Dress Casual

March 31, 2014
In her impressive first book, University of Nevada-Las Vegas historian Clemente examines the ways in which 20th-century college students have used their clothes to challenge the constructs of American society. The author posits that pushing the boundaries of social mores through casual dress is a phenomenon that must be credited to university students rather than "Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and even Parisian couturiers." States Clemente, "the shift from collared to comfortable came amid⦠the kind of sweeping social change" that included "two waves of American feminism, one Depression, two world wars, six decades of civil rights, and the movement of millions of families into the suburbs." Clemente neatly breaks down the casual dress movement, with chapters focusing on a specific area of college life. Using quotes from students across the decades, dress codes from colleges nationwide, published articles on what was considered de rigueur for the time, as well as photos and illustrations, Clemente drives home her point that the simple decision of choosing what to wear can be anything but simple. 25 illus.

June 1, 2014

Clothing styles have changed over time and have been explored by many historians. Clemente (history, Univ. of Nevada-Las Vegas) explores casual clothing trends in the early to mid-20th century and finds that the modern American style exemplified by sweaters, shorts, and blue jeans arose largely owing to the influence of American college students. By examining newspaper and magazine articles, as well as students' personal letters and diaries, Clemente argues that the young adults' desire for versatility and comfort in their clothing heavily influenced the clothing industry and the rest of society, which led to a permanent change in standards of dress. This title also chronicles students' struggle against restrictive dress codes set by university administrations and parents' desire to preserve the clothing status quo. Additionally, the book probes carefully the variance in these clothing restrictions by gender and campus culture. VERDICT This engaging and highly readable cultural history is highly recommended for readers interested in the development of clothing or in early 20th-century college life.--Rebekah Kati, Walden Univ. Lib., Morrisville, NC

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