Fabricating Women

"Fabricating Women . . . adds significantly to and fills a gap in the field of eighteenth-century studies. The book presents the findings of Crowston’s sweeping, yet meticulous study of the seamstresses’ guild of eighteenth-century France. . . . The excellent literature review and bibliography make this book a valuable source for eighteenth-century scholars from various disciplines. . . . The book is well written and organized. It is informative to those who may be well versed in the field, but it is also welcoming to students and scholars from related fields. . . . It is a real behind-the-scenes look into the lives of the seamstresses. . . . The book is the beginning of a thoughtful and much-needed reinterpretation of the French guild system. . . . This book would be a welcome addition to the library of any French history scholar, as well as of those interested in women’s studies, eighteenth-century studies or dress history." - Rebecca J. Faria , Dress

"[Crowston’s] study contributes meaningfully to social and cultural history, the history of work, gender studies, and, to a lesser extent, material culture. . . . Fabricating Women is extremely well-rounded . . . . The divisions, enhanced by subtitled sections within each chapter, make this a convenient book to read. While they combine to make a logical and well-reasoned whole, many of the (sub)divisions are complete in themselves, and can thus be studied more or less independently. Any or all of them repay the effort."

- Reed Benhamou , Technology and Culture

"A wide variety of historians will be eager to read this study of the most important female guild and fourth-largest trade organization in eighteenth-century Paris. . . ." - Jennifer Jones , Journal of Modern History

"Crowston establishes herself in the forefront of scholars working on the eighteenth-century French economy, in a book that rightfully belongs on the shelf next to those of Thomas Brennan, Jean-Marc Moriceau, and Steven Kaplan." - James B. Collins , Enterprise & Society

"Crowston provides fascinating insights into the lifestyle of the most prosperous dressmakers, and her book will delight students of material culture." - Pamela Pilbeam , American Historical Review

"If there were ever anything anyone wanted to know about seamstresses in Old Regime France, Clare Haru Crowston's Fabricating Women would be the place to find it." - Susan Dalton , Canadian Journal of History

"This book is a masterpiece. The author has marshaled a massive amount of information, and in the tradition of the best history writing she uses this to cast new light on our knowledge of eighteenth-century seamstresses and the society in which they lived. The meticulous detail is such that Clare Haru Crowston’s work on this topic is unlikely to be superseded. Moreover, the book is beautifully produced. The illustrations educate. The dustcover alone is a delight. . . . [A] thorough and well-written work. . . . [T]he book is profusely fascinating. . . ." - Pamela Sharpe , Journal of Economic History

"This impressive and thoroughly researched book both challenges some long-standing assumptions and recreates a world. . . . The author’s commitment to her subject is as infectious as it is impressive. Even readers with less than a burning interest in the seamstresses will find themselves sharing Crowston’s fascination with their history, if only from the cumulative effects of her sustained analysis and artful prose. In short, this book, which bridges the gap between social and cultural history as well as any recent study, should find a wide readership among historians of the Old Regime and beyond. . . . Crowston’s book is ambitious, a sort of histoire totale, which, unlike many Annales-inspired histories, never strays from a clear and pertinent line of inquiry. . . . Crowston’s is a marvelous book that establishes a model of thorough, intelligent research." - Robert A. Schneider , Journal of Interdisciplinary History

“Fabricating Women offers a richly textured and much-needed look at the experience of working women that will enhance our understanding of the old regime in a variety of ways. This well-grounded portrait of one area of history simultaneously throws light on far broader issues, such as the role of the state, the working of the economy, and the legal status and economic opportunities of women.” - Gail Bossenga, author of The Politics of Privilege: Old Regime and Revolution in Lille

“A welcome contribution to the literature on women’s work in preindustrial Europe. This is so well placed in the economic and social history of the period that it will become a classic among the books that define the age.” - Daryl M. Hafter, author of European Women and Preindustrial Craft