Book review of Icons of Style by Josh Sims

Josh Sims’ Icons of Style: In 100 Garments is like a visual encyclopedia of every piece of clothing that matters, from mini skirts and leather jackets to blazers and T-shirts. Along with a brief summary that contextualizes the garment in both history and popular culture, a slew of visual components accompany each entry. For the section called The Slip, a paparazzi photo of Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell in silver slip dresses is positioned next to a concert photo of a slip-clad Courtney Love. Together, the photos tell a story of how glamour and grunge intersected and diverged. The entry for sweatshirts is among the book’s most multifaceted: An image of a young Ronald Reagan is followed by a shot of Wu-Tang Clan’s U-God wearing a hoodie, his arm raised in a gesture of triumph that’s mirrored by Sylvester Stallone in a film still from Rocky. These three seemingly opposite figures are seen here united—in fashion, at least. Icons of Style also has wardrobe inspo for miles: photos of Soul Train dancers, Queen Elizabeth II and Jean Seberg appear alongside shots from 1983’s The Outsiders and 2011’s Drive. You’d be hard-pressed to come up with a more complete history of everyday style.