5In the early 20th century, Chicago menswear clothier Hart Schaffner & Marx was one of several reputable companies that sold their wares in shops nationwide. Among the tools HS&M used to display their product to the public was a small booklet that became known as the Style Book. Published twice a year, these 32-page guides told buyers everything they needed to know to stay current with the day's "look."
Two things made Hart Schaffner & Marx Style Books unusual. First, as of 1920 the entire publication was printed in color. Second, for nearly a century many of the catalogs were preserved alongside family ephemera. The booklets were treated as keepsake treasures because the pages depict sports attire, evening clothes, and other apparel in evocative scenes that recapture the era's costume history. This original collection presents the very best illustrations from those rare publications, highlighting the work of such masters as Herbert Paus, Edward Penfield, and John E. Sheridan.