Thousands of prices just dropped across Thryft
Our price drop is now live! Find lowered prices on thousands of one-of-a-kind finds across Thryft
Free delivery on all orders above $30
Get 10% off all year round! Join Thryft Club
Get 10% off all year round and $10 off your next order! Join Thryft Club

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Check out these collections!

Bestselling Fiction
Bestselling Nonfiction
Bestselling Books for Children
Vintage and Rare Books
Vinyl Records
Women's Clothing
Men's Clothing

Find more of what you love

Get thoughtful picks from Thryft’s ever-changing collection of pre-loved books, vinyl and CDs—plus occasional sales and events.

By signing up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Thryft. You can unsubscribe at any time.

This item is sold out

Get an email when a matching copy is available again.

American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion

Patricia Mears

Which copies would you like?
Condition and budgetAny condition · No price limit

Excludes delivery. This filters future availability alerts; it is not a price-drop alert.

We check inventory once a day. We’ll email you once when we find a matching copy. Copies aren’t reserved. This does not sign you up for marketing emails.
Sale

American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion

by Patricia Mears
Save up to 39%
Compare to estimated retail price: S$69.58  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion
American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion

Understanding beauty through American fashion innovation.

If you're intrigued by the intersection of aesthetics and fashion craftsmanship, "American Beauty" is a must-read. It's not just a catalogue; it's a journey through the artistry behind dressmaking. Imagine being able to explore an exhibition at your own pace, understanding the creative philosophies of influential American designers. This book takes you there, through a stunning visual narrative that celebrates technical mastery and artistic brilliance in fashion.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Sale

American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion

by Patricia Mears
Save up to 39%
Compare to estimated retail price: S$69.58  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

Find out more about our process here.

ISBN: 9780300155358
Author: Patricia Mears
Publisher: Yale University Press
Date of Publication: 2009-12-15
Format: Hardcover
Related Collections: Creative Nonfiction, Art
Related Topics: Design, Art and Photography, Art Books Monographs
Goodreads rating: 3.54
(rated by 13 readers)

Description

This beautifully illustrated book is the first to examine the relationship between innovation and aesthetics as expressed by American couturiers and fashion designers from the late 1910s to the present day. The book, which accompanies a major exhibition at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, reveals that great design and great style were consistent elements in the work of America’s best fashion designers. Patricia Mears introduces many great forgotten figures, as well as many familiar names: work by lesser-known figures such as Jessie Franklin Turner, Ronaldus Shamask, and Charles Kleibecker is discussed alongside pieces by more celebrated creators, such as Halston and Charles James; work by designers of the past is juxtaposed with that of present-day designers such as Rick Owens, Yeolee Teng, and Maria Comejo. James’s grand and structurally imposing gowns from the 1950s appear alongside contemporary Infantas by Ralph Rucci; the section on draping juxtaposes 1930s gowns by Elizabeth Hawes and Valentina with more contemporary garments by Jean Yu and Isabel Toledo; clothing cut into pure geometric shapes like circles, triangles, and rectangles is illustrated by World War I–era teagowns by Jessie Franklin Turner, Claire McCardell’s mid-century rompers garments, and modern sportswear by Yeohlee and Shamask. While the United States may be best known worldwide for its casual mass-marketed garments, Mears
 

Understanding beauty through American fashion innovation.

If you're intrigued by the intersection of aesthetics and fashion craftsmanship, "American Beauty" is a must-read. It's not just a catalogue; it's a journey through the artistry behind dressmaking. Imagine being able to explore an exhibition at your own pace, understanding the creative philosophies of influential American designers. This book takes you there, through a stunning visual narrative that celebrates technical mastery and artistic brilliance in fashion.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Creative Nonfiction

Shop all
The Works of Anne Bradstreet
Jeannine Hensley, Adrienne Rich, Anne Bradstreet | Belknap Press

The Works of Anne Bradstreet

In one line

Seventeenth-century feminism through poetry and prose.

Goodreads 3.69

Condition: Very Good

$36.90 $19.90 46% off

Poems: The Weight of Oranges, Miner's Pond, Skin Divers
Anne Michaels | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Poems: The Weight of Oranges, Miner's Pond, Skin Divers

In one line

Lyrical meditations for the whole human self

Goodreads 4.26

Condition: Very Good

$11.90

58% off est. retail
Perilous Power: The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy: Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice
Noam Chomsky, Gilbert Achcar | Hamish Hamilton

Perilous Power: The Middle East and U.S. Foreign Policy: Dialogues on Terror, Democracy, War, and Justice

In one line

Sharp dialogue on power, war, and justice

Goodreads 3.97

Condition: Very Good

$11.90

74% off est. retail
Swimming Lessons: Poems
Lili Reinhart | Harpercollins

Swimming Lessons: Poems

In one line

Intimate poetry on love, fame, and resilience.

