Readers will discover how film clothing evolved from actors selecting items from their home wardrobes to outfits customized for their roles — everything from suits of armor to ball gowns to office attire to lingerie, all created by a studio designer and a dedicated staff of costumers. They will also encounter the actresses from each decade who displayed a distinct fashion sense, on and off the screen — women who made the costumer's job less demanding by embodying the character and evoking the time, place and circumstances the designer wished to portray. "Feature spreads" throughout the chronological chapters include: will leave readers with a wider understanding of film costuming and an increased appreciation for the men and women who clothed the stars — and made the spellbinding world of the American cinema memorable.