Paula Marantz Cohen

There is an art to female self-adornment. Throughout history, women have been fascinated by — and castigated for — their interest in clothes, accessories, and make-up. Getting Dressed: Confession, Criticism, Cultural History is a philosophical examination of fashion: its origins, its creative potential, and its profound relationship to who we are.
From the shoes that support us to the intimate primers and foundations we blend into our skin, women have a long history of being expected to create themselves through what they wear. But are we really nothing more than slaves to our appearances? Instead of responding to fashion with scorn, why not embrace the tradition? Getting Dressed: Confession, Criticism, and Cultural History is a philosophical examination of fashion as the art of introspection.