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Klappentext This illustrated survey of 600 years of fashion investigates its cultural and social meanings from medieval Europe to 20th-century America. It provides a guide to the changes in style and taste, and challenges existing fashion histories, showing that clothes have always played a pivotal role in defining a sense of identity and society, especially when concerned with sexual and body politics. With a chronological structure, each chapter focuses on both male and female fashion of a specific period, covering its fascinating developments. It discusses: androgynous dressing; body piercing; fabrics, clothing and the rise of city life; dress, and the changing shape of the human body; controversies surrounding trousers and leg wear for both men and women; exposure of flesh; fashion and social status; and the dissemination of fashion through travel, film, magazines and catwalk shows. Zusammenfassung This illustrated survey of 600 years of fashion investigates its cultural and social meanings from medieval Europe to 20th-century America. It provides a guide to the changes in style and taste! showing that clothes have always played a pivotal role in defining a sense of identity and society. Inhaltsverzeichnis Medieval period - fashioning the body; Renaissance - the rhetoric of power; 17th century - clothing and crisis; 18th century - clothing and commerce; 19th century - fashion and modernity; early 20th century - clothing the masses; late 20th century - catwalk and street style.
