‘Glamour Do’s and Don’ts Hall of Fame: Fifty Years of Good Fun and Bad Taste’

Editor: Joanne Mattera.

Info: Willard Books, 1992. $7.95 paperback. 58 pages. Illustrated in black-and-white photographs.

This silly little book is a compilation of the Glamour magazine column featuring fashion sinners and saints. It is fun to skim or read through, looking at the little pictures (a full-sized book reproducing entire Glamour layouts might have been more accurate historically, but also would have made for a much more expensive book), which appear in a sort of timeline from the first. It’s interesting to see some fashion item that started as don’ts but evolved into do’s. Current captions point out what was spotted the first time around, as well as discrepancies, apologies and other smart-alecky remarks.

The commentary reads much like the monthly feature, because this book is compiled by one of Glamour’s longtime editors. However, I think Mattera goes too far in beating the reader to the punch with self-deprecating remarks about their earlier judgments. The fact is, they said platforms were in in 1974 because they were ; what’s the point now of shuddering at the whole phenomenon? Leaving more of the original remarks intact and unadorned might have been more effective. Still, this is an amusing photographic trip through about 50 years of black bars, used to both hide and save face.

It’s also sobering (and, one hopes, inspirational) to see that certain classic “do” looks never lose their impact. There’s a lesson to be learned here. Recommended for anyone who reads Glamour faithfully or has ever tugged at her underwear in public.