• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 7 to 12

The title says it all: Bad Girls of Fashion explores the lives of ten famous women who have used clothing to make a statement, change perceptions, break rules, attract power, or express their individuality. Included are Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, Coco Chanel, Marlene Dietrich, Madonna, and Lady Gaga. Sidebar subjects include: Elizabeth I, Marilyn Monroe, Rihanna, and Vivienne Westwood.

Photos illuminate the text, while edgy, vividly colored illustrations depict the subjects with interpretive flair. Readers will learn not only about changing fashion styles through history, but about changing historical attitudes toward women, and the links between fashion and art, film, music, politics, and feminism. With an energetic, appealing writing style, Croll demonstrates how through the ages, women – often without other means of power – have used fashion as a tool, and how their influence continues to shape how women present themselves today.

Jennifer Croll is the author of Fashion That Changed the World and has written for magazines including NYLON, Adbusters, and Dazed and Confused. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Jennifer Croll's profile page

Ada Buchholc is a Polish illustrator whose clients around the world include New Republic, Little White Lies, and enRoute. She lives in Poznan, Poland.

Ada Buchholc's profile page

"Flashy clothes and colours aside, there is also a serious undercurrent to the book."

Quill & Quire

"Richly detailed and engagingly written, Croll’s captivating study is sure both to enlighten and embolden fashion-minded youth."

Kirkus Starred Review