Country Style – September 2019

MARYQUANT

JennyLister,V&APublications,$59.99

BeforeMaryQuantburstuponthe

British,andsubsequentlyglobal

fashionscene,inthe1960swomenin

their20sdressedliketheirmothersin

twin-sets,pearlsandtweedskirts.

Quant’sclotheswerearchitectural,

mostlyinneutralnaturalfabrics,

althoughsheusedshinyblackPVCwith

greatpanache.Asshesaidherself,

thesestarkcreations“werecuriously

feminine”.Alongwitha fewother

mavericksontheKingsRoad,Chelsea,

sheinventedtheminiskirt.Her

co-creatorofanentirelynewbreedof

womenwasVidalSasson,thebrutalist

hairdresserwhocouldmakeeventhe

mostwinsomemodellookasifshewas

staring out from under the blade of

a guillotine.Herfamewashelpedby

peppyinterviews.ShetoldThe

Guardianthatshedyedherpubichair

greenandherhusbandtrimmeditwith

nailscissorsintotheshapeofa heart.

AyearagoLondon’sVictoriaand

AlbertMuseumsentouta callfor

survivingQuantoriginals.They

showedthecollectionthisyearand

includedaccessories,homewaresand

hersignaturebrandofcosmetics.Mary

Quantgaveusa lookthatboththrilled

andintimidatedmen.Adecadelater

GermaineGreerprovidedthesolid

argumentsforwhyweshouldstop

wantingtobelikeladies.Lister’s

bookisaboutthechangeswroughtby

clothesalone.In 2015 theQueenmade

the85-year-oldrebela Dameand

apparently Quant was well chuffed.

WORKING

RobertA.Caro,BodleyHead,$49.99

ThesecretofmanagingChristmas,

budget wise, is to start buying presents

earlyon.I’vepickedthisoneforyour

mostintellectualfriend,orfor

a journalist.Caroisa historian.

Whenhewasunabletofinishhisfirst

commissionedbiographyintime,his

wifeInasoldtheirhousesotheycould

affordtocarryon.Inthefullnessof

timeCarofoundanagentwhoswitched

himtoa publisherwhogivesCaroall

thetimehewants.Hisfive-volume

biographyofLBJ,TheYearsofLyndon

Johnson, hastaken 40 yearsandthe

lastvolumeisstillgestating.Carois

83.Hetooktimeofftowriteandcurate

thiscollectionofpiecesabouthowhe

works.Everyjournalistknowsthe

agonyofgoingtopresswiththejuiciest

morselstillunverifiedandtherefore

omitted.Inthebadolddaysreaders

knewwhena reporterwasjoiningup

thedots.Thesedaysyoucangotogaol

forjusta whiffofbraggadocio.Carois

extreeeeeeeme. Tobecertainhe’dgot

LBJ’searlyyearsright,heandthe

ever-obligingInawenttoliveforthree

years in the middle of nowhere, close

BOOK CLUB

A SUMPTUOUSSPREADTHISMONTH—TRYTOCLEARSOMETIMEAWAYFROMTHE

USUALHOUSEHOLDDEMANDS TO DO JUSTICE TO THESE DEEPLY SATISFYING AUTHORS.

REVIEWSANNABEL LAWSON