From the escapism of F Scott Fitzgerald to the story of the woman who edited Vogue in the Blitz, the Guardian fashion team suggest style-focused books to distract and inspire
“It is the present we must reckon with,” observes Thomas Cromwell in the final part of Mantel’s trilogy. You can say that again, mate. At 900 pages, The Mirror and the Light has arrived eerily perfectly formed for the present we are reckoning with – and I don’t just mean that the hardback version is the perfect size for putting under your laptop to avoid double chin on Zoom calls. Cromwell is a master of optics and power dressing five centuries ahead of his time: he sees the visual messaging in every embroidered cloak and the symbolism in every jewellery love gift. Also, the square necklines are very this-season Rixo.
Jess Cartner-Morley