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Description
When Adorned in Dreams was first published in 1985, Angela Carter described the book as 'the best I have read on the subject, bar none.'
From haute couture to haberdashery, and '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 opponent, from the 'dress reform' movement to certain strands of feminism.
Wilson delights in the power of fashion to mark out, or subvert, identity. This well-established fashion classic brings the story of fashionable dress up to date, exploring the grunge look inspired by bands like Nirvana, the 'boho chic' of the mid 90s, and retrodressing. It also explores meanings of dress, from the veil to David Beckham's pink-varnished toenails.
Re-issued for contemporary readers, Adorned in Dreams now also includes a new preface and afterword by the author, as well as an updated further reading list.
Table of Contents
1: Introduction
2: The History of Fashion
3: Explaining it Away
4: The Fashion Industry
5: Fashion and Eroticism
6: Gender and Identity
7: Fashion and City Life
8: Fashion and Popular Culture
9: Oppositional Dress
10: Utopian Dress and Dress Reform
11: Feminism and Fashion
12: Changing Times/Altered States
Afterword
References
Further reading
Bibliography
Index
Product details
| Published | May 14 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (PDF) |
| Edition | 2nd |
| Extent | 304 |
| ISBN | 9781350399761 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Visual Arts |
| Illustrations | 17 bw |
| Series | Foundations of Fashion Studies |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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