Books like StyleNoir by Constance C. R. White

Explore the iconic preppy style of America's Seven Sisters colleges, as chronicled in this richly illustrated guide to the fashion, culture, and social life of female college students from the 1920s onward.

For over two centuries, in the North as well as the South, both within their own community and in the public arena, African Americans have presented their bodies in culturally distinctive ways. Shane White and Graham White consider the deeper significance of the ways in which African Americans have dressed, walked, danced, arranged their hair, and communicated in silent gestures. They ask what elaborate hair styles, bright colors, bandanas, long watch chains, and zoot suits, for example, have really meant, and discuss style itself as an expression of deep-seated cultural imperatives. Their wide-ranging exploration of black style from its African origins to the 1940s reveals a culture that differed from that of the dominant racial group in ways that were often subtle and elusive. A wealth of black-and-white illustrations show the range of African American experience in America, emanating from all parts of the country, from cities and farms, from slave plantations, and Chicago beauty contests. White and White argue that the politics of black style is, in fact, the politics of metaphor, always ambiguous because it is always indirect. To tease out these ambiguities, they examine extensive sources, including advertisements for runaway slaves, interviews recorded with surviving ex-slaves in the 1930s, autobiographies, travelers' accounts, photographs, paintings, prints, newspapers, and images drawn from popular culture, such as the stereotypes of Jim Crow and Zip Coon.

Elizabeth Walker’s *Style Book* explores how everyday scenes—from historic portraits to contemporary runway scenes—fuel creative fashion inspiration, blending history, fashion, and personal expression.

Brooklyn style is eclectic, creative, and distinct from neighborhood to neighborhood. It's not about chasing labels. It is stylish on its own terms, and it's about dressing for real life. Brooklyn Street Style: The No-Rules Guide to Fashion explores what has made the borough a global fashion mecca and presents style advice from a host of Brooklyn tastemakers. This diverse crew of notable women in the design, fashion, food, and entertainment worlds includes style expert Mary Alice Stephenson, "Girls" costume designer Jenn Rogien, Urban Bush Babes blogger Cipriana Quann, Sleigh Bells's singer/beauty-industry activist Alexis Krauss, and award-winning actor/playwright Eisa Davis. Chapters distill what's happening in the borough today -- from the maker movement to eco-conscious fashion -- with more than 175 striking street-style photographs. Full of suggestions for both visitors and locals alike, the book's Brooklyn Guide offers a curated listing of the essential shops, markets, restaurants, and bars. -- From flip cover

"Using previously unexplored sources, Black Designers in American Fashion addresses the erased histories of black fashion designers and their integral role in the American fashion industry"--