New looks, new books

From left: the Ivy look at Lacoste; boots at Burberry; swirls at Emilio Pucci; denim at Chloé

As if by magic, the literary and fashion worlds have collided. As the shopping rails sag under the weight of the new autumn/winter collections, so bookshelves will fill with season-appropriate fashion tomes. Here we pick six of the best new books and the season’s key pieces they reflect.

The Boot, by Bradley Quinn, Laurence King RRP £26

What? The author charts the history of boots from the Palaeolithic period to the catwalk, assessing their appeal to men and women, their prevalence among super-heroes and what cutting edge technology has in store for their future (pockets, transparency and a distinct lack of heels).

“Shoes may be able to carry a woman around town,” says Quinn, “but showing off a pair of boots can be reason enough to leave the house.”

Where? Choose your weapon – boots are everywhere. They come long, lean and equestrian at Fratelli Rosetti and Roger Vivier; short and elasticated at Celine and Chloé; hiker-style at Azzedine Alaia (£965 at Browns); or – gulp – over the knee on the Burberry, Gucci and Dior catwalk. But, for real warmth, say hello to shearling – it came wrapped inside long black leather boots at Burberry, poking out of bikers at Jaeger, and on the tongue of suede platforms at Kenzo.

Global Denim, by Daniel Miller and Sophie Woodward, Berg RRP £19.99

What? “We have reached a point at which perhaps the majority of the entire population of this planet is wearing blue jeans on any given day,” say the authors. A bold statement but what better reason for a book, they argue: the study of the omnipresent jeans can provide insights into fashion – more than any other item.

Where? Proof of denim’s ubiquity can be seen on the catwalk this season. Hold on, make that every season. But beyond the standard jeans, fashion designers are still investing time and effort in alternative denim – see Betty Jackson for a denim smock, Chloé for a classic denim shirt, ­Diesel Black & Gold for a sleek denim pencil skirt, Philip Lim for denim shorts, and Y3 for denim pantaloons – for men.

The Ivy Look: An Illustrated Pocket Guide to Classic American Clothing, by Graham Marsh and JP Gaul, Frances Lincoln Limited RRP £12.99

What? Bass Weejun loafers, Dacron wrinkle-free slacks and Knox sun hats are just some of the staples of the Ivy look that dominated American male dress from 1955 to 1965, according to authors Graham Marsh and JP Gaul. JFK, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman were all purveyors of the style, and images of them, combined with retro advertising and magazine shoots, come together to form a picture diary of a bygone – yet sartorially enduring – era.

Where? Thanks to the US television drama Mad Men, the ghost of 1960s American nostalgia is haunting several clothing collections this season. For Ivy inspiration, monitor how Don Draper dresses for the downtime. Lacoste, Brooks Brothers, Levi’s and John Smedley were the labels of choice back then and still are today – get the look with pop art-coloured polo shirts, crisp khakis, classic 501 jeans and round neck sweaters, combined with a neat hair cut and a clean shave.

Eco-Fashion, by Sass Brown, Laurence King RRP £22.50

What? See how far the sustainable fashion industry has come in this dictionary of leading design companies that know how to do style with a conscience. From dedicated eco labels Amana, Ciel and Noir to the retail behemoths Salvatore Ferragamo, Yves Saint Laurent and H&M that have developed ethical initiatives, Brown handpicks examples of good design that gives back.

Where? It’s all in the bags: Prada’s shopper collection, BYO, combines premium design with recycled fabrics (£180); Marc by Marc Jacobs has a chic eco-bag made of 100 per cent recycled cotton; while the London boutique Browns has joined forces with eco couple James Henrit and Kresse Wrestling to create an ethical bag made from a silk parachute fabric (£15).

Pucci, Vintage Art Edition, by Vanessa Friedman, Alessandra Arezzi Boza and Armando Chitolina, Taschen RRP £650

What? The consummate coffee table book – not least because the print run has been limited to 500 and each comes bound in vintage Pucci fabric – this is much more than a story of swirls and squiggles. Penned by the FT’s fashion editor Vanessa Friedman (not to toot our own horn – well, maybe just a little), this is a story of family heritage and business evolution and how those “squiggles” represented the historical interests of Emilio Pucci himself, from the view of the Duomo from his top-floor window to the scrolls of the iron gates of his Florentine palazzo.

Where? For a break from minimalism, look no further than Pucci’s swirls, as well as the rich baroque prints at Alexander McQueen, the marbling on draped dresses at Matthew Williamson, and the flora and fauna twirls at London’s own prince of prints, Erdem.