About the Book

Wife Dressing is a book written in the 1950s by the famous fashion designer Anne Fogarty. It is an etiquette book so to speak, a how to for woman and men about how to dress and be dressed for your husband. To find out more Just read some of the contemporary Editorial Reviews about this book:

Editorial Reviews

Every now and then, some funny things come across my desk. My new favorite is an advance of Wife Dressing: The Fine Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife. Written in 1959 by former model-turned-fashion-designer/wife/mother Anne Fogarty, it contains some hilariously kitschy advice that reflects the thoughts of the day:

From chapter 1, "The first principle of wife dressing is Complete Femininity -- the selection of clothes as adornment, not as a mere covering ... the wedding ring is only the beginning. When your husband's eyes light up as he comes in at night, you're in sad shape if it's only because he smells dinner cooking."

From chapter 4, "A chronic blight on the American home scene is sleepwear in the kitchen! Negligees, bathrobes and terry towels do NOT belong with food, pots and pans. The kitchen is your natural setting as a woman and you should look beautiful, not bedraggled, in it."

From chapter 10, "White gloves are only effective when they're snowy, glisteningly white. If you like white cotton gloves as much as I do, wash them after each wearing."

But embedded within all this amusing instruction is tried-and-true advice that still works today: Remember to blot your lips before dining to avoid leaving tacky lipstick rings on glasses. Don't wear a tight dress to a buffet dinner party in case you end up sitting on the floor. And my favorite: six things to ask yourself before buying something on sale (number six: Will it pay its own way as a member of my wardrobe, not just loll as a temporary guest in the back of the closet?).

The intro by Women's Wear Daily writer Rosemary Feitelberg puts it all into context, sharing some details behind the author's life and showing us how far we've come -- and how some things never change. It's a great gift for any of your engaged fashionista pals -- or be totally modern and buy it for yourself. (Thankfully, we can do that nowadays!) It hits bookstores on February 14, 2008, from publisher Glitterati, Incorporated. -- Susan

Fashiontribe.com, January 15, 2007
Fashion Wisdom & Wit from the Late 50s

When designer Anne Fogarty first published Wife Dressing:The Fine Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife in 1959, her witty blend of fashion savvy and wifely advice encapsulated the sensibilities of the era, and women everywhere embraced her observations and expertise.

Opinionated, outspoken, yet always a lady, Fogarty speaks her mind on a wide range of sartorial subjects: what comprises good and bad taste, what fashion rules were meant to be broken, and appropriate attire for every occasion. (Of course, having an 18" waist doesn't hurt when it comes to being fabulous, whether the occasion is a TV interview on Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person or an intimate soirée chez Fogarty.)

While some of the material in Wife Dressing is delightfully kitschy, much is still as relevant as when it was published almost half a century ago. "You are you," she advises. "You are not the model in that photograph or the girl beside you in an elevator or a woman eating lunch at the next table. What they are wearing may stop traffic, but be sure it's right for you before emulating the effect."

Wife Dressing by Anne Fogarty