Caricatured for extravagance, vanity, glamorous celebrity and, all too often, embroiled in scandal and gossip, 18th-century London's fashionable society had a well-deserved reputation for frivolity. But to be fashionable in 1700s London meant more than simply being well dressed. Fashion denoted membership of a new type of society - the beau monde, a world where status was no longer determined by coronets and countryseats alone but by the more nebulous qualification of metropolitan 'fashion'. Conspicuous consumption and display were crucial; the right address, the right dinner guests, the right possessions, the right jewels, the right seat at the opera. The Beau Monde leads us on a tour of this exciting new world, from court and parliament to London's parks, pleasure grounds, and private homes. From brash displays of diamond jewellery to the subtle complexities of political intrigue, we see how membership of the new elite was won, maintained - and sometimes lost. On the way, we meet a rich and colourful cast of characters, from the newly ennobled peer learning the ropes and the imposter trying to gain entry by means of clever fakery, to the exile banned for sexual indiscretion. Above all, as the story unfolds, we learn that being a Fashionable was about far more than simply being 'modish'. By the end of the century, it had become nothing less than the key to power and exclusivity in a changed world.

A comprehensive analysis of Second World War dress practice and appearance, this study places dress at the forefront of a complex series of cultural chain reactions. As lives were changed by the conditions of war, dress continued to reflect important visual narratives regarding class, gender and taste that would impact significantly on public consciousness of equality, fairness and morale. Using new archival and primary source evidence, Wartime Fashion clarifies how and why clothing was rationed, and repositions style and design during the war in relation to past expectations and ideas about clothes and fabrics. The book explores the impact of war on the dress and appearance of civilian women of all classes in the context of changing social and economic infrastructures created by the national emergency. The varied research elements combined in this book form a rounded and definitive account of the dress history of British women during the Second World War. This is essential reading for anyone with an active interest in the field, whether personal or professional.

Over the last forty years or so academic interest in fashion has burgeoned, and, since the 1970s at least, attempts to define, analyse, and critically explain fashion phenomena have become vital areas of research and study in almost all disciplines within the humanities and social sciences.

As serious academic work on and around the theory and practice of fashion continues to flourish as never before, this new title in the Routledge Major Works series, Critical Concepts in Media and Cultural Studies, meets the need for an authoritative reference work to make sense of a rapidly growing and ever more complex corpus of literature, and to provide a map of the area as it has emerged and developed. It is a landmark collection of foundational and the best cutting-edge scholarship in the field and is organized in four volumes.

What is meant by fashion? Volume I provides a conspectus of some of the most important definitions and philosophies of fashion. The philosophical sources of the various senses of the word fashion in the work of Kant and Adam Smith, for example, are represented here.

Volume II examines the many ways in which analysts have tried to make sense of the incredible variety of things that people wear. One of the simplest ways of doing this is to describe and classify those things. A slightly more sophisticated approach has been to attempt an analysis of them. Volume II presents the best of both the descriptive and analytical approaches to the understanding of fashion.

In addition to describing and analysing fashion, many scholars and other thinkers have tried to account for the very possibility of fashion. The critical task of explaining what makes fashion possible may be described as answering the question Why does this item of clothing look the way it does? and it demands social, cultural, economic, and political answers. Volume III, therefore, collects the pre-eminent and most influential work to explore and explain what people wear.

From whence does our individual and personal identity spring? Is it even appropriate, in an age of mass fashion, to think of ourselves as having individual identities? Volume IV gathers the essential scholarship which addresses these and other hotly contested questions about identity, image, and performance that are raised by postmodern critical analyses of fashion.

Fashion is fully indexed and has a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context. It is an essential work of reference and is destined to be valued by scholars and students as a vital one-stop research and pedagogic resource.

