Mr. Blackwell's Notorious Lists

In case you haven't heard, Anne Robinson, host of "The Weakest Link," is the worst-dressed celebrity of 2001. In fact, she's "Harry Pottter in drag!" and "A Hogwart's Horror!" according to the venerable Mr. Blackwell.

Although, due to the events of September 11, he considered refraining from his annual worst- and best-dressed lists this year, in the end, Blackwell couldn't resist giving up his pedestal-toppling ways, and this year he slandered the likes of Destiny's Child, Cameron Diaz, Britney Spears, Bjork, and Juliette Binoche.

Despite whatever tragedies beset our nation, it's doubtful that we'll ever lose our joy in chronicling the missteps of celebrity fashionistas, and discussing that eternal query: "What looks good?" The books below wrestle with that very question, each in different ways, and should prove to be entertaining and thought-provoking to trendsetters, beauty-school dropouts, and regular schlubs alike.

Height of Fashion
edited by Lisa Eisner, Roman Alonso, and Amy Spindler
Mr. Blackwell would have a field day discussing the photos in this book, a collection of Kodak moments of both celebrities (like Faye Dunaway, Dennis Hopper, and Gina Gershon) and regular people, looking their best, or at least thinking they're looking their best. Revealing how inevitable it is that today's cutting-edge will be tomorrow's fashion victims, Height of Fashion chronicles seemingly every "what-were-we-thinking" trend with hilarious results. From towering afros to excessive polyester to piles of pancake makeup to prom dresses from hell, Height of Fashion has it all. Even better than the snapshots, though, are some of the explanations that accompany the photos, in which each misfit explains the rationale behind his or her falls from grace.

A Dedicated Follower of Fashion
by Holly Brubach
When it comes to fashion, Holly Brubach certainly knows her stuff, but when it comes to writing, she's a real pro. These essays, all published during the '80s and '90s in The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, and The New York Times Magazine discuss everything from superstar models to bridal gowns to hotshot designers to sweatsuits. Candid, funny, and insightful, Brubach is a self-described "fashion-anthropologist" with enough wit and insider-knowledge to school even the likes of Mr. Blackwell!

Fruits
by Shoich Aoki
Along with Height of Fashion, Fruits is one heck of a coffee-table conversation-starter. Each of these Japanese street fashion portraits is striking, although some are hilarious, and some are downright scary. These kids (most of whom are between 12 and 18) aren't afraid to fly their freak flags high when they play dress-up, mixing name-brand designs with back-of-the-closet finds and homemade creations, and turning themselves into living baby-dolls, flower-power cartoon-characters, and Technicolor punk-rock space-invaders, among other unclassifiable creations. Each subject is asked to explain where their clothes came from, along with their "current obsessions" and "point of fashion." As expected, their responses can be just as entertaining as the photos.

Men's Wardrobe
by Woody Hochswender, and Jeff Stone
It's pretty safe to say that the majority of fashion crimes are committed by the XY-chromosome crowd, so, fellas, this one's for you. The folks behind Men's Wardrobe have got the goods on tie-tying, shoe-picking, stain-fighting, color-matching … basically everything you need to know to look sharp. Packed with helpful hints to make shopping as easy and as stress-free as possible, and including a comprehensive glossary of terms (tattersall, broad cloth, etc.) and a listing of great resources, Men's Wardrobe is a top-notch reference for the sartorially challenged.

The Language of Clothes
by Alison Lurie
This wide-ranging look at the psychology and history of fashion by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alison Lurie is filled with revelations on how we communicate through dress. Why did Victorian women wear enormous piles of clothing? Why do some sports uniforms have wide stripes while others have thin ones? Why are christening gowns so long? What does it mean when someone wears a foreign article of clothing? Lurie answers these questions and many others as she illuminates the many daily conversations we have -- the ones in which we don't say a word.