Review - Killer Style: How Fashion Has Injured, Maimed, and Murdered Through History

Killer Style: How Fashion Has Injured, Maimed, and Murdered Through History
by Serah-Marie McMahon & Alison Matthews David
illustrated by Gillian Wilson
Date: 2019
Publisher: Owlkids
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

The clothes we wear every day keep us comfortable, protect us from the elements, and express our unique style--but could fashion also be fatal? As it turns out, history is full of fashions that have harmed or even killed people. From silhouette-cinching corsets and combustible combs to lethal hair dyes and flammable flannel, this nonfiction book looks back at the times people have suffered pain, injury, and worse, all in the name of style. Historical examples like the tragic "Radium Girl" watchmakers and mercury-poisoned "Mad Hatters," along with more recent factory accidents, raise discussion of unsafe workplaces--where those who make the clothes are often fashion's first victims.

Co-authored by a scholar in the history of textiles and dress with the founder of WORN Fashion Journal, this book is equal parts fab and frightening: a stylishly illustrated mash-up of STEAM content, historical anecdotes, and chilling stories. Nonfiction features including sidebars, sources, an index, and a list of further reading will support critical literacy skills and digging deeper with research on this topic.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is an interesting look at the dangers of being fashionable. It seems to be aimed at kids, although the subject matter (and gruesomeness of some of the subjects) will probably make it suitable for older children and teens (and curious adults). Various fashion issues are covered in this engaging volume, everything from the Triangle Shirtwaist fire to the Radium Girls to women falling off their platform shoes and cracking their heads open.

Fashion fatalities seem to disproportionately affect women. If they weren't slathering lead on their skin (rotting it in the process), they were being burned alive in their flannelette nightgowns or going up in smoke as flaming ballerinas. It's especially infuriating to see that, in the case of the Radium Girls, nothing was done until a male employee got sick and died; only then was an autopsy performed and the real dangers exposed. (One of the more recent examples shows that we're starting to get a little more equality with fashion fatalities... though that's not a good thing!)

The text is highlighted with plenty of pictures: there are historical photos, postcards, and advertisements that'll make many modern readers shake their heads. Radioactive underwear? Yes, that was actually a thing... and recommended for babies!

I only have a couple of issues with this book. One is that, in some places, I would've liked a little more information (such as in the case of the 1909 department store fire in England that was caused by a celluloid-heavy display; the name of the store wasn't even mentioned). I get that this is a children's book, and there are plenty of sources at the back for further study. Still, it would've been nice to have certain things like that made a little less vague for kids who might want to Google to find out more. My second issue is a statement made in the conclusion that implies we're so much smarter now:

When new cosmetics, medicines, and chemicals are invented, medical standards and government regulations demand that they be tested extensively before they can be brought to the market.

Unfortunately, that's simply not true. It's beyond the scope of this book to get into things like grandfathering approval (such as was done with thimerosal--a form of mercury--which is still in some flu vaccines), or the fact that we wouldn't have had things like the Vioxx scandal if such precautions were actually taken before products went to market. (For a really interesting and disturbing look at how what we put on our bodies may be affecting our health--without us knowing it--I'd recommend taking a look at the movie called Stink!, Jon Whelan's documentary about trying to find the source of the terrible chemical smell coming from his young daughters' brand-new pajamas. Whether we want to believe it or not, we're still being endangered by our fashion choices.)

Overall, this is a nice history book that tells the tales of some of humanity's worst fashion faux-pas. I just wish it didn't leave readers with the false impression that we've solved most of fashion's safety issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5