The Memory Dress by Jade Beer

August 23, 2025

The Memory Dress by Jade Beer

Jayne is a dog walker in London, and one day, one of her dogs gets away from her and runs into a neighbor's flat. She meets Meredith, an older woman who is suffering from dementia, living in a cluttered apartment and insists that her husband is missing. Even more mysterious, Meredith is in possession of a famous dress once worn by Princess Diana.

This was just okay. I usually love stories about fashion and dressmaking (like The Gown by Jennifer Robson) but the story here was slow moving and I never really got into the characters. I kept reading/skimming because I wanted to know what happened to William, although I was pretty sure right from the start and also where the story was going (I was right on both counts). It was obvious from the first chapter that Meredith was suffering from dementia, although it took most of the book for anyone to acknowledge it. If the topic of dementia, especially untreated dementia, is a trigger for you, you may want to skip this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

One of Princess Diana's beaded gowns

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz by Lucy Adlington

January 25, 2025

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz by Lucy Adlington

An astounding story of a designer dressmaking salon run out of Auschwitz concentration camp, mostly staffed by Jewish women, patronized by the wives of high-ranking Nazis and SS officers. The Nazis were well aware of the importance of clothing to elevate or degrade people, and even in the middle of a war and clothing shortages, they and their families wanted to be well-dressed. (The Nazi culture was so bizarre, wanting to obliterate anyone who didn't fit their mold and keeping meticulous records about how they did it, yet using the talents of those same people when it suited them.) 

Sewing literally saved the dressmakers' lives, while at the same time allowing them to participate in sabotage in the camp. Many parts about the horrors of camp life and the way the inmates were treated were hard to read, but the stories of these smart, courageous women need to be told. The author had the privilege of interviewing the last surviving seamstress while researching this book. Stellar in-depth research. Recommended for readers interested in women's history and the Holocaust.

Berta Kohut and her sister Katka, two of the seamstresses of Auschwitz who survived the war

Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton

December 16, 2023

Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestone by Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton shared pictures of her fabulous costumes, from the start of her career when she was 18 through 2022. This is a coffee table sized book, weighing at least ten pounds. From the start of her career, Dolly had people who preserved and curated her costumes, accessories, and hairpieces. Fun to page through, even if you don't read the accompanying text. Interesting to watch how her style has evolved (and stayed the same) over the years. We hear from her designers, hair stylists, and the people who do the actual embellishments on her gowns.

In addition to her clothes, Dolly's sense of humor is also on display. She talks about modeling her style on the woman known as the "town tramp" when she was growing up. Recommended to Dolly Parton fans or anyone who enjoys fashion.

One of Dolly's iconic gowns (there's a lot of Dolly on display)

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

September 18, 2023

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

While preparing an exhibit of Hollywood costumes, a museum curator comes across a gown with a tag that says the designer was Zora Lily. But the curator has no idea who Zora Lily was. Seattle 1924 - Zora Hough's family lives in near poverty, but Zora is a talented seamstress and dreams of designing gowns for the rich and famous of Hollywood, even as she shares a bed with two of her sisters. In the evenings, she enjoys going with her friends to Seattle's speakeasies, where she meets a special man. But then her lover is deported for bootlegging and Zora is devastated. When she is offered the change to work on a movie in Hollywood, she decides to take a chance at achieving her dream of being a fashion designer.

I love fiction about the Golden Age of Hollywood and especially about costumes, design, and sewing (I have a 1920s fashion print hanging in my bedroom). The story does not really have a dual timeline - the museum curator in 2023 merely sets up Zora's story and then winds in the threads at the end. Zora is a very likeable character who makes some dumb mistakes (but if she didn't, there wouldn't be a story) but not so dumb that they can't be fixed. Zora is totally disillusioned when someone else takes credit for her work (like this has never happened to any of us). The descriptions of the speakeasies and the glamorous clothes were wonderful. Historical fiction recommended for readers who enjoy Fiona Davis and Melanie Benjamin.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Greta Garbo wearing one of her iconic gowns