From haute-couture to haberdashery, "deviant" dress to Dior, Elizabeth Wilson traces the social and cultural history of fashion and its complex relationship to modernity. She also discusses fashion's vociferous opponents, from the "dress reform" movement to certain strands of feminism. Wilson delights in the power of fashion to mark out identity or to subvert it and this edition of her book follows developments to bring the story of fashionable dress up to date, exploring the grunge look inspired by bands like Nirvana, the "boho chic" of the mid 90s, retro-dressing and the meanings of dress from the veil to Beck's pink-varnished toenails.

Author Biography

Elizabeth Wilson is Emeritus Professor at London Metropolitan University and also teaches at the Architectural Association, the London Institute and Goldsmiths College, University of London. Her books include 'Bohemians' (I.B.Tauris), 'Hallucinations: Life in the Post-modern City' and 'The Sphinx in the City'.