Glamour: A History

Glamour is one of the most tantalizing and bewitching aspects of contemporary culture--but also one of the most elusive. The aura of celebrity, the style of the fashion world, the vanity of the rich and beautiful, and the publicity-driven rites of café society are all imbued with magnetism. But what exactly is glamour? Where does it come from? And can anyone quite capture its magic? From eighteenth-century Paris to Hollywood, New York, and Monte Carlo in the twenty-first, from glamorous fictional characters to iconic figures such as Dietrich and Princess Diana, this book maps the origins of glamour and investigates the forms that it takes in modern times. Author Gundle entertainingly discusses the role of writers, artists, filmmakers and designers, occupations, cities and resorts, and products such as luxury cars and jets, and shows how glamour feeds on the middle-class yearning for a thrilling and colorful life.--From publisher description.