Sex and suits : the evolution of modern dress / Anne Hollander.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hollander, Anne, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Clothing and dress--Social aspects.

Clothing and dress.

Men's clothing--History.

Men's clothing.

Clothing and dress--History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (177 p.)

Distribution:

London, England : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020

Place of Publication:

London, England : Bloomsbury Academic, 2020.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Since the dawn of western fashion in the Middle Ages, women's dress has never stopped evolving, yet menswear has seen far fewer style revolutions. At the centre of the male wardrobe is the suit: relatively unchanged since the 17th century, its cut and cloth suggest athleticism, seriousness, sexuality and strength - qualities which contrasted with the perceived superficiality and frivolity of female dress, and eventually led to the adoption of the suit into the female wardrobe where it remains to this day. In Sex and Suits brilliant essayist and art critic Anne Hollander charts the development of men's and women's fashion from their divergence in the medieval period to their convergence through to the late 20th century. Challenging the idea that the suit's success is merely down to its practicality, this trailblazing book argues that men have been fashion's true style-setters and that as women's fashion has taken on elements of men's style through tailoring, so men have reclaimed the embellishment and colour of past eras. First published in 1994 to great acclaim, this classic text is as fresh and provocative as ever and remains a must-read for students, scholars and anyone fascinated by the history of fashion and gender"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Sex and the modern Form

What fashion Is

The work of fashion. Fashion, non-fashion and anti-fashion

Meaning in fashion

Form and sexuality

Early fashion history

Later changes

Female invention

The genesis of the suit. The great divide

Reason and fantasy

Sobriety and simplicity

Antique natural nudity

Heroes in wool

Neo-classic erotics

Ready-made men

The once and future suit

Modernity. Worth and his effects

Reforming women

Stays

Redesigning women

Modern transformations

Recent Revolutions

Nowadays. Informalities

Sexualities

Revelations

Anxieties

Perceptions.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-150) and index.

Print version record.

ISBN:

9781474250641

1474250645

9781474250610

1474250610

OCLC:

1201426580