'Black Style' looks at the huge variety to be seen in black dress, hair and accessories, whether in West Africa, Jamaica, or reinvented on the streets of the United States and Great Britain.
How Black culture reinvented and subverted the Ivy Look From the most avant-garde jazz musicians, visual artists and poets to architects, philosophers and writers, Black Ivy: The Birth of Coolcharts a period in American history when Black men across the country adopted the clothing of a privileged elite and made it their own. It shows how a generation of men took the classic Ivy Look and made it cool, edgy and unpredictable in ways that continue to influence today's modern menswear. Here you will see some famous, infamous and not so famous figures in Black culture such as Amiri Baraka, Charles White, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Sidney Poitier, and how they reinvented Ivy and Prep fashion--the dominant looks of the time. The real stars of the book--the Oxford cloth button-down shirt, the hand-stitched loafer, the soft shoulder three-button jacket and the perennial repp tie--are all here. What Black Ivyexplores is how these clothes are reframed and redefined by a stylish group of men from outside the mainstream, challenging the status quo, struggling for racial equality and civil rights. Boasting the work of some of America's finest photographers and image-makers, this must-have tome is a celebration of how, regardless of the odds, great style always wins.
Black men appropriating, subverting, and reinventing the dress styles of society elites--described as "high-styled rebels" by author Shantrelle P. Lewis--are influencing the language of contemporary fashion. Dandy Lion presents and celebrates the black dandy movement, and its designers and tailors, in photographs and stories from all over the world.
An inspirational journey through black fashion in America from the twentieth century to the present, featuring the most celebrated icons of Black style and taste. One of the few surveys of Black style and fashion ever published, How to Slay offers a lavishly illustrated overview of African American style through the twentieth century, focusing on the last thirty-five years. Through striking images of some of the most celebrated icons of Black style and taste, from Josephine Baker, Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou, and Miles Davis to Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams, this book explores the cultural underpinnings of Black trends that have become so influential in mainstream popular culture and a bedrock of fashion vernacular today. A preponderance of Black musicians, who for decades have inspired trends and transformed global fashion, are featured and discussed, while a diverse array of topics are touched upon and examined—hats, hair, divas, the importance of attitude, the use of color, ’60s style, the influence of Africa and the Caribbean, and the beauty of black skin.
From the civil rights and Black Power era of the 1960s through antiapartheid activism in the 1980s and beyond, black women have used their clothing, hair, and style not simply as a fashion statement but as a powerful tool of resistance. Whether using stiletto heels as weapons to protect against police attacks or incorporating African-themed designs into everyday wear, these fashion-forward women celebrated their identities and pushed for equality. In this thought-provoking book, Tanisha C. Ford explores how and why black women in places as far-flung as New York City, Atlanta, London, and Johannesburg incorporated style and beauty culture into their activism. Focusing on the emergence of the "soul style" movement—represented in clothing, jewelry, hairstyles, and more—Liberated Threads shows that black women's fashion choices became galvanizing symbols of gender and political liberation. Drawing from an eclectic archive, Ford offers a new way of studying how black style and Soul Power moved beyond national boundaries, sparking a global fashion phenomenon. Following celebrities, models, college students, and everyday women as they moved through fashion boutiques, beauty salons, and record stores, Ford narrates the fascinating intertwining histories of Black Freedom and fashion.
Afro-textured hair and the CROWN Act -- What black women political elites look like matters -- Candid conversations, black women political elites, & appearances -- Sisterly discussions on black women candidates -- Is there a black woman candidate prototype? -- Voter responses to black women candidates -- Linked fate, black voters, and black women candidates -- Conclusion.
Michael McCollom has put together a collection of never-beforeseen photographs of the individual. 'The Way We Wore' is not only a historical piece that journeys through the African-American landscape, but also an album celebrating the individual. Michael McCollom has carefully chosen photographs and people that exhibit the historical framework of African-American influence on fashion, design, and culture, taking a unique look back at African-American style moments. Utilising personal photographs, this collection explores the stylish beginnings of a diverse group of African-American tastemakers along with everyday folk, examining a time when some individuals literally pulled it all together or, for others, a time of trial and error. This is an exciting exploration of African-American influence on fashion, design and culture.
Shop better, buy less, and dress to tell the world "this is me"! Anna Murphy, Fashion Director of The Times, shares her tricks for dressing to feel confident and comfortable, look modern and fabulous, and define your personal style - without always resorting to black. Your clothes stake your place in the world to a voice, a path, a future. Choose who you want to be and how to dress well accordingly. As Mark Twain said, "There is no power without clothes". Anna draws on her years of inside fashion knowledge and style experience to help you work out your "clothing happy place". What best flatters your body? What expresses your sense of self? And how do you build a sustainable wardrobe that will serve you day in, day out, for years to come? Explore why less is more; how to layer, the tricks of mixing and non-matching, and how to dress up neutrals. Follow Anna's tips on the 9-5 work wardrobe, what to wear for that special event, and how to carry off athleisure in style. Also discover the best length of dress or trousers for you, your perfect jeans, and how to invest in a handbag that you will use and love for ever. Immerse yourself in this inspiring, realistic, and practical style book and you, too, will be able to throw chic outfits together effortlessly, have something you want to wear for every occasion, and create wardrobe that, with occasional shopping forays, can last forever. Make fashion your friend!
"Goes a long way toward showing a lay audience the value, integrity, and aesthetic sensibility of black culture, and moreover the conflicts which arise when its values are treated as deviant version of majority ones."—Marjorie Harness Goodwin, American Ethnologist
"This book is about instruction. It's about how one comports himself now that he is successful. It's about guidance in all the areas of life that can be mysteries to the modern man." --Esquire editor-in-chief David Granger No more second-guessing--thanks to the only guide with the power to transform a man into a complete success. Esquire's The Biggest Black Book Ever shows you how to do everything right, in every area of your life. From work and grooming to fitness and sex, it's got 1,037 tricks, techniques, and secrets so you can handle yourself with confidence and style, whether you're meeting the boss, going on a first date, or attending a black-tie event. Includes 875 photos and illustrations.