Published in 2010
230 pages
Carol Dyhouse is a social historian. Her research has focused on gender, education and the pattern of women’s lives in nineteenth and twentieth century Britain. Her books include Girls Growing Up in late Victorian and Edwardian England (1981); Feminism and the Family in England, 1890-1939, (1989); No Distinction of Sex? Women in British Universities (1995); and Students: A Gendered History (2006). An interest in clothing and material culture, and the ways in which these relate to changing ideas about femininity, led to work on the subject of glamour, its controversial status within feminism, and its meanings to women in history. Carol Dyhouse is currently a Research Professor in History at the University of Sussex.
What is this book about?
In this lavishly illustrated book, author Carol Dyhouse surveys the world of glamour from early Hollywood right up to Madonna. She deftly unpacks the ever-changing nature of the word, its relationship to femininity and fashion, and its place in twentieth century social history. With wit and insight, Dyhouse conducts a dazzling tour of the history and meaning of costume, cosmetics, perfume, and fur; and disentangles some of the arguments surrounding femininity, appearance and power; and directly addresses feminist concerns. As Dyhouse shows with style and flair, glamour as an expression of desire and entitlement in women can’t simply be dismissed as an oppressive, or subjective male fantasy, but carries celebratory and liberating meanings for women.
