Scan barcode
lindsirae's review against another edition
4.0
Such an enjoyable read! Having just read [b:Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia], I really appreciated the in-depth analysis of the relationship between the Enlightenment, Puritan disdain for the corporeal, and the resulting “reverse snobbery” of ascetic dress.
pickled_books's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Really interesting overview of dress codes throughout history, it’d be cool if this book was longer & could focus on other areas of the world that it wasn’t able to do. Though at the same time I’m glad it wasn’t too long otherwise I would never finish it.
erboe501's review
4.0
I love learning about this history of fashion. And laws around fashion (ie, dress codes) have always fascinated me. I agree with Ford's premise that studying dress codes through the ages can teach us something about the social anxieties and attitudes around fashion. At times this book got a little dense (Ford is a professor, after all), but I followed along pretty well.
A few things that I want to remember from the book:
--For centuries, fashion was about telling people who had power and what social class you belonged to. When clothes became more tailored (instead of draped like togas), that physical fit encouraged thinking about clothing as individual expression. In today's world, we think of clothing as expressions of our personality, not merely a signifier of our class and wealth.
--Clothing is a "demonstration" of a social position or point of view or privilege position, not an "argument."
--There's no way to opt out of fashion and what our clothes say about us. To claim you don't care is a position in itself.
--When men started to adapt to modern suits and away from ostentatious courtly wear, they used the outrageous outfits of their wives to demonstrate their wealth. Women's clothes became their displays of power and prestige, while the men could conveniently say they were focused on other, more refined interests.
A few things that I want to remember from the book:
--For centuries, fashion was about telling people who had power and what social class you belonged to. When clothes became more tailored (instead of draped like togas), that physical fit encouraged thinking about clothing as individual expression. In today's world, we think of clothing as expressions of our personality, not merely a signifier of our class and wealth.
--Clothing is a "demonstration" of a social position or point of view or privilege position, not an "argument."
--There's no way to opt out of fashion and what our clothes say about us. To claim you don't care is a position in itself.
--When men started to adapt to modern suits and away from ostentatious courtly wear, they used the outrageous outfits of their wives to demonstrate their wealth. Women's clothes became their displays of power and prestige, while the men could conveniently say they were focused on other, more refined interests.
cthonautical's review
1.0
Has some strikingly bad information.
It has the "corsets bad and deform women" misinformation that is way too common and also not true. When you call what queen elizabeth I wore a corset and not a body, or continue calling it a corset when it turns into stays, you know it's getting into some misinfo.
Also perpetuates the myth that thousands of women burned due to crinolines, which historians say was an exaggeration. There are cases of a few women. But to say even 1000 is a stretch.
It was written by a lawyer and not a fashion historian, and that fact should definitely be taken into account.
It has the "corsets bad and deform women" misinformation that is way too common and also not true. When you call what queen elizabeth I wore a corset and not a body, or continue calling it a corset when it turns into stays, you know it's getting into some misinfo.
Also perpetuates the myth that thousands of women burned due to crinolines, which historians say was an exaggeration. There are cases of a few women. But to say even 1000 is a stretch.
It was written by a lawyer and not a fashion historian, and that fact should definitely be taken into account.
stw07's review
I’m sorry but the audiobook narrator’s style of speech is honestly unlistenable.
colorfulleo92's review
5.0
Shortly after it being available on my book app I've seen reviews of it and I was so excited to read it so I dropped everything to start reading it and im absolutely not regretting it. This starts way back in history and goes through to modern times telling of the times shaped clothing and how clothing changing society.how it's both been used to fit in and make a point with standing out. Very well written and engaging. Highly recommend it if you like history and fashion