Cool Shades: The History and Meaning of Sunglasses - Softcover

Brown, Vanessa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0857854453 ISBN 13: 9780857854452

Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic, 2014

Synopsis

Cool Shades

About this title

Review:

"Brown delivers a fascinating explication of an iconic fashion accoutrement: sunglasses. She discusses how they have served as a popular cultural signifier, particularly since the 1920s, and explains their purportedly 'cool' quality ... This short but insightful volume explores the influence of urban developments, the early turn to goggles and then eventually to Ray-Ban aviators, and the ultimate evolution of 'modern cool.' ... According to Brown, sunglasses also were linked with African Americans, the femme fatale, white hipsters, the Beats, and late modernity ... Likening shades to Breton's top hat and Robinson's bowler, Brown offers that they stand as 'the ultimate symbol of the age.' A thoroughly intriguing account. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries." --R. C. Cottrell, California State University, Chico, CHOICE

"[Author] Brown has contributed a thorough and probing look at how these everyday items tell a rich and meaningful story about the culture that invented, popularized and continues to rely deeply upon them." - Fashion, Society & Popular Culture

About the Author:

Vanessa Brown is a Senior Lecturer responsible for Design Culture and Context in the School of Art and Design (Department of Fashion, Knit and Textiles) at Nottingham Trent University, UK.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0857854453
• ISBN 13: 9780857854452
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 188