What Women In Power Wear, and Why It Matters
Books that trace how clothing encodes power, enforces gender expectations, and turns every public woman's wardrobe into a political statement.
Optimized for books about books about the political meaning of fashion and how clothing signals power and gender expectations for women leaders.
Dress CodesRichard Thompson FordDress Codes traces how clothing across eras encodes social hierarchies and political norms, directly illuminating...Shelf signal: Design History
WornSofi Thanhauser, Rebecca LowmanWorn offers a deep history of clothing and material culture that explains structural forces behind fashion choices and...Shelf signal: Social History
Claire MccardellElizabeth Evitts DickinsonClaire McCardell's biography shows how a designer shaped women’s public roles and the politics embedded in modern...Shelf signal: Fashion Biographies
The Battle of VersaillesRobin GivhanThe Battle of Versailles recounts a landmark fashion moment that transformed cultural power dynamics in the industry...Shelf signal: Fashion & Accessories
BecomingMichelle ObamaBecoming provides a First Lady memoir perspective on the expectations and visibility that accompany the role, useful...Shelf signal: Black & African American Lives
The Feminine MystiqueBetty Friedan, Gail CollinsThe Feminine Mystique situates contemporary dress debates within longer histories of gender expectations and public...Shelf signal: Feminist Theory & Criticism