Fashion and Materiality : Cultural Practices in Global Contexts

Fashion is intimately tied to the material world. With a focus on diverse cultural practices, this cutting-edge study offers new insights into the dynamic relationships between fashion, bodies, and material culture. Drawing on a series of original case studies, both historical and contemporary, the collection explores how fashion and clothing shape our sense of body and self, our experiences of time and place, and our social relationships.With contributions from a range of leading international scholars, Fashion and Materiality takes the reader from Chinoiserie clothing in 18th century Europe to fast fashion in today's China. The book also examines the global exchange of material fashion objects, from clothing donations for Syrian refugees in Germany, to “nomadic chic” on international fashion runways.Exploring the intimate material connections between clothing, biography and emotion, this beautifully illustrated book traces the material properties of fashion and shows how dress and cultural identity are interwoven with everyday practices like buying, wearing and making clothing. Using the materiality of dress to illuminate the personal and political, Fashion and Materiality offers an invaluable new resource for teaching and research in an expanding field.