57 pages • 1 hour read
Piper HuguleyBy Her Own Design
Piper HuguleyFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Racism’s Impacts on Artistic Recognition
Content Warning: This section discusses racism, abuse, and deaths of loved ones.
This theme is fundamental to the novel’s genre, Ann’s character growth, and the foundation for major conflicts. As a historical fiction novel that spans from the early 1900s to about 1980, Huguley shapes the story around Ann’s life during a time when racism, discrimination, and segregation were more overt. Ann faces these injustices head-on. Among her many hardships, she endures segregation at design school, living in poorer neighborhoods, being unable to attend “white” events and places, and being seen as lesser by her white clients. Huguley hence highlights the way racism prevents deserving artists from being recognized for their work.
When Ann is finally mentioned by name in a newspaper instead of just as a “Negro seamstress,” she is recognized with pride. Furthermore, when Ann is also invited to the ball in Tampa to honor her—a privilege reserved for only white people in the past—she is aware of the fight for equality:
There was so much that had to happen. Rosa Parks, down there in Montgomery. Martin Luther King Jr. preaching. Me at the S. T. Taylor Design School, taking classes from the next room. Getting named Gasparilla designer for three years straight. Making the dress for Mrs. Kennedy two times. World War II. Korea. Vietnam (360).
Listing all these details builds up the layers of conflict and factual accuracy of key events that preceded the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Ann is grateful for the changes, though these rights shouldn’t have taken such extreme circumstances to make everyone “see” and respect each other. Before this point in 1967, Ann was never recognized by name as a supreme designer or invited to fancy events, even though she should have been given credit and accepted by high society.
This theme of racism creates multiple conflicts for Ann that test her strength. First, she isn’t allowed to speak out of turn to white clients, though she speaks to women in Alabama boldly about which styles would make them look their best. The most overt act of racism when it comes to Ann’s creativity is when Ann attends S. T. Taylor Design School and is almost turned away simply for being Black. Even more, Ann is the most expert seamstress who helps Mr. Taylor teach, but she’s still denied entry to the main classroom except for when helping the others. Still, Ann defies societal norms often, refusing to be treated as lesser, and her resolve only increases. For instance, she pushes through the design program to graduate early and makes a promise to never share her talent with those who persecuted her. Ann’s determination underscores the novel’s point that Black artists from history should be recognized for their art.
Resilience and Creativity in the Face of Adversity
This theme is crucial to the story of Ann’s journey to become a prominent designer. She cannot achieve her dream without overcoming countless external and internal conflicts, including many acts of racism and injustice (as described above), enduring abuse from Lee, and overcoming her grief for family members. Ann faces many misfortunes that are outside of her control, beginning with Mama’s sudden death. In the midst of grieving Mama, taking care of stroke-impaired Grandma, enduring Lee’s abuse, and raising baby Arthur, Ann is left with a commission of multiple dresses. Instead of shying away from work and letting Mama’s legacy be tarnished, Ann steps up to the challenge. As only a teenage girl, she reveals her resilience and creativity; Huguley uses this story to suggest that people should not give up in the face of adversity.
Creative expression is Ann’s constant coping mechanism and weapon against adversity. Ann’s sewing gives her comfort, strength, and surreal joy: “[Having] all of the beautiful fabrics that I wanted to create with was like heaven to me” (143). Through every hardship, she returns to sewing and designing, proving that her passion can sustain her. Thus, when the IRS takes her shop, Ann is heartbroken because her passion is stolen from her. After losing Arthur and then her shop, Ann reaches a low point that can only be solved by returning to her art. With the one exception of Arthur’s death, Ann never succumbs to her sorrow. Due to her creativity providing her with meaning and strength, Ann continues to return to design as her way of survival.
This theme is also prominent when Ann must recreate Jacqueline’s dress and continue working with only one eye. With Jacqueline’s dress, she again doesn’t waste too much time feeling distraught but works on a plan to fix the situation, getting her church friends involved to help. Instead of accepting her bad luck, Ann makes new plans to ensure that her work is completed to the highest standard. Likewise, years later, Ann doesn’t cower at the doctor’s warnings about her eye but keeps working with diligence. Even with one eye, Ann never considers retiring. As a character, Ann embodies this theme because she never gives up.
The Evolution of American Fashion
This theme is ingrained in Ann’s life due to her adoration for design. Ann’s unique gowns create trends in American fashion through debutante balls, weddings, and other special events. Jaqueline’s wedding dress is a fine example of this theme due to the iconic nature of her wedding to John F. Kennedy, as Jacqueline’s mom states: “This dress will make the front page of every newspaper. It’s just what will be needed to create a sensation. You’ll start a new trend, like Elizabeth Taylor” (279). Ann’s work is seen by thousands of people via the live wedding and television, inspiring other brides to follow Jacqueline’s example. Similarly, the dress for the Academy Awards worn by Olivia gains fame and attention that affects fashion choices. With a ripple effect, Ann’s designs become sought after due to her influence in high-society affairs like Jaqueline’s wedding. Even though she isn’t mentioned by name for years due to racism, her work speaks for itself and influences many other fashion tastes and trends.
As a work of historical fiction, the novel portrays this theme across time. To ensure her success, Ann notices trends and plays to the wants and needs of the time period. For instance, during the Great Depression and World War II, spending on unnecessary luxuries is taboo since everyone is focused on providing for the troops. Fashion is of little importance during certain periods, which saddens Ann and prompts her to make “boring” designs that are utilitarian: “[E]very scrap of newly produced fabric went to uniforms for the war effort, so the best that any employed designer could do was to create uniforms. Then, if that wasn’t possible, […] design something that looked like a uniform” (235). After World War II, when America’s culture shifts and they return to admiring fashion, Ann can create masterpieces again. Evolving with the needs of the time is essential for Ann to thrive as an artist. She works hard to appease her clients while also staying abreast of the latest designs.
As during World War II, the text offers multiple details about fashion culture. Some instances include how hemlines became lower in the 1920s, how the Great Depression led to shortages for glamorous gowns, and how fur made a comeback. Icons like Jacqueline Kennedy and wealthy society members are shown with sensory details about what they are wearing. For example, Ann watches Jaqueline often on TV: “Jacqueline, dressed head to toe in white, looked like a snow queen. The line of her outfit was very futuristic and, more importantly, fashion forward” (320). Often, people comment about the latest designs from Paris. Throughout the whole book, Ann stays knowledgeable about all the newest and hottest trends thanks to her books from Paris. She keeps believing in the power of fashion: “[M]atching the right dress to the right woman, to me, was less science and more magic” (322). Ann is adaptive to each shift in fashion, changing with the times but never compromising her uniqueness to make personalized garments. By tracing the evolution of American fashion, Huguley suggests the significance of the way people express themselves and the tastes and priorities of their eras.
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