Paris has been the international capital of fashion for more than 300 years. Even before the rise of the haute couture, Parisians were notorious for their obsession with fashion, and foreigners eagerly followed their lead. From Charles Frederick Worth to Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent, fashion history is dominated by the names of Parisian couturiers. But Valerie Steele's Paris Fashion is much more than just a history of great designers. This fascinating book demonstrates that the success of Paris ultimately rests on the strength of its fashion culture – created by a host of fashion performers and spectators, including actresses, dandies, milliners, artists, and writers. First published in 1988 to great international acclaim, this pioneering book has now been completely revised and brought up to date, encompassing the rise of fashion's multiple world cities in the 21st century. Lavishly illustrated, deeply learned, and elegantly written, Valerie Steele's masterwork explores with brilliance and flair why Paris remains the capital of fashion.

From animal furs of prehistory to golden crowns of Ancient Egypt, The Complete Book of Fashion History explores history and culture through the lens of fashion! Explore world history and culture through the lens of fashion with The Complete Book of Fashion History. Travel through time and learn about the most popular fashion trends in history, from the garb of early humans in pre-history, to the short skirts of flappers and the bell-bottoms of disco. You'll get the full stories on subjects like why did French aristocrats powder their hair? And why did knights wear so much chain mail? From buttons to zippers and leather sandals to high heels, young fashionistas will learn how fashion is often influenced by what's happening in the world around us. With colorful, engaging illustrations and fascinating historical facts, this quirky historical reference, geared toward young fashionistas, encourages discussion among children and their parents about different cultures and fashion trends through history.

Tracing the evolution of fashion-from the early draped fabrics of ancient times to the catwalk couture of today, Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style is a stunningly illustrated guide to more than three thousand years of shifting trends and innovative developments in the world of clothing. With a wealth of breathtaking spreads-from ancient Egyptian dress to Space Age Fashion and Grunge-and information on icons like Marie Antoinette, Clara Bow, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Alexander McQueen, Fashion will captivate anyone interested in style-whether it's the fashion-mad teen in Tokyo, the wannabe designer in college, or the fashionista intrigued by the violent origins of the stiletto and the birth of bling.

This collection arises from an international fashion conference held at Sapienza University in Rome, Italy, in May 2015. It is dedicated to one of the main indicators of social change, fashion, analysed within various scientific fields, historical periods, and geographical areas. It offers a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the world of clothes, starting from a historical perspective, religious clothes, and traditional costumes, and then exploring fashion theories and more recent approaches and developments in the media and advertisements. The book analyses the clothing of various cultures, including the Hittite peoples and the less explored fashion of Eastern Europe, and it deals with craft traditions and national costume in different areas, including China, Greece, Romania and Georgia. It also investigates the style of marginalized groups and youth movements and the interpretation of fashion in the studies and writings of sociologists, philosophers and linguists, such as Fausto Squillace and Christian Garve.

Fashion History: A Global View proposes a new perspective on fashion history. Arguing that fashion has occurred in cultures beyond the West throughout history, this groundbreaking book explores the geographic places and historical spaces that have been largely neglected by contemporary fashion studies, bringing them together for the first time. Reversing the dominant narrative that privileges Western Europe in the history of dress, Welters and Lillethun adopt a cross-cultural approach to explore a vast array of cultures around the globe. They explore key issues affecting fashion systems, ranging from innovation, production and consumption to identity formation and the effects of colonization. Case studies include the cross-cultural trade of silk textiles in Central Asia, the indigenous dress of the Americas and of Hawai'i, the cosmetics of the Tang Dynasty in China, and stylistic innovation in sub-Saharan Africa. Examining the new lessons that can be deciphered from archaeological findings and theoretical advancements, the book shows that fashion history should be understood as a global phenomenon, originating well before and beyond the fourteenth century European court, which is continually, and erroneously, cited as fashