in hat-making began to die an (unnatural) death in the 1960s as fashion changed, but there was never any oversight of the process or its deadly effect on the workers.

Lead in makeup sounds terrifying, but it was only used in ancient and medieval times, by people like Queen Elizabeth I. Right? Wrong. Toxic levels of lead have been found in makeup as recently as 2017.

Exactly how dangerous are corsets? Are your clothes infested with deadly body lice (probably not)? How do your jeans get those fashionable faded streaks and who's dying to put them there?

The brief afterword reflects on the changes in fashion; some dangers in the book were chosen by their victims, some were not. Manufacturing became safer because of inventions, changes in fashion, and, more rarely, regulation. But the authors suggest readers take a few extra moments to think about their fashion and who it might be affecting, from wearing dangerously high-heeled shoes, to thinking about the most vulnerable workers in other countries. The book ends with sources, credits, and a brief index.

Verdict: This isn't as complete an overview as Albee's book, but it's a great browsing choice for readers who like interesting and sometimes gruesome facts. It doesn't instruct or demand changes in how we experience fashion, but it does lay out facts and true stories and suggest readers think and choose for themselves. A good addition to your nonfiction sections on fashion and/or social justice and global community. This would also be of interest to teens and I plan to add it to my YA nonfiction section.

ISBN: 9781771472531; Published April 2019 by OwlKids; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library… (more)

I’ve never been fashion forward. I like what I like and as long as it’s comfortable I will have it on regular rotation. I was drawn to Killer Style: How Fashion has Injured, Mamed & Murdered Through History by Serah-Marie McMahon and Alison Matthews David because I have never really understood the temptation to suck and squeeze ourselves into ridiculous clothing all for the sake of fashion. I was totally enthralled and fascinated! There were many things I had already heard about such as lead makeup and corsets but so much more I have learned such as comb bombs and mercury hats.

Divided into three parts, we learn about tragic fashion choices affecting heads, middles and legs. Everything from when scarves strangle to when skirts hobble, each page provides the reader with interesting tidbits about the various deadly fashions and how those fashions have created some of the most recognized shapes and characters in the world. With interesting graphics and photos from the times, you get a really interesting glimpse into how fashion has evolved. With all of the source texts listed at the back, you will be able to learn more about each of these injurious fashion choices.

If you are at all familiar with Alan Bradley’s mystery series featuring a young chemist and amateur sleuth, Flavia DeLuce, you will instantly be able to make a connection between her and some of these terrible fashion mistakes. I could just picture her thoroughly enjoying this book and putting some of its findings to the test. On an aside, if you haven’t heard of the series, check it out, fabulous writing full of humour, mystery and intrigue… (more)