Fashion and Fandom

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Friday Five: Chic Coffee Table Books For Fashion Lovers

Images: Amazon

For some people, coffee table books serve more as accent pieces than as reading material and that’s okay. But if you’re like me and you love books — coffee table books aren’t just a piece of home decor — they also give me a way to dig deeper into subjects I’m interested about.

In fact, they’re one of my favorite things to gift to friends during the holidays. How often do people think to buy them for themselves? And fashion-related coffee table books are some of the most beautiful out there. In a perfect world, I would’ve put this round up together before the holidays as a “Gift Guide” but it’s not a perfect world (and the entire month of December got away from me!) So in this week’s Friday Five I’m highlighting some of my current favorites. Whether you want to take a closer look at the on-screen fashion from some of your favorite fandoms, or take an in-depth look at iconic fashion and designers from the past there’s something for you here and each of these is currently available on Amazon. Take a look!

1. The Art of Disney Costuming: Heroes, Villains, and Spaces Between by Jeff Kurtii ($25.49, Amazon)

Image: Amazon

The Art of Disney Costuming exhibit was one of the highlights of D23 Expo this fall. SO many gorgeous and iconic pieces available to see up close. I’ve been fortunate enough to see a lot of high-end fashion up close over the years, and this exhibit took my breath away. If you weren’t able to see the exhibit in person, or if you want more history about each piece and the designers behind them you’re going to want to pick up The Art of Disney Costuming: Heroes, Villains, and Spaces Between.

2. Star Wars Costumes by Brandon Alinger ($52.82, Amazon)

Image: Amazon

If you’re a Star Wars fan you probably remember the first time you saw Darth Vader march onto Princess Leia’s ship in his mask trailing that menacing black cape. How about Leia’s slave outfit? Or that Storm Trooper armor? So many costumes from the original trilogy have become iconic over the past 42 years. Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy gives both new and longtime Star Wars fans a behind-the-scenes look at the unforgettable costumes from episodes IV, V, and VI.

3. Christian Dior by Oriole Cullen ($32.21, Amazon)

Image: Amazon

Seeing the Christian Dior retrospective at the V&A Museum in London last Spring was one of the highlights of my 2019. If you were lucky enough to catch this yourself (or the scaled down version that’s been touring museums the U.S.) you know what I’m talking about. Everything about the way the exhibit was curated was spectacular. If you’re a fan of Dior, or fashion history you’re going to want to pick up Christian Dior.

4. Game of Thrones: The Costumes, the official book from Season 1 to Season 8 by Michele Clapton & Gina McIntyre ($42.30, Amazon)

Image: Amazon

Some Game of Thrones fans may have been disappointed with the final season of the HBO series, but I challenge anyone to convince me the costumes continued to shine until the end. Remember Sansa’s coronation dress? Absolutely spectacular! The Game of Thrones: The Costumes book serves as the official guide to the complete costumes of the landmark series. It breaks down how BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning costume designer Michele Clapton dressed the heroes and villains of Westeros and beyond. I just treated myself to this book for my birthday last month and it did not disappoint.

5. Vogue 100: A Century of Style by Robin Muir, ($41.86, Amazon)

Image: Amazon

Vogue has released many coffee table books over the years, but Vogue 100: A Century of Style explores the iconic magazine decade by decade. If you’re a fan of fashion history, or the history of fashion photography this will be a nice addition to your library.

Do you have a favorite fashion related coffee table book? Let me know in the comments below!