Goodreads 3.62

Condition: Like New

$12.90 $8.90 31% off

58% off est. retail
Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God
Kaitlin B. Curtice | Brazos Press

Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God

In one line

Soulful bridge between Indigenous identity and faith

Goodreads 4.23

Condition: Very Good

$11.90

52% off est. retail
Utopia or Bust: A Guide to the Present Crisis
Benjamin Kunkel | Verso Books

Utopia or Bust: A Guide to the Present Crisis

In one line

Insightful tour through contemporary Marxist thought.

Goodreads 3.39

Condition: Very Good

$11.90 $8.90 25% off

Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring: Witness poems and essays from Burma/Myanmar - Thryft
ko ko thett, Brian Haman | Ethos Books

Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring: Witness poems and essays from Burma/Myanmar

In one line

Poetic defiance capturing Myanmar's turbulent spring.

Goodreads 4.61

Condition: Well Read

$5.90 $3.90 34% off

83% off est. retail
To Gather Your Leaving: Asian Diaspora Poetry from America, Australia, UK & Europe
Arin Alycia Fong, Justin Chia, Boey Kim Cheng | Ethos Books

To Gather Your Leaving: Asian Diaspora Poetry from America, Australia, UK & Europe

In one line

Poetic navigation of belonging and global mobility.

Goodreads 3.9

Condition: Very Good

$6.90 $3.90 43% off

Yes Please
Amy Poehler | Picador

Yes Please

In one line

Humorous wisdom from beloved comedian Amy Poehler.

Goodreads 3.85

$9.64 $8.90 8% off

78% off est. retail
Milk and Honey
Rupi Kaur | Andrews Mcmeel

Milk and Honey

In one line

Verses navigating pain, sweetness in life's trials.

Goodreads 3.95

$13.90 $7.90 43% off

68% off est. retail

Creative Nonfiction

Shop all

Art Books

Shop all
Lament From Epirus: An Odyssey Into Europe's Oldest Surviving Folk Music
Christopher C. King | W. W. Norton & Company

Lament From Epirus: An Odyssey Into Europe's Oldest Surviving Folk Music

In one line

Odyssey into the soul of ancient, haunting music.

Goodreads 4.2

Condition: Very Good

$6.90

Creative Collage
Just Arrived
Naomi Vona | Chronicle Chroma

Creative Collage

In one line

Collage inspiration, with fewer practical techniques

Goodreads 3.58

Condition: Very Good

$11.90

Market Smart: The Best in Age and Lifestyle-Specific Design
Daniel Acuff, Jim Gilmartin, David Bonner | Harper

Market Smart: The Best in Age and Lifestyle-Specific Design

In one line

Dissecting design's appeal to specific consumer demographics.

Goodreads 4.0

Condition: Like New

$25.90 $14.90 42% off

Jewels of Time: The World of Women's Watches - Curated Collection
Roberta Naas | Daab

Jewels of Time: The World of Women's Watches - Curated Collection

In one line

Exquisite feminine timepieces meet art and history.

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Like New

$39.90 $27.90 30% off

Fabric Art of Saito Yoko
Yoko Saito

Fabric Art of Saito Yoko

In one line

Palm-sized projects, beautifully detailed

Goodreads 4.63

$10.71

The Allure of Chanel
Paul Morand, Euan Cameron | Pushkin Press

The Allure of Chanel

In one line

Intimate Coco Chanel in her own voice

Goodreads 3.61

Condition: Good

$10.90

Sistine Chapel
Sonia Gallico | Ministry Of Art And Cultural Activties

Sistine Chapel

In one line

A breathtaking gateway into Renaissance genius

Goodreads 3.83

Condition: Good

$10.90 $7.90 28% off

Daily Rituals: Women at Work
Mason Currey | Picador

Daily Rituals: Women at Work

In one line

Insights into creative women's unique daily practices.

Goodreads 3.83

Condition: Very Good

$11.90 $8.90 25% off

The Visual Dictionary of Typography
Paul Harris, Gavin Ambrose | Ava Publishing

The Visual Dictionary of Typography

In one line

Typography made intuitive through visual clarity

Goodreads 4.07

Condition: Well Read

$9.90

Have Phone, Will Paint
Zhu Hong | Booksactually

Have Phone, Will Paint

In one line

Singaporean life, vividly sketched through a smartphone.

Goodreads 2.67

Condition: Very Good

$11.90

Art Books

Shop all

You might enjoy this if…

View book details