Description
Book SynopsisAll over the world, people get dressed, mostly for the same reasons. Why, then, do we look so different from each other? The answers lie in the constellations of factors that contribute to the human condition, from climate to conformity, gender expression to race and ethnicity.Beginning with the body as the organizing principle around which to study dress, this 50th anniversary edition of
The Visible Self makes sense of humans as biological, social, and aesthetic creatures based on cross-disciplinary concepts and examples. It explores the daily act of dress in cultures around the world, using the word dress to describe the wide variety of behaviors connected to the act of adorning our bodiesor notthrough the use of clothing, modifications, and/or supplements. Political economies are addressed holistically to understand the global world through contemporary topics such as racism and how dress can be used to sustain or rebel against dominant structures. With current examples and r
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Part I: Body, Dress, and Culture Chapter 1 The Body Chapter 2 The Classification System for Dress Chapter 3 Dress, Culture, and Society Part II: Political Economies and Dress Chapter 4 Political Economies and Dress Chapter 5 Fashion, The Body, and Culture Part III: Art, Aesthetics, and Dress Chapter 6 The Art of Creating Dress Chapter 7 Standards, Ideals, and the Art of Dress Chapter 8 Conformity and Individuality in Dress Chapter 9 Dress and the Arts Chapter 10 One World of Dress Appendix Bibliography Credits for Figures Index
