Press

See VANITY FAIR’s spectacular, full-page feature on Let’s Bring Back:

“The Way We Were: A new book, Let’s Bring Back, chronicles traditions, personalities, heirlooms, and elements of generations worthy of being dusted off and enjoyed once again”

THE NEW YORKER

“Whimsical ... comical ... delightful ... Blume’s book is about more than just populating your life with antique trinkets; it’s about curating your own charming lifestyle while celebrating the Wildean ideals of life as art.”

See THE NEW YORKER’s full feature, including the editors’ favorite excerpts from each chapter: Remembrance of Things Past: Let’s Bring Back.

 

O, THE OPRAH MAGAZINE

“Elegant ... whimsical ... As Blume herself might put it, we just think this book is the bee’s knees.”

See the full OPRAH feature here: ”Let’s Bring Back: Words of Wisdom From Times Gone By”

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

“Before there was fast food, fast fashion and fast talking, there was a time when we set the table, cared for our appearances, and admired elegance.  [Let’s Bring Back] sets out to reclaim older, more refined ways of life in the modern world.”

Listen to NPR’s spirited segment on Let’s Bring Back and see NPR.com’s web feature here:
Elegantly Old School: Nostalgia Books On The Rise.

ELLE

“Wistful ... zeitgeisty ... charming ... Let’s Bring Back is like a stroll down memory lane.  Whether you’d carry a parasol down 5th Avenue or plop it in your caipirinha—there’s something for everyone.””

See the full ELLE feature here: “Blasts from the Past: Let’s Bring Back”.

ROBIN ROBERTS, anchor, GOOD MORNING AMERICA

“Beautiful ... delightful ... a lovely read.”

Watch GOOD MORNING AMERICA’s Let’s Bring Back segment here:

And read abcnews.com‘s wonderful Let’s Bring Back feature here: “Lesley Blume Explores the Best Stuff From Bygone Days”.

SALLY SINGER, editor of T, The New York Times Style Magazine

“If you’re feeling lousy and you read this book, it awakens you to things that have made you happy in your life.  It reminds you of a time when certain things – ideas, gestures—got you through.  [Let’s Bring Back] promotes and revels in an idea of life that’s lived in 3-D, not 2-D, a life lived civically and civil-y.  And that is a very wonderful thing.”

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

“A charming slip of a book ... that quite deliciously and convincingly has the romantics among us pining for the ways of the dearly held past.”

See the delightful full CHICAGO TRIBUNE Let’s Bring Back feature here, which includes an interview with Ms. Blume:  “Yesterday’s simple pleasures: Author champions some niceties of the past. Teatime, anyone?”

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

“A humorous ode to preservation and the art of rediscovery - heartily recommended.”

Read the feature here:  “Books for the Pickiest Personalities in Your Life.”

In a separate feature, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL excerpted several of Let’s Bring Back‘s wonderful travel entries, including “Lap Robes,” “Wallpapered Cars,” and “Dorothy Draper-designed Airplane Cabins.”

See the whole piece here: Old-Timey Travel: Who Knew?

COUNTRY LIVING

“Delightful ... witty ... recommended reading.”

See the full COUNTRY LIVING magazine article here: “A Tribute to the Good Old Ways: Let’s Bring Back”

Click here to see COUNTRY LIVING’s online Let’s Bring Back feature, including a lovely slideshow of the editors’ “favorite revival-worthy entries.”

Win a copy of Let’s Bring Back! Click here to enter COUNTRY LIVING’s Let’s Bring Back sweepstakes.

W MAGAZINE

“A tongue-in-cheek sparkler of an encyclopedia ... Upon reading, you may find yourself in the kitchen, dressed in a silk lap robe and glamour slippers, stirring up a Tipsy Parson that would make Tallulah Bankhead proud.”

Read the whole feature here, and see Ms. Blume’s Let’s Bring Back-inspired entertaining tips: “Lesley Blume’s Let’s Bring Back”

GLAMOUR

“Nothing makes a gal more modern than updating the fads of yesteryear.”

See the full GLAMOUR feature here, detailing five Let’s Bring Back courtship rituals the editors would like to revive: “5 Relationship Trends We Wish Would Come Back”

BAZAAR

“Witty ... Blume reminisces about a time when women leisurely met for tea instead of gulping down caramel macchiatos with Blackberries in tow. And, of course, no outfit was complete without the right hat and red lipstick—even better if that outfit was one of Elsa Schiaparelli’s or Paco Rabanne’s daring designs.”

