This has lot of fascinating historical detail as well as current information that would be useful for research topics on body image and sexism.

Embarrassingly under researched, this book is full of hyperbolic claims unsubstantiated by any citation of primary sources. Writing for a teen audience is no excuse for such lackadaisical sermonizing. Readers interested in this topic would do best to go immediately to the Selected Bibliography and leave this book behind.Most alarming of all is Keyser’s underlying thesis that the trajectory of women’s underwear has gone from more man-led to more woman-led. This could not be further from the truth...

Anyone interested in fashion, women's rights, history, or just wants a fun read about history this is the book for you. Ms. Keyser is brilliant at making history come to life. She peaks up the skirt of history, if you will pardon the analogy, and gives a rarely seen look at a world that is fundamental to the history of human life. She writes well, she informs without making it a dull list of details and she gives a fascinating perspective of fashion, the life of women and the relationship of how...

Keyser ambitiously covers the history of undergarments for women and people identifying as women from ancient Egypt to today. With clear and concise language, Keyser explores not just underwear, but constructs of gender, male gaze and oppositional gaze, comfort, menstruation - and even the whaling industry. The book features full-color illustrations/photographs where applicable, source notes, bibliography and suggested reading in the form of books, films, and online resources. Further note: the

If you were speaking about the famous star Marilyn Monroe, would you call her Norma Jean Baker unless you were trying to make a point? No, of course not, and neither does the author. So why would you call the famous model Twiggy, Lesley Lawson? She wasn't even Lesley Lawson when she was a model she was Lesley Hornby. She didn't even marry Leigh Lawson until 1988, 18 years after she retired. So that annoyed me. But by the time I got to that, I was already frustrated by the book. The full title an...

I received an DRC in exchange for an honest review.A fantastic overview of the history of women's underwear from ancient to modern times. Keyser effortlessly flows through the history of not only the shape of the undergarments, but what they meant for women at the time. How society viewed the different types of underwear and what it said about women--their class, power, empowerment (or lack thereof). There are insets with pictures and additional info that create a fast read good for both younger...

Underwear through the centuries (concentrated mostly on Western wear), how it shaped women's bodies and reflected attitudes towards women and their status in society. Some odd explanations of what I think of as basics, like Latin was the language of ancient Rome. Do teens not know that? Maybe that is no longer part of our cultural base knowledge. But it also had a section on art and how different artists interact with lingerie and the female body and society's views of both.

Being naked or nearly naked is a vulnerable state. The body is laid bare to society's expectations about physical beauty ... The history of these [under]garments illuminates the complex interactions of gender, sexuality, politics, and body image. I appreciated the ancient history of women's undergarments but thought the modern history, which was filled with information about celebrity influence and marketing, left much to be desired. I am frustrated that our society continues to value the "m

The title pretty much says it all - it really is a history of women's undergarments throughout time. Why and how we wore it, who wore it. Also a nod to men's underwear throughout. Definite notes about how it is tied to "men's gaze" and ideas about what women's bodies should look like. Pictures, paintings, photographs, and sidebars throughout add a lot to the intriguing text. I found it fascinating and well-written. Note-worthy but probably not award winning. I especially appreciated the end part...

I found it a little bland, but it does the job.

Read for Librarian Book GroupI appreciated the feminist perspective of underwear through the ages. For instance, take a look at this quote, talking about how it was unusual for women to wear underwear--even while menstruating."In medieval Europe underpants and trousers were a symbol of male power. If the average women were to wear such garments, she was considered immoral or sinfully trying to undermine her husband's authority. The nakedness of a woman beneath her dress signaled sexual availabil...

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review. At 96 pages, this book was full of fascinating info about the history of women's undergarments. I really appreciated the angle that no matter the period in history, women's undergarments have been hand in hand to the ways that women have felt confined or empowered. What hasn't changed over our human history, is that men STILL have something to say about the way we dress. Many times, Keyser discusses how laws have often...

From the beginning of time, it seems men wore some sort of underwear, but what women wore is much more elusive. This short history includes pictures from a Roman floor mosaic where the women wore outfits similar to bikinis, to the middle ages and up to current day. Women’s undergarments were more form than function, and often someone else’s idea of what beauty should be. We learn about the effect of the clothing industry on the environment, the real cost of cheap labor, and some modern entrepren...

Very interesting... from Ancient Greece and Rome to the latest developments in 2018. Comprehensive source notes provide leads to further readings.

I love history, and that includes not only important historical events, but also the history of things and how they evolved over the years. When it pertains to women, as well, I want to learn about it even more, so it's no surprise this book appealed to me for multiple reasonsThe book is brief (only 96 pages), but it contains a lot of fascinating information. Here are a few examples of things I found particularly interesting:Bras were presumed invented in the late 19th century, until a 2008 arch...

Wish there was a little more to it and that it was a more interesting read. It's a slow 90 pages. I did enjoy the bit about a bra found in Lengberg Castle from the early 1400s and that this sort of thing is perhaps what medieval literature and French royal surgeon Henri de Mondeville are referring to when they mentioned "breast bags."

I love to read about history and I always enjoy learning about the history of particular objects. When you add in my fascination for historical period fashion I knew that this book had to be picked up. It has lots of interesting information and I loved the archaeological evidence and all of the pictures. It is amazing the reasons behind what we wear even today.This book would be great for anyone looking for a unique nonfiction read.* Thank you to Amber Keyser, Twenty-First Century Books and Netg...

Feeling kind of bad about all the low ratings I've been giving this past week. Methinks I might just be extremely grumpy due to *gestures vaguely at everything.* This week in particular has really sucked and I'm sure that's reflected in this review, and I will try to come back to this in a year that is not 2020 to see if I like it more when the world isn't a total dumpster fire.I had a couple problems with this book—one, it is extremely Western-focused. There's a paragraph or two about ancient G...