This unique four-volume encyclopedia examines the historical significance of fashion trends, revealing the social and cultural connections of clothing from the precolonial times to the present day. This sweeping overview of fashion and apparel covers several centuries of American history as seen through the lens of the clothes we wear—from the Native American moccasin to Manolo Blahnik's contribution to stiletto heels. Through four detailed volumes, this work delves into what people wore in various periods in our country's past and why—from hand-crafted family garments in the 1600s, to the rough clothing of slaves, to the sophisticated textile designs of the 21st century. More than 100 fashion experts and clothing historians pay tribute to the most notable garments, accessories, and people comprising design and fashion. The four volumes contain more than 800 alphabetical entries, with each volume representing a different era. Content includes fascinating information such as that beginning in 1619 through 1654, every man in Virginia was required to plant a number of mulberry trees to support the silk industry in England; what is known about the clothing of enslaved African Americans; and that there were regulations placed on clothing design during World War II. The set also includes color inserts that better communicate the visual impact of clothing and fashion across eras.

This volume provides a history of human decoration and adornment.

The best new research on medieval clothing and textiles, drawing from a range of disciplines. Topics in this volume range widely throughout the European middle ages. Three contributions concern terminology for dress. Two deal with multicultural medieval Apulia: an examination of clothing terms in surviving marriage contracts from the tenth to the fourteenth century, and a close focus on an illuminated document made for a prestigious wedding. Turning to Scandinavia, there is an analysis of clothing materials from Norway and Sweden according to gender and social distribution. Further papers consider the economic uses of cloth and clothing: wool production and the dress of the Cistercian community at Beaulieu Abbey based on its 1269-1270 account book, and the use of clothing as pledge or payment in medieval Ireland. In addition, there is a consideration of the history of dagged clothing and its negative significance to moralists, and of the painted hangings that were common in homes of all classes in the sixteenth century. ROBIN NETHERTON is a professional editor and a researcher/lecturer on the interpretation of medieval European dress; GALE R. OWEN-CROCKER is Emerita Professor of Anglo-Saxon Culture at the University of Manchester. Contributors: Antonietta Amati, Eva I. Andersson, John Block Friedman, Susan James, John Oldland, Lucia Sinisi, Mark Zumbuhl

This major textbook is designed for students studying textiles and fashion at higher and undergraduate level, as well as those needing a comprehensive and authoritative overview of textile materials and processes. The first part of the book reviews the main types of natural and synthetic fibres and their properties. Part two provides a systematic review of the key processes involved first in converting fibres into yarns and then transforming yarns into fabrics. Part three discusses the range of range of finishing techniques for fabrics. The final part of the book looks specifically at the transformation of fabric into apparel, from design and manufacture to marketing. With contributions from leading experts in their fields, this major book provides the definitive one-volume guide to textile manufacture. Provides comprehensive coverage of the types and properties of textile fibres to yarn and fabric manufacture, fabric finishing, apparel production and fashion Focused on the needs of college and undergraduate students studying textiles or fashion courses Each chapter ends with a summary to emphasise key points, a comprehensive self-review section, and project ideas are also provided

Contains 640 alphabetized, cross-referenced entries on clothing and fashion, covering such disciplines as fashion design, anthropology, sociology, business, history, and art history.

This two-volume set presents information and images of the varied clothing and textiles of cultures around the world, allowing readers to better appreciate the richness and diversity of human culture and history. The contributors to Encyclopedia of National Dress: Traditional Clothing around the World examine clothing that is symbolic of the people who live in regions all over the world, providing a historical and geographic perspective that illustrates how people dress and explains the reasons behind the material, design, and style. The encyclopedia features a preface and introduction to its contents. Each entry in the encyclopedia includes a short historical and geographical background for the topic before discussing the clothing of people in that country or region of the world. This work will be of great interest to high school students researching fashion, fashion history, or history as well as to undergraduate students and general readers interested in anthropology, textiles, fashion, ethnology, history, or ethnic dress.

How people dressed throughout history often reflects how they lived at the time, and Clothing in World History gives the reader a chance to explore clothing in a given place and time while also providing a general history to help put the costumes in context. This set takes the reader on a journey from the beginning of time to present day to look at what people wore in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. Men's, Women's, and Children's clothing from various social classes, as well as accessories, are be included. This set is a critical guide for secondary and undergraduate students interested in history, social history, art history, fashion, and costume. It covers the history of clothing throughout the world from pre-historic times to 2006. Many cultures are included in this study of clothing within the context of social, political, economic and religious history as they pertain to each time period and place. Researchers can turn to this set first for the most essential information about a time, place, and style of dress. The three volumes are divided into comprehensive parts with the goal of making them easy to use and accessible to readers. There are other books and surveys of the history of costume that mainly concentrate on Western Europe, but few that cover different cultures and how they influence fashion in the western world. This book looks at costume throughout the world and throughout history.