Read the full BAZAAR piece here, and learn how former BAZAAR editor Diana Vreeland helped inspire Let’s Bring Back.

STYLEITE

“While the cover, design, and even typeface of the book evoke the feeling of turn-of-the-century hardcovers, Blume’s details and descriptions are entirely her own ...  [Let’s Bring Back] is whimsical, entertaining, enlightening, and utterly captivating.”

Read the full piece: “Fashion Loves Its Icons: Let’s Bring Back”. 

REFINERY 29

“A gorgeously illustrated champagne bubble of a read ... Let’s Bring Back is a must for that perfect, cozy rainy afternoon—the entries will give you an aftertaste that’s elegant, amusing, and, naturally, beyond nostalgic ... Trust, before you get to the letter “L” you’ll be rummaging in your parent’s attic, searching for a monocle.”

Read the full REFINERY 29 feature here:  “Everything You Ever Wanted To Bring Back Is Now In A Book”.

THE DAILY BEAST

“Gone are the days of elegant accoutrement and simple pleasures. Instead we’re surrounded by iPods, useless technology, and plastic surgery—until now. Lesley M.M. Blume ... [has] stolen back time and written a book to satisfy the friend who starts every sentence with ‘Remember when…’.

See THE DAILY BEAST’s full Let’s Bring Back feature here: “Books for the Friend Who is Simply Fabulous”.

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

See the LOS ANGELES TIMES’s coverage of Ms. Blume’s Let’s Bring Back-inspired “Forgotten Hollywood” event: L.A. salutes Lesley M. M. Blume and Her Book About Forgotten Fashionable Things.” Garbo and Dietrich were there in spirit!

FULL FRONTAL FASHION

”Let’s Bring Back is an ode to everything we miss in our current mad dash of a modern world.  [Lesley M. M. Blume] must have been conceived from the hat pin of Dorothy Parker when it fell into a flute of champagne at Noel Coward’s. Her wit, wisdom, and boldness are rare in this day and age.”

See the hilarious FULL FRONTAL FASHION feature here: ”Let’s Bring Back: An Ode to Everything We Miss”.

CONDE NAST TRAVELER

The November “Buzz Book” selection

“An encyclopedia of forgotten gems ... [Blume’s] suggestions to revive rituals from travel’s golden age: post-cards, lap robes, and world-tour honeymoons.  Sign us up.”

Read the CONDE NAST TRAVELER article here:  Let’s Bring Back: A Catalog of Castaways

VOICE OF AMERICA

LISTEN: Ms. Blume talks with Voice of America about rediscovering the delights of old American culture, from grandfather clocks to piano-playing in parlors.

BLACKBOOK

“This encyclopedia of nostalgia captures the elegance of artful living through various famous icons of style and culture. From performer Josephine Baker to screen siren Marlene Dietrich, legendary costume designer Edith Head to the world’s first supermodel Suzy Parker, this book is a must-have!”

See the article here: ”Let’s Bring Back: The Perfect Stocking Stuffer for the Fashionista in Your Life.”

V MAGAZINE

”Let’s Bring Back is a cultivated encyclopedia of nostalgia ... [On the] top of our list: chivalry, hand written thank you cards, and mid-day cocktails. Cheers to bringing it back!”

TIME

“There are lots of things we forget that we once loved. Indulge your loved one’s taste for holiday nostalgia with Lesley M. M. Blume’s A-Z encyclopedia of stuff we should really have never gotten rid of in the first place.  [Filled with} tender appreciations…the book itself attempts to rescue some charming elements of bibliophilia rapidly going out of fashion in the Kindle age.”

See TIME’s Let’s Bring Back feature in its entirety: “This Year’s Coolest Books, Music, DVDs, and Gifts.”

REAL SIMPLE

“If your mom lives her life according to the rules of Emily Post, she’ll no doubt enjoy a book that calls for the reinstatement of waning traditions like cuckoo clocks and the use of the word ‘acquaintance.’”

See REAL SIMPLE’s full Let’s Bring Back here: “7 Meaningful Books for Mom.”

DAILY CANDY

“Charming ... [your] love of all things yesteryear can be stoked by Let’s Bring Back.”

