Icons of style: in 100 garments

Behind almost every garment in the modern wardrobe is a first of its kind: the definitive garment, often designed by a single company or brand for a specialized use, on which all subsequent versions have been based (and whose originals are now collector's items in the booming vintage market).

The T-shirt, for example, may now be a innocuous, everyday item, but it was created by the American company Hanes for US Navy personnel in the early 20th century and later adopted by athletes and bikers. Other garments have been designed for sports, agricultural work, or protection, and have found their way into everyday use.

Icons of Style examines the most important and famous of these products garment by garment: their provenance and history, the stories behind their design, the brand/company that started it all, and how the garment shaped the way we all dress today. As traditional definitions of men's and women's clothing rapidly change, this book combines all the key garments for everyone.

Inspiring images of the best examples of the garment—from the 1930s to the present day, from Marlene Dietrich to Mick Jagger—show the timeless beauty of these garments that are the foundation of elegant style.