Chic, Stylish, and Thought-Provoking Picture Books About Fashion
From biographies of designers to stories of kids finding clothing to fit their identities, there are so many amazing and informative picture books about fashion. Because fashion is so visual, it’s a wonderful topic to learn about through a medium that uses both pictures and words. We all wear clothes. At least, most of us do! But sometimes we don’t think much about where those clothes come from. Wearing clothing is a utility. But fashion is an art. That’s true for people who design clothing, people who make clothing, and people who decide what to wear.
Fashion is a powerful tool for self-expression. It can be useful for specific activities, wearable art, a way to feel belonging, or a chance to set yourself apart. These five picture books about fashion look at clothing and garments through five different lenses. But they all add to their readers’ understanding of the power, creativity, and ingenuity present in the world of fashion.
Where Did My Clothes Come From? by Chris Butterworth, illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti
This nonfiction picture book, looks at different garments and breaks down the journey of their creation into small understandable steps. From the cotton of blue jeans to the silk of a party dress to the rubber in rain boots, many different materials are explored through informative text and bright, nostalgic illustrations. In the final pages of the book, the author discusses different ways to recycle clothing–an important message considering the amount of old clothing that ends up in landfills.
Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal, illustrated by Laura Freeman
Ann Cole Lowe was born to a family of seamstresses in Alabama and grew up to be a fashion designer in New York City. Although she is not well known, she created beautiful dresses for women ranging from first lady Jacqueline Kennedy to actress Olivia de Havilland to pianist Elizabeth Mance. This book gives her the credit she deserves and helps to preserve her place in fashion history. Another amazing picture book to learn more about Ann Cole Lowe and other Black fashion designers is A Stitch Through Time by Lauren Burke and Katie Crumpton.
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Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Julie Morstad
Elsa Schiaparelli designed some of the most unique, innovative, and beautiful garments ever made. But when she was a little girl living in Rome, she felt plain and ugly. This stunningly illustrated picture book shows how an insecure girl used her imagination to make the world a more beautiful place through fashion. From her iconic lobster dress to gloves with fingernails, Schiaparelli created outfits that no one else could have dreamed up.
Molly’s Tuxedo by Vicki Johnson, illustrated by Gillian Reid
Molly hates wearing dresses. From their scratchy collars to their “fluffy, puffy parts.” When it’s time for her Kindergarten class’s picture day, she makes a plan to wear her brother’s tuxedo. When she puts it on, it feels just right. But her mom wants her to wear a dress, and her classmates expect her to wear one too. Molly has to decide if she’s going to wear what’s comfortable for her or what other people want her to wear. This book gently looks at fashion through the eyes of gender expectations and self-expression. For similar (and beautiful) kinds of stories, check out Jacob’s New Dress by Ian and Sarah Hoffman and Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love.
A Dress with Pockets by Lily Murray, illustrated by Jenny Løvlie
When Lucy goes dress shopping with her Aunt, they see lots and lots of dresses to try on. They come in different colors, materials, prints, and styles. But Lucy wants something very specific. She is a nature collector and wants a dress with pockets to store her rocks, fossils, shells, bugs, and many other treasures. While the store owner is dubious, Lucy’s Aunt eventually comes up with a solution. I love how sweet and relatable this book is — who doesn’t want a dress with pockets? But I can also see young readers delighting in looking through the many dress illustrations to pick out the ones they would choose.
If you want to look at some more picture book lists, I suggest perusing this list of fat kids in picture books, this collection of cozy, cottagecore picture books, and this trio of children’s books about artists and their pets.
