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The story of the world's first fashion-obsessed society in
18th-century London 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.
What does material culture tell us about gendered identities and
how does gender reveal the meaning of spaces and things? If we look
at the objects that we own, covet and which surround us in our
everyday culture, there is a clear connection between ideas about
gender and the material world. This book explores the material
culture of the past to shed light on historical experiences and
identities. Some essays focus on specific objects, such as an
eighteenth-century jug or a 20th powder puff, others on broader
material environments, such as the sixteenth-century guild or the
interior of a 20th century pub, while still others focus on the
paraphernalia associated with certain actions, such as
letter-writing or maintaining 18th century men's hair. Written by
scholars in a range of history-related disciplines, the essays in
this book offer exposes of current research methods and interests.
These demonstrate to students how a relationship between material
culture and gender is being addressed, while also revealing a
variety of intellectual approaches and topics.
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.
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