A Perfect Fit: How Lena "Lane" Bryant Changed the Shape of Fashion

by Mara Rockliff, Juana Martinez-Neal (Illustrator)

Overview

Discover how the Lane Bryant clothing brand changed the way we buy clothes forever by celebrating bodies of all shapes and sizes in this inclusive picture book biography of a Lithuanian immigrant with a brilliant eye for fashion and business. With stunning artwork from Sibert medalist Juana Martinez-Neal.

Lena came to America with nothing but a dream—and an exceptional ability to drape and snip and stitch. She never used a pattern or a tape measure, but every dress she sewed turned out to be a perfect fit.

Then, one day, a customer presented her with a new challenge. Could she design a stylish, comfortable gown for a body shape that did not meet the current standards of fashion?

Lena took the challenge. Under the company name Lane Bryant, she became famous for flattering and modish clothing designed for all different shapes and sizes. The world of fashion would never be the same.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358125433
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,060,211
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Mara Rockliff is the author of many popular children’s books, including Try It! How Frieda Caplan Changed the Way We Eat; Chik Chak Shabbat; and Gingerbread for Liberty! How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution, an NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and winner of multiple state awards. She lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with her family. Visit her online at www.mararockliff.com.

Juana Martinez-Neal is the Peruvian born daughter and granddaughter of painters. Her debut as an author-illustrator Alma and How She Got Her Name, was awarded a Caldecott Honor and was also published in a Spanish edition as Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre. Her second author-illustrator book, Zonia's Rain Forest, is available in a Spanish edition La selva de Zonia. Juana has also illustrated numerous picture books including La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, for which she won the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award, and Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, which won The Robert F. Sibert Medal. 
Website: juanamartinezneal.com
Instagram: @juanamartinezn
Twitter: @juanamartinez

Editorial Reviews

02/28/2022

Rockliff (Sweet Justice) and Martinez-Neal (Tomatoes for Neela) tell how a Lithuania-born Jewish emigrant to America became a name that’s now a mainstay of shopping centers and malls. Once in the U.S. with her sister, young Lena Bryant (1877–1951), ever looking for a “perfect fit,” refuses an arranged marriage, then quickly proves she is both a brilliant seamstress (she “never used a pattern or a tape measure”), and a determined entrepreneur (a necessity when she is widowed with a baby). But what sets this classic immigrant story apart is how the advice of her rabbi grandfather—“help another person”—results in Bryant’s liberating fashion innovations. Her maternity wear offers pregnant clients elegance and comfort, “with room to grow,” and her awareness that “all dress patterns were the same shape. But all women were not” informs the creation of “clothes that didn’t squeeze or pinch.” Measured prose and sepia-textured pages—filled with velvety drawings of flowing fabric, Gibson Girl hairdos, and elaborate gowns—suit the historical moment, while making Bryant’s contributions to feminist fashion always evident. An author’s note details her progressive commitment to her employees and customers. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel, Full Circle Literary. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"An elegant ode to a delightfully different kind of designer who wanted fine fashion accessible to all, not just a privileged few." — Booklist (starred review)

“What sets this classic immigrant story apart is how the advice of her rabbi grandfather—'help another person'—results in Bryant’s liberating fashion innovations. . . . Measured prose and sepia-textured pages—filled with velvety drawings of flowing fabric, Gibson Girl hairdos, and elaborate gowns—suit the historical moment, while making Bryant’s contributions to feminist fashion always evident.” — Publishers Weekly

"This biography deftly covers the highlights of Bryant’s life in an enjoyable and accessible manner, a one-of-a-kind origin story of a retail success whose foundations were based on helping others feel great." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

"An elegant ode to a delightfully different kind of designer who wanted fine fashion accessible to all, not just a privileged few."

Booklist (starred review)

05/01/2022

Gr 1–4—Leaving the facts of Bryant's life—her birth in 1879, for example—to the back matter, Rockliff dwells instead on the theme of a "perfect fit" to underscore Lena Himmelstein Bryant Malsin's early life in Lithuania that was filled with love, but was not easy. At 16, Lane Bryant joined her sister in New York City to escape poverty and antisemitism in Europe. Sewing from dawn till dusk in the garment district allowed her to work with "Lace! Ribbons! Silk! [and] sewing machines!" She soon met and then lost her husband, David Bryant, becoming a widow with an infant and a pair of diamond earrings. Undaunted, she used the earrings to buy a sewing machine and got to work making clients fabulous gowns without benefit of patterns or tape measures. After successfully inventing an expandable maternity dress at a client's request, Bryant's business took off. While getting a bank loan to fund her expansion, she was so nervous during the signing process that she mixed up the letters in her first name, which is how her business came to be known as "Lane Bryant." She went on to transform the clothing industry by designing clothes for all body shapes and sizes. The accessible and engaging text is brought to life by the delightful illustrations. Using mostly sepia tones with pops of color, they convey an old-fashioned era, but with clever details, plump humans, and delightful textiles and patterns that leave readers wanting more. Back matter includes selected sources and an author's note that fills in the details of Bryant's life and business. VERDICT This biography deftly covers the highlights of Bryant's life in an enjoyable and accessible manner, a one-of-a-kind origin story of a retail success whose foundations were based on helping others feel great.—Catherine Callegari

School Library Journal