THIS IS A BOOK about women's fashions and the various ways they were displayed, worn, created, and discussed in the public sphere of Weimar Germany. It focuses primarily on the years 1918–33 and limits its scope to Berlin and its sartorial practices, because, as the two statements quoted above suggest, it was there and then, in the German metropolis of the 1920s, that the most dazzling spectacles and spirited debates about women's fashion took place. During that long decade Berlin's numerous department stores regularly staged lavish shows in their display windows (Modenschau), organized frequent contests to determine the best model (Modekonkurrenz), and invited their customers to weekly fashion teas (Modentee). If the Berlin woman wanted to look fashionable, she had more choices than ever. If she could afford it, she could place an order for something custom-tailored and imported from Paris or designed in one of Berlin's exquisite fashion salons. Or she could buy a mass-produced knockoff that was less expensive and thus more affordable for the growing numbers of the middle classes. Or — probably the most likely scenario — she could sew her own clothes with the help of sewing patterns and the cheaper synthetic materials that became popular in the 1920s, like rayon and acetate (known as Kunstseide, or artificial silk). Finally, whatever their fashion practices, Weimar women got plentiful practical advice, inspiration, and expert guidance: They browsed the dozens of new illustrated magazines to which many female fashion journalists were contributing, or went to the movies to watch films often scripted by fashion journalists and took notice of what their favorite actresses were wearing.

Writing about Weimar fashion means writing about Weimar women.