Dress codes : how the laws of fashion made history / Richard Thompson Ford.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ford, Richard T. (Richard Thompson), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Clothing and dress--Social aspects--History.

Clothing and dress.

Fashion--History.

Fashion.

History.

Clothing and dress--Law and legislation--History.

Sumptuary laws--History.

Sumptuary laws.

Clothing and dress--Law and legislation.

Clothing and dress--Social aspects.

Physical Description:

xi, 443 pages, 8 unnumbered leaves of unnumbered plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm

Edition:

First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Simon & Schuster, 2021.

Summary:

PRAISE FOR Dress Codes --

"Dress Codes explores how for centuries fashion has marked a pathway for personal liberation and social critique, even when it sought to reinforce class, race, and gender hierarchies. From nuns' habits to flappers' fringe to burkinis and hijabs, from Joan of Arc's armor to Martin Luther King Jr.'s Sunday best, Richard Thompson Ford reveals a history of individual imagination capable of outwitting and recasting even the strictest rules. Ford's writing is sharp, witty, and brilliant, with the elegance and craft of a bespoke suit"---DANIEL SHARFSTEIN, Vanderbilt University, author of Thunder in the Mountains: Chief Joseph, Oliver Otis Howard, and the Nez Perce War --

"I think that Dress Codes is long overdue. Clothing is at the heart of culture; indeed it is almost a definition of what we mean by the term culture, a constructed but ever-changing expression of social relationships, beliefs, and ideologies. We should all, as Richard Thompson Ford does so magnificently within this book, be taking fashion much more seriously"---RUTH GOODMAN, author of How to be a Victorian and The Domestic Revolution --

"An intriguing history of formal and informal rules governing what people wear [Ford] makes a convincing case that dress codes reveal much about the social order and the pursuit of individual liberty. This jam-packed history casts its subject in a new light"---PUBLISHERS WEEKLY --Book Jacket.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: pt. ONE STATUS SYMBOLS

ch. One Encoding Status

Concerning the Excessive Display of Trunk Hose, Crowns, Ruffled Collars, Velvet, and Crimson Silk

ch. Two Self-Fashioning

Regarding Togas, Gowns, Robes, and Tailored Clothing

ch. Three Signs Of Faith

On the Matter of Dresses with Indulgently Long Trains, Earrings and Other Vanities, and on the Habits of Women Religious

-Inspired by Christian Dior

ch. Four Sex Symbols

On the Subject of Plate Armor and Associated Undergarments, Masks, and Costumes

pt. TWO FROM OPULENCE TO ELEGANCE

ch. Five The Great Masculine Renunciation

On the Frock Coat, Tartan and Kilt, Civilian Uniforms, and Powdered Wigs, Both Large and Modest

ch. Six Style And Status

The Importance of the Well-Dressed Man's Basic Black Suit and the Elegant Woman's Eight Daily Toilettes; the Prevalence of Silk and Velvet Waistcoats and the Art of the Perfectly Tied Cravat

ch. Seven Sex And Simplicity

The Merits of Tailored Coats, Whaleboned Corsets, Full Skirts and Petticoats, and Neoclassical Gowns

ch. Eight The "Rational Dress" Movement

The Inconveniences of Bloomers, Tight-laced Corsets, Starched Collared Shirts, and Suits with Short Trousers

ch. Nine Flapper Feminism

The Scandal of Drop-waisted Shifts, Bobbed Hair, Cupid's Bow Lips, Dancing Flats, Bakelite Earrings, and the Symington Side Lacer

pt. THREE POWER DRESSING

ch. Ten Slaves To Fashion?

The Allure and Danger of Dressing Above One's Condition in Pumps with Silver Buckles, a Hat Cocked in the Macaroni Fashion, or a Jack Johnson Plaid Suit

ch. Eleven From Rags To Resistance

Seen on the Scene: Zoot Suits, Cotillion Gowns, Pressed Hair, and Sunday Best; Afros and Overalls, Dashikis, Black Turtlenecks, and Black Leather Coats

ch. Twelve Sagging And Subordination

Represent the Race! Don't Wear Sagging Pants, Gang Colors, Hoodie Sweatshirts, or Decorative Orthodontic Devices (aka Grillz)

pt. FOUR POLITICS AND PERSONALITY

ch. Thirteen How To Dress Like A Woman

Your Personal Best: Teased, Curled, or Styled Hair, Lipstick, Foundation, Eyeliner, Blush, Bunny Ears and Satin Maillot, High Heels. Overdoing it: Bared Clavicles, Yoga Pants, Miniskirts, "Smart" Jeans. In Re. Ladies in the Law: Skirts, Nylons, Makeup, Nothing Low-Cut, a Feminized Morning Suit

ch. Fourteen Recoding Gender

Clothing Not Belonging to Your Sex: Prom Night Tuxedoes, Blue (or Pink) for Boys, Pink (or Blue) for Girls, Miniskirts, Tutus, and Tailored Suits

ch. Fifteen Piercing The Veil

Outlawed as Indecent or Condemned as Sacrilegious: Headscarves, Burkas, Burkinis, Bikinis, Sexy Sheitels, Hip Hijabs, and Covergirl Makeup

pt. FIVE RETAILORED EXPECTATIONS

ch. Sixteen Merit Badges

Appropriate for the Workplace: Red-Soled Louboutins, a 21 Club Tie, a Blue Blazer, the Preppy Look, Red Sneakers, a Patagonia Vest, a Gray or Black T-shirt. Inappropriate: Designer Dresses, High Heels, Suits

ch. Seventeen Artifice And Appropriation

Outfits for Cultural Tourism: Bleached Blonde Hair, Dreadlocks, Hoop Earrings, a Cheongsam, a Pink Polo, an Abacost, European Luxury Tailoring.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 415-420) and index.

ISBN:

9781501180064

1501180061

OCLC:

1236208756