The dynamics of fashion depends on visuals: when we see something we like, we respond to its color, line, form, and eye-appeal. In that sense, fashion communicates itself-without words, without added graphics. But the world of fashion demands much more than the mere presence of garments and accessories and footwear. It involves a wide range of communications, including words-printed, spoken, and electronically transmitted. Those words may serve alone, or they may be paired with images and designs that enhance and illustrate their meaning. This text takes a systematic approach to uncovering fashion to reveal the industry's underlying network of communications. The term "fashion communications" refers not only to monthly fashion magazines, but also to every facet of information relating to fashion-from the names of colors at the dye factory, to the latest runway reviews posted on fashion Web sites. Focusing on four key areas-manufacturing; business; sales and advertising; and representation in the media-Wolbers uses a who-what-wherewhen- why approach. As Professor Horacek so eloquently states in her Foreword, "this book is truly a must for fashion programs anywhere or for anyone who seeks to develop and hone their communication skills." Features -- Specific assignments and exercises designed for both inside and outside the classroom to help students master the unique language of fashion -- Profiles of various forms of fashion communications related to the content of each chapter -- Tips and guidelines for efficient research and information presentations -- Personal Profiles in each chapter support material in text -- Additional assignments and projects, along with samples of grading rubrics to assist instructors -- Instructor's Guide contains tips on how to use the text in a variety of different courses, including fashion journalism, business communication, or other fashion courses -- PowerPoint presentation available

Fashion is everywhere. It is one of the main ways in which we present ourselves to others, signaling what we want to communicate about our sexuality, wealth, professionalism, subcultural and political allegiances, social status, even our mood. It is also a global industry with huge economic, political and cultural impact on the lives of all of us who make, sell, wear or even just watch fashion.Fashion: the key concepts presents a clear introduction to the complex world of fashion. The aim throughout is to present a comprehensive but also accessible and provocative analysis. Readers will discover how the fashion industry is structured and how it thinks, the links between catwalk, celebrity branding, media promotion and mainstream retail, how clothes mean different things in different parts of the world, and how popular culture influences fashion and how fashion shapes global culture.Illustrated with a wealth of photographs, the text is further enlivened with over 30 detailed and rich case studies - ranging across topics as diverse as the meaning of black in fashion, the rise of celebrity branding, the cult of thinness, the politics of veiling, the eroticism of shoes and the power of cosmetics. Features: Boxed chapter overviews open each chapter Bullet points summarizing key ideas conclude each chapter Chapter discussions are illustrated with integrated case material Each chapter is supported by extended Case Studies Key words are highlighted in chapters and defined in an extensive Glossary Further Reading guides the reader to other literature A timeline of Fashion Milestones provides a chronology of major events in the history of fashion

We dress to communicate who we are, or who we would like others to think we are, telling seductive fashion narratives through our adornment. Yet, today, fashion has been democratized through high-low collaborations, social media and real-time fashion mediation, complicating the basic dynamic of identity displays, and creating tension between personal statements and social performances. Fashioning Identity explores how this tension is performed through fashion production and consumption,by examining a diverse series of case studies - from ninety-year old fashion icons to the paradoxical rebellion in 'normcore', and from soccer jerseys in Kenya to heavy metal band T-shirts in Europe. Through these cases, the role of time, gender, age memory, novelty, copying, the body and resistance are considered within the context of the contemporary fashion scene. Offering a fresh approach to the subject by readdressing Fred Davis' seminal concept of 'identity ambivalence' in Fashion, Culture and Identity (1992), Mackinney-Valentin argues that we are in an epoch of 'status ambivalence', in which fashioning one's own identity has become increasingly complicated.

What's your favorite fairy tale? Whether it's "Cinderella," "Beauty and the Beast," "Hansel and Gretel," or another story, your answer reveals something significant about you, your experiences, and your soul. In this penetrating book, Joan Gould brings to the surface the hidden meanings in fairy tales and myths, and illuminates what they can tell you about the stages in your own life. As Gould explores the transformations that women go through from youth to old age-leaving home and mother, the first experience of sexuality, the surprising ambivalence of marriage, the spiritual work required by menopause and aging-her keen observations will enrich your awareness of your inner life.
Full of archetypal figures known to us all, Spinning Straw into Gold" "also includes stories from the lives of ordinary women that clarify the insights to be gained from the beloved tales that have been handed down from one generation to the next.

