A Matter of Fashion Book Review

I live with fashionistas: the FIT student, the wardrobe consultant's assistant, and the girl making her way in the fashion industry (that's me). With such a living arrangement, anyone could rightly assume that with our seven magazine subscriptions, the Marilyn Monroe wall decals, and the massive shoe collections taking up our precious NYC shelf space - We speak fashion, live fashion, and most of all, we read fashion.

That being said, when I received my copy of A Matter of Fashion by Federico Rocca from The Sterling Company, I was beyond excited to indulge in its fashion saturated pages. This book takes its readers back to the beginning of fashion, before the LBD was a closet staple and an Hermes Birkin bag carried its $20,000 price tag. A Matter of Fashion covers 20 of the most iconic fashion items, such as the Chanel suit and Lacoste polo, going into detail how they originated and "changed the history of style."

A Matter of Fashion gave me insight into the revolutionary nature of the fashion world and a deeper understanding of the iconic designers we fashionistas have an almost innate responsibility to admire. The book's pages are filled with fascinating details about the 20 various fashion pieces, some of which I could not resist sharing below.

At one point, Levi jeans and Burberry trench coats were each part of a soldier's uniform. Even tents were created out of the waterproof trench material.

Louis Vuitton ran away from home as a child and began his career in Paris making customized suitcases. His luggage sets included trunks containing fold-out beds that explorers used on expeditions.

Chuck Taylor was a dedicated fan of Converse, a dedication that eventually got his name printed on every pair of Converse beginning in 1921.

The first bottles of Chanel No.5 were not sold. They were gifted only to Coco's closest friends and to devoted customers. Such exclusivity created instant demand, one of the principal factors for the perfume's monumental success.

A Matter of Fashion delves into the history of the brilliant designers responsible for laying the foundation of fashion and consequently impacting the styles we see today. I already want to read it again.