Hadley Freeman covers fashion for The Guardian and British Vogue, but she writes with hilarious objectivity about her beat in the new book, “The Meaning of Sunglasses” (Viking).
An informal “encyclopedia” dedicated to the huge international business of fashion, the book features entries ranging from “Accessories: going to hell in a handbag” to “Yoga, detoxes, and other euphemisms for exercise and diets.”
In between that start and finish come such choice chapters as “Jacobs, Marc: genius or what?,” “Prada: the frumpy but fashionable,” and “Velvet, and why it should be banned.”
Freeman walks a very fine line between endorsing fashion as fun, important global commerce and empowerment for women and then nailing every excess of a world she admits is slightly batty.
The author is also aware of the special language of fashion writers and how to tell positive comments from negative in a medium where advertisers call many of the shots and where nary a negative word can be written.
Here’s a bit from the “Fashionspeak” chapter:
“‘Witty’ is a polite word for ‘so gimmicky even Andre 3000 could balk at wearing it,’ as in ‘Moschino’s take on French coquettes, replete with striped T-shirts, petticoats and berets, was wonderfully witty.’ ‘Daring’ is the synonym for ‘unwearable,’ as in ‘a certain British designer’s collection of balloon clothes was excitingly daring.’”
Freeman gives only one model — Kate Moss (above, with beau Pete Doherty) — a chapter of her own: “Moss, Kate, and how she ruined your wardrobe.”
“What Moss does is find something that would look terrible on most people but looks good on her,” Freeman writes.
“Gather close, children, because here is an important lesson: that is why she is a model and you are not,” the author adds.
Funny and full of good reporting as well as satire, “The Meaning of Sunglasses” is fun from start to finish. You don’t have to be a follower of fashion to enjoy Freeman’s witty insights.
