Sunday papers and 'the wifely wardrobe'

This is one of many catch up posts and I think there will be a fair few more to come this week.  Like I said we are just back from holiday and now the chores are done and the last load of washing is in the dryer I can start to relax.  I have a lot to catch up on - one being the papers.  I never normally bother with the supplements but something caught my eye in last weekend's Telegraph magazine (I warned you I had some catching up to do!)  There was an article in there about Anne Fogarty's new book 'The Art of being a Well Dressed Wife'.  Anne Fogarty designed for Margot Inc., Saks Fifth Avenue and her own label, Anne Fogarty, Inc. She won numerous awards and her designs can be seen at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This is actually a reprint of a guide first published in America in 1959 so just because Mad Men has finished doesn't mean there's an excuse to not dress the part.  The original book was written as a guide to 'the fine art of being a well dressed wife with notes for the patient husband who pays the bills'.  Hmm....times have changed a lot (maybe not if you're a footballer's wife) and everything I buy is with my money that I earned from my job.  now anyone who knows me is aware that I have a fulltime job and fit in crafting on the side but at the same time I try and be a good wife.  I have been called a 1950s housewife on many an occasion and I don't take offence at all.  One thing, I can't be as I work, secondly I don't think there is anything wrong in taking pride in your house and making sure that all guests feel welcome and special by baking them something on the day.  Anyway I digress, as usual....I always try and make an effort with my appearance and always have, it's never been because of a man.  I never owned a pair of jeans until a few years ago as I thought it was just lazy and I would never EVER wear jogging bottoms if I wasn't going to the gym.  So this book may encourage women who have become a little too 'comfortable' to take another look in their wardrobe and a closer look in the mirror each morning.  Please please don't think I'm a brain washed house wife who just wants to look pretty, there are things in this book that even I will laugh as being narrow minded but even when I was single if I made an effort on the outside I felt good on the inside.  If I made an effort at work, I felt more confident and more efficient.
In any case there are some gems of advice in this book and with the new year being a popular time to declutter your wardrobe this little book may have some helpful hints.  In any case, it's darling little book.  It's released on the 14th February and you can pre-order it here on my dear friend amazon.co.uk  Its description is below:

In this gorgeous style guide from the 50s, American fashion designer Anne Fogarty reveals the secrets of 'wife-dressing' - the art of looking chic on all occasions, be it at a cocktail party, on the tennis pitch or in the boudoir. Illustrated with Fogarty's stylish drawings and 50s fashion photography from John French, this handbag-sized guide contains all the advice and inspiration you need to make you the happiest and hippest couple in town.


There are comments in here that will make you cringe but I think the photos and drawings will make up for it.