Reviews

A Dress of Violet Taffeta by Tessa Arlen

katerinalucykjones89's review against another edition

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informative inspiring relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

libbyhenderson's review against another edition

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3.0

Recommended by a friend, I found this book so-so. Well written but just not my cup of tea. I did enjoy the familiarity of the section about the Titanic from a surviving passenger's point of view.

daniellem1's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

booknook31's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.5

bonniereads777's review against another edition

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5.0

What a gorgeously written and beautifully woven work of historical fiction! The accomplishments of “Madame Lucile,” aka Lucy Duff-Gordon, come to life. Tessa Arlen has managed to capture Lucy’s incredible talent and vision for color, and then translate that to the written word for all of us to see. Lucy led an absolutely incredible life, from penniless abandonment by her first husband to building her own business and finding success as a fashion designer. Despite poverty and the scorn of divorce at that time, Lucy took control of her own destiny. At her side is Celia, also impeccably written. Celia is actually a composite of two women who were very important in Lady Duff-Gordon’s life and business. The chapters vary between Lucy and Celia, and this gives us a look at two different class experiences of women in the early 1900s.

I also loved the peeks we get into the very dressing rooms of some of Lucy’s clients, and we get to see the way they are transformed by her amazing gowns. And we watch Lucy find love again. Lucy’s second marriage to Cosmo Duff-Gordon is written in a realistic way with all its ups and downs, especially their presence on and survival of the sinking of the Titanic, the media frenzy afterward, and its effect on their marriage. This is a mesmerizing, captivating work of art that transports us to late 19th and early 20th Century London (and later America). A Dress of Violet Taffeta truly shows us the life of a visionary woman who lived through hard times and made the most of them. Anyone who wants to read an incredible story of grit, determination, and extraordinary talent will certainly enjoy this gem by Tessa Arlen.

I received a free print copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via Austenprose Book Tours. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

100pagesaday's review against another edition

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5.0

After Lucy's husband wastes their fortune on drinking and runs off with a showgirl, Lucy does the unthinkable to keep herself and her daughter Esme safe, she divorces from her husband. This is unheard of in polite society during Victorian Era London. Lucy has a plan to make money. She has always loved fashion and begins to design dresses. With the help of her one remaining staff, Celia, Lucy designs and makes a dress that is the envy of everyone. From there, Lucy begins taking orders. With Lucy's eye for color and cut on specific women and Celia's management skills, business takes off. Lucy meets Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon and finds love as well as a business party. Lucile Ltd is now successful and thriving with clients around the world and a second shop in New York. Lucy, Cosmo and Celia make their way to New York with new dresses on the Titanic. When the unthinkable happens, all three manage to escape with their lives. However, the aftermath of the escape and the trauma will affect them forever.

Lady Lucy Duff Gordon is known not only for her elegant fashion design, but for creating fashion shows and modernizing women's underwear. Despite this, most of what I knew about Lady Lucy was from the movie Titanic. While A Dress of Violet Taffeta is a fictional version of Lady Lucy's life, the author has done a lot of research and used Lady Lucy's memoir as well as her design books and a viewing of her fashion collection. I was in love with Lucy's character and temperament from the start as she decides that she will support herself and Esme after her husband leaves. Lucy's determination to fulfill her dream now that she is divorced is even more significant in Victorian society. There are absolutely wonderful descriptions of color and the process of how Lucy made her gowns and built her business from nothing. Her ideas for women's fashion were able to move women forward in society. As Lucy said, " I truly believe that what women choose to wear will dictate the sort of lives we lead in the decades to come." In addition to Lucy, the other female characters were also amazingly written. I was intrigued the most by Celia who began as an unpaid helper and rose to managing Lucile Ltd. I think it's a shame that we don't know more about the real Celia, although I would have loved more chapters from her point of view. Lucy's sister, Elinor Glyn is also a force in her own right and became a well-known romance author. The Duff-Gordon's experience on the Titanic seems to have been twisted and they were made to look like villains for not going back to rescue more people in their lifeboat. The survivor's guilt seems to have affected Lucy and Cosmo as well as their relationship. Overall, A Dress of Violet Taffeta is an amazing story of a self-made woman of history.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.



smwipf's review against another edition

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relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I kept waiting to get to the main point of the story. It seemed like there might be a plot twist coming, or something significant happening with one character or another, but nothing seemed to come of any of the sub stories within the full story.

seelionread's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This started out strong, and if you love sumptuous descriptions of fashion and lifestyle of the Gilded Age, then you’ll enjoy this partially fictional account of Lucy Duff-Gordon’s life. However, it ended so abruptly that I wondered if my Kindle copy was missing pages. Disappointing for what felt initially felt like an very inspiring story.

danimat's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

Amazingly well written. Strong female lead with a great partner. Combines history, fashion, love story, and life's challenges seamlessly. 

rum2j's review against another edition

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3.0

3.8 lots of dress details…