100 UNFORGETTABLE DRESSES

Fashion's calendar of shows may be fixed years in advance but its landmark events - such as Alexander McQueen revealing the final dress for one of his presentations as a three-dimensional hologram, or Jason Wu discovering Michelle Obama had selected his design for her inaugural ball gown only by actually seeing her appear on television, or Marilyn Monroe entertaining President John F. Kennedy in a second skin of sequins - were all unexpected, serendipitous delights. Today we thrive on both the recognition of fashion's immediate ability to shape our self-images and our enlightened awareness of the way past examples of significant design affected the way women dressed, as well as how society perceived them.

100 Unforgettable Dresses celebrates this remarkable power by citing those gowns, minis, muumuus, shifts, shirtwaists, sheaths, costumes, and beaded extravaganzas that sparked unforgettable collective memories and are directly responsible for changing how women wanted to look. Media personality and style authority Hal Rubenstein relates the stories of these amazing creations with an entertaining, fact-rich text that contains fascinating history, eye-opening anecdotes, and illuminating details about each dress' inspiration and construction, its contribution to fashion design, and its influence on popular culture.