A deeply scholarly, impeccably researched book that's also a genuine page-turner. Liberty, Equality, Fashion reveals how inextricably global politics is woven into--even forged by--fashion and women's personal, domestic lives. Using three influential women as a prism through which to examine one of the most critical and volatile eras in French history, Anne Higonnet combines the fine-grained observational skills of the biographer with the assured vision and far-ranging perspective of the historian. This is important and groundbreaking scholarship--exciting, new, and profoundly feminist.--Rhonda K. Garelick, author of Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History

A page-turner that reads like a novel but is based on serious research. Someone should make this book into a movie.--Valerie Steele, editor of Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, and Powerful Color

Liberty Equality Fashion is a triumphant examination of a fascinating moment in time as well as a blazing demonstration of how anything, even something as apparently innocuous as a petticoat, can make history.--Lucy Moore "Literary Review"

I read Liberty Equality Fashion with enormous pleasure. It's such an original way of looking at history and the female sex in particular. I couldn't resist galloping through it.--Antonia Fraser, author of Marie Antoinette: The Journey

The stories of the book's three muses are fascinating, and, for Higonnet, the revolution in clothing ushered by these women might shed light on ways we can tackle issues impacting the world today - issues related to sustainability, fair trade, cultural appropriation and gender identity.--Dina Gachman "New York Times"

In this ideal text for fashion course curriculums and students of fashion history, Higonnet demonstrates her meticulous research in energetic prose that vibrantly captures the lives of these three revolutionary champions of chic European finery and women's liberation. A passionately rendered history of three 'style mavericks' who ushered in a defining fashion revolution.-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"

[A] persuasive argument for fashion's part in politics... Charmingly illustrated, this fun and vibrant book combines deep research with a lightness of prose.--Catherine Ostler "Wall Street Journal"

As rigorous as it is fun, Higonnet's narrative takes many insightful detours, from close readings of the era's paintings to an overview of how colonial trade transformed France's economy. It's a captivating case study of fashion's provocative role in politics.-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Pub date: 2024-04-16

Length: 304 pages