Description
Book SynopsisDuring the prosperous, forward-thinking era after the Second World War, a growing number of men, women, and children across the United States were wearing fashions that evoked the Old West.
Westernwear: Postwar American Fashion and Culture examines why a sartorial style with origins in 19th-century agrarian traditions continued to be worn at a time when American culture sought balance between technocratic confidence in science and technology on one side, and fear and anxiety over global annihilation on the other. By analysing well-known and rarely considered western manufacturers,
Westernwear revises the common perception that fashionable innovation came from the East coast and places western youth cultures squarely back in the picture. The book connects the history of American working class dress with broader fashionable trends and discusses how and why Native American designs and representations of Native American people were incorporated broadly and inconsistently into
Trade ReviewSonya Abrego has unearthed a wealth of examples from the westernwear archives and shares these through an expert and absorbing commentary. Generously illustrated and accessibly written, this fascinating history of fashion at, and of, the frontier questions, complicates and, ultimately, enriches. * Alison L. Goodrum, Norwich University of the Arts, UK *
Impeccably researched and written with clarity,
Westernwear broadens existing fashion history narratives and offers fresh insights on topics such as American sportswear, and important issues including appropriation and representation. Beautifully illustrated, this new book will be an indispensable resource for scholars and students alike. * Rebecca C. Tuite, Fashion Historian and Author of 1950s in Vogue *
Table of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: Westernwear: Histories and Contexts Chapter 2: Four Westernwear Companies Chapter 3: Dressing the Atomic West: Locating the Western in Midcentury America Chapter 4: Westernwear as ready-to-wear Chapter 5: Westernwear in youth culture and subculture Chapter 6: The Native American Presence in Westernwear: Design and Representation Conclusion Bibliography Index
