I am not a fashionista…. I am the girl who is rooting for Grunge to return, the sooner, the better. So I wasn’t sure if I was the best person to read and review a book all about men’ s style. To my surprise and delight, I really enjoyed this colorful, historical roundup of some of the most famous icons of men’s fashion. Right along with the Rebel Girls, this book is a celebration not just of clothing and accessory choices but of iconic men, some of whom have been marginalized in their time and in history.

What is there to learn from a fashion history? Well, let’s start with an explanation of one of America’s favorite children’s songs in the history of the Dandies. Yankee Doodle’s macaroni reference was finally revealed to me as (gluten-free) slang . Or what about the origin of The Fonz’s perfect bad boy style? I and my long suffering grandmother have Marlon Brando to thank for influencing my father’s teenage clothing choices. By far, though, I learned the most from the story of Oscar Wilde, an intense and unique author who took cosplay and capes to the extreme.

The frank discussion of homosexuality (including a definition of ‘sodomite’) will be appreciated by older students who are the logical target for this tome. The art (a combination of photos and modern graphic stylings) and direct writing approach should appeal to adults and teens who are interested in historical art and biographies, as well as fashion. I especially recommend this book for people who enjoyed Brazen which shared a novel graphic styling while telling intense and relevant stories.

@jencroll @AnnickPress @BadBoysofFashion