Kate Hahn

If you need to sit back and relax for awhile with a non-serious, undemanding book, Kate Hahn's [FORGOTTEN FASHION An Illustrated faux History of Outrageous Trends and Their Untimely Demise] really fills the bill. This book is totally so much fun.
Written in a series of short 2-3 page chapters, each one deals with a specific fashion that has come and gone, mostly unnoticed within the last century. The drawings are professional looking and very nice. The history appears to be well researched show more and accurate. I remember trying on paper dresses in the late 60's. They were the lastest thing, designed as I recall to be cheaper and to cut down on laundry, seriously. We also had fur wig hats that were the rage one very cold winter. The (faux) fur was left long enough to comb and fashion like real hair. It's true.
This book chronicles many outrageous attempts at fashion, complete with a lot of history and explanations of why none of them are still around. It is an excellent gift book for the fashionistas that you know. It's also more than fun as a coffee table better-than-a-magazine entertainment. I found it to be totally delightful, and quite geniusly created. I would recommend it to everyone...all ages. show less

What "Forgotten Fashion" does, it does well. It's well-written, quite humorous, extremely imaginative and the illustrations invite second looks. Despite everything it does right, I still felt that perhaps I needed the help of hallucinogens to really "get" it. I like fashion, probably more than your average mid-westerner. Part of the New York fashion cognoscenti I am not. And I think that's who you have to be (if not on drugs) to really appreciate this altered state of fashion consciousness. show more Nevertheless, there were times I did laugh out loud during my read. My fav bit: "the adididas", a fixture on the '90s backpacker travel scene. I have a feeling that most chapters were equally funny, but of an esoteric nature better suited to those that live the industry show less

I have to admit that this book about "faux fashion" had me going for awhile! A humorous review of "looks that could've been" throughout our century, the reader learns about clothing such as ice-beaded dresses, the four o'clock dress, adididas footwear and hood-olos. What is perhaps most humorous about the book is that any one of the fashions mentioned are plausible enough to have been created and worn in their respective eras. This is a good book for fashionistas, especially those with a show more humorous bent. Best read in small doses for full enjoyment of both the descriptions and the illustrations, I enjoyed Forgotten Fashion. show less

When this book arrived, I was a little shocked. I had expected a novel, (I don't know what I was thinking,) so you can imagine my surprise when a large book full of clothing, and what seemed historical replications of fashion landed on my doorstep.

Filled with wonderful illustrations, pages upon pages of humor about, well... forgotten fashion.

Flipping through the pages, I gazed at images of pant suits, leggings, bridal gowns of the meringue variety and many, many more.

Starting off in the show more 1900's, (1903 to be precise,) we stumble upon the Side Saddle Motoring Coat, designed by Dylan Graham, of which tells the tale of love, safety and ultimately a broken heart.

The Body Muff of 1905: "The Fifth Avenue ballrooms are filled with what look like locomoting upright mermaids. or more, accurately, mer-matrons. Inspired by the wife of a banana farmer, it lead to her rise, and fall.

Reading on, there are more hilarious stories about such garments as those above, including for men, the ever earthy Pacing trouser. Made for the gentlemen holiday maker, a pair of pants made from Indian Ocean seaweed species, (doesn't that sound appealing,) not only that, large slash pockets were intended to facilitate sand castle buildings, tide pool wading and seashell collecting. Unfortunately for these such marvelous pants... they began to mold once inland. although no longer useful as pants, they do make a nice addition to the flower beds - helping the tiny buds to grow into the most hardiest and colourful plants.

I probably shouldn't go on about Picasso Patchwork, a hideous looking thing, from 1916.

You'll laugh at some of the descriptions in this book, and the illustrations are magnificent. I probably wouldn't go looking for the designers though, I did mention this was An Illustrated Faux History of Outrageous Trends and Their Untimely Demise, right?

***BOB: (Back of Book)
Mixing fictional designers, made up muses, and totally imaginary trendsetters with real people and places, Forgotten fashion traces the birth, life and death of faux trends with intelligent humor. show less