Review of Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution

I know it might shock you to discover that I don't, in fact, have a deep-seated interest in 18th century French monarchy nor a particular love for revolutionary politics. What I do have, though, is a major lady boner for the work of Sofia Coppola, which I'm guessing is why an anonymous benefactor sent me this book. Thanks, AB! This is about 300 pages of the kind of smart but cute writing that led me to put all that women's studies crap in my final year theology thesis, and enjoyable to boot. I'm not really sure if Coppola used this as a reference for her film (probably not, they came out the same year) or if it’s just that so many of the set pieces are canon, but I'm glad that she didn't include the last third of the Queen's biography in any great detail on screen because it's all gore and heads-on-pikes and uterine haemorrhaging and humanity at its alternately pompous and savage worst. For a book with a sartorial slant, there are relatively few illustrations or plates, which would disappointing but for the extensive descriptions (at least before the bloodshed starts, at which point: stop!). Iconic queens FTW, slap some ribbons on everything and pass me the volumising mousse. I enjoyed this book but I was glad when it was over. Spoiler: they all die in the end.