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Killer Style

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Killer Style: How Fashion Has Injured, Maimed, & Murdered Through History
By Serah-Marie McMahon & Alison Matthews David
Illustrated by Gillian Wilson
Owlkids Books, 2019. Informational.

In 1814, a new green dye was developed - this "emerald green" was brighter and bolder than traditional green dyes and quickly became the preferred hue of gowns, wallpapers, furniture and more. Of course, the arsenic used to give fabric that super-bright green was incredibly poisonous - we just didn't know it yet. Surprisingly, stories like this aren't as rare as we might hope to believe and this book expertly outlines some of history's truly macabre sartorial mishaps.

This book is so simultaneously interesting, scary, sad, and entertaining. Anecdotes, flashy writing, and unbelievably true facts make this a frightful delight to read. There are some gnarly illustrations - many of which are from primary sources - that make this book better for an older set or those with a sort of thick skin. Even though it's about fashion, boys or girls who loved How They Croaked or How They Choked will enjoy this creepy fashion foray.
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