VINTAGE MAGAZINE

See VINTAGE MAGAZINE’s beautiful two-page Let’s Bring Back spread here:  Let’s Bring Back a Few Forgotten Delights.

WASHINGTON LIFE MAGAZINE

See WASHINGTON LIFE’s front-page Let’s Bring Back feature and interview with Ms. Blume: “Attack of the Throw-Backs: New Book Celebrates ‘Artful Living and Artfully Lived Lives’ of the Past.”

THE DAILY FRONT ROW

“Enchanting.”

STYLELIST

“Enlightening ... This read is a time machine for those who appreciate traditions and retro glamour ... [it] will top the wish lists of the most stylish.”

See the full STYLELIST feature here: “The Best Fashion Books for the Holidays.”

TORY BURCH, FASHION DESIGNER

Selected as Tory Burch’s Book of the Week pick.

“Ever wondered what happened to traditions like leaving a calling card, visiting penny arcades, and giving your best friend a beaded friendship pin? In author Lesley M. M. Blume’s new book, Let’s Bring Back, covers them all, including newer bygone miscellany (like CBGB and Polaroids).”

See the feature here.

DITA VON TEESE, ACTRESS & PERFORMER

“I love it!”

PROFESSOR ANNIE FRANK, PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN

“Whimsical and sophisticated.”

Click here to read Professor Frank’s Let’s Bring Back-inspired presentation about America’s once great, now-obscure fashion designers, focusing on personalities featured in the book.

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS

Let’s Bring Back featured in the November issue.  “Dip into tradition and bring back the guest book.  ‘It becomes a house diary, a recording of all comings and goings,’ says author Lesley M. M. Blume.”

See the article here: “Fresh Now: Let’s Bring Back”.

APARTMENT THERAPY

“Delightful ... full of fascinating things ... charming, sharp, and well-researched ... I read the entire book on a cross-country flight, and felt like I’d spent the time with a brilliant new friend.”

Read the whole feature, and see what APARTMENT THERAPY would bring back:  ”Let’s Bring Back by Lesley M. M. Blume.”

SIMPLE LOVELY

“Erudite, witty, cool…a genius book that speaks directly to my closet Luddite tendencies.”

Read the whole post here.

FASHION EDITOR AT LARGE

“Wonderful ... [an] incredible book ... Blume’s writing style is witty, sharp and refined; ... I was engrossed by her incredible knowledge of etiquette, history and cultural icons - one minute I was reading the entry on Fabergé eggs, the next I was learning about Martha Gellhorn, America’s first female war correspondent. It’s the kind of book that makes you feel like your brain is expanding as you read it.”

Read the whole FASHION EDITOR AT LARGE feature here: “Essential Reading: Let’s Bring Back”.

CLADRITE RADIO

“Delightful ... Let’s Bring Back is a breezy trip back in time that proves refreshing indeed for those of us drawn to the past.”

In the following interview, Ms. Blume talks about the undying allure of Bette Davis, how Mad Men changed many of our lives, and why discreet voices should stage a comeback: “The Cladrite Interview: Lesley M. M. Blume.”

CASTOR & POLLUX

“Lesley has all the qualities that we over here at C&P admire and love. She’s whip smart, lovely to look at, super-witty, and has a funny little dog named Ya-Ya. She’s rooted in the past but firmly planted in the present—which will make perfect sense once you get your hands on a copy of her great new book, Let’s Bring Back.”

Read CASTOR & POLLUX’s interview with Ms. Blume here, and come by the store from 6 - 8 PM on November 18 for a Let’s Bring Back event.

PROPPER TOPPER

“Let’s Bring Back is our favorite new reference book ... We love this quirky, fascinating read.”

Read PROPPER TOPPER’s feature on Let’s Bring back here, which includes photos of a perfectly divine American Fly-in movie theater!

 

THE TELEGRAPH HERALD

“A slim, enchanting volume ... I am giving [it] to my favorite Luddites for Christmas.”

Read the TELEGRAPH HERALD’s spirited Let’s Bring Back feature here: “Things I’d Like to Bring Back”.

 

JANUARY MAGAZINE

”[Blume] has approached her project with the kind of grace that she celebrates with this enjoyable, sometimes whimsical book. Diana Vreeland would have been proud.”