Autora del bestseller De como las muchachas Garcia perdieron el acento y una finalista del Circulo Nacional de Criticos Literarios "Una exploracion de un ritual exuberante y decisivo en la vida moderna de los latinos... Como autora de esta travesia, Julia Alvarez es una guia extraordinaria."-The Seattle Times La fiesta de quince anos de las muchachas latinas o "la quinceanera" como se le conoce en los Estados Unidos, se ha convertido en una tendencia singularmente americana. Esta esplendida fiesta de vestidos largos y elegantes, pasteles de varias capas, limusinas y banquetes extravagantes, a menudo es tan costosa como un baile de graduacion o una boda. Sin embargo, muchas jovenes latinas sienten que tienen derecho a esto rito de iniciacion, que senala el momento en que se vuelven mujeres, y esperan que no se escatime ningun gasto, ni siquiera entre las familias de escasos recursos. La aclamada escritora Julia Alvarez explora la historia y la relevancia cultural de cumplir los "quince" anos en los Estados Unidos, y usa este acontecimiento como un lente a traves del cual examinar el proceso de cambio por el que esta pasando la mujer latina en los EE.UU. Sus observaciones sobre una fiesta de quince anos en Queens, asi como entrevistas con otras quinceaneras y los recuerdos de su propia experiencia como inmigrante joven, componen un cuidadoso y entretenido retrato de un fenomeno multicultural en rapido crecimiento, asi como una perspectiva unica de un Estados Unidos multicultural. "[Alvarez] posa una mirada critica sobre mitos que estan muy arraigados...cada pagina es un canto de amor a los lazos culturales que vinculan a generaciones de mujeres provenientes de un grupo diversos de paises."-Chicago Sun-Times "Fascinante, ampliamente documentado."-The Washington Post "La sinceridad con la que Alvarez hace frente a la experiencia de haber vivido entre dos culturas resulta cautivadora."-Entertainment Weekly

This third edition of the best-selling In Fashion offers a concise and colorful overview of the key components of fashion-from its history, movements, and trends-to the materials, producers, and retailers that impact the business on a global level. Fashion students will gain a foundation and language for understanding how the current fashion industry works and explore an array of exciting career opportunities. New to This Edition - Includes over 250 color images of current designers, fashion collections, retailers, and more - Covers digital and social media (Parts 1 and 4), updated textile trends and innovations (Chapter 5), and current omni-channel practices in retailing (Chapter 11) - Emphasizes global aspects of the fashion industry, changing demographics, and the effects of economics and politics on consumer choices Key Features - Spotlight on Careers profiles the education, background, and career paths of noted fashion industry professionals - Spotlight on Innovators highlights groundbreaking designers and brands-past and present-such as Iris van Herpen and Donna Karan - Spotlight on Business explores key concepts, trends, and exemplary brands in a rapidly changing industry In Fashion STUDIO - Study smarter with self-quizzes featuring scored results and personalized study tips - Review concepts with flashcards of terms and definitions - Watch videos that bring chapter topics and career opportunities to life - Enhance your knowledge with chapter exercises Teaching Resources - Instructor's Guide including tips for integrating the STUDIO into a course, sample syllabi, teaching methodology, and grading resources. - Updated Test Bank includes 50% new questions and updates throughout. - PowerPoint presentations provide a framework for lectures and include color images from the book. - First Day of Class: Learning with STUDIO PowerPoint presentation PLEASE NOTE: Purchasing or renting this ISBN does not include access to the STUDIO resources that accompany this text. To receive free access to the STUDIO content with new copies of this book, please refer to the book + STUDIO access card bundle ISBN 9781501315152. STUDIO Instant Access can also be purchased or rented separately on BloomsburyFashionCentral.com.

The world of fashion models is attractive for everybody. For the average audience, a fashion model's life is glamourous, elegant and enviable, and many young women aspire to follow such ideals. Today, in the age of modern information technologies, there are endless tools for communicating with the world related to fashion. The daily lives of fashion models can be followed by the masses on social media platforms; they have become influencers, and millions follow the image they represent. However, in the background, there is stress and tension. The fashion industry creates fierce competition, and the models are under intense pressure concerning their body shape. Slimness is a fundamental requirement. This, in turn, leads to an increased risk of eating disorders: fashion models are more prone to develop anorexia or bulimia like symptoms. The book investigates the role of the representatives of the fashion industry in the excessive ideal of slimness and in the enhanced risk of developing eating disorders. Ensuring the health of the models must be a fundamental aspect of the industry.