Uniforms : why we are what we wear / Paul Fussell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fussell, Paul, 1924-2012.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Uniforms.

Costume--Psychological aspects.

Costume.

Physical Description:

xii, 204 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.

Summary:

From Boy Scouts to soldiers, nurses to UPS workers, chefs to nuns, Fussell describes, in sharp and telling anecdotes the history and meanings of various uniforms. "Uniforms" is vintage Fussell--a blend of vinegar and grace, of keen cultural insight and hilarious wit, equal parts spoof and illuminating social analysis. 8-page photo insert.

Contents:

A Thing About Uniforms 1

Colorful Tights for Men? 8

Sturdy Shoulders and Trim Fit 11

Russian Uniform Culture 16

The German Way 19

Are Italian Men More Vain than Others? 28

Admiral Zumwalt's Big Mistake 30

Brass Buttons 35

Generals' Dress 38

Blue Jeans 48

The Rise and Fall of the Brown Jobs 53

Uniforms of the Faithful 65

Deliverers 80

Transportationists 85

Police and Their Impersonators 93

Why Aren't Grave Violations of Taste Impeachable Offenses, Too? 97

Youth on the Musical March 100

Doorpersons, etc. 105

The Pitiable Misfits of the Klan 110

Uniforms of the Sporting Life 113

Stigmatic Uniforms 121

Weirdos 126

Ernest Hemingway, Semi-Weirdo 132

Uniformity in American Higher Learning 136

Japan as a Uniform Culture 140

Academic Full Dress 142

Pretties 146

Chefs in Their Whites 153

The Nurses' Revolt 156

Little Sailor Suits, and an Addendum on Sloppery 159

Uniforming the Scouts and Others 162

Women's Nuptial Uniform 167

Broad-Brimmed Hats 170

Civilian Uniformities 174

Keepsakes 183

Notes Toward the Reader's Own Theory of Uniforms 186.

ISBN:

0618067469

OCLC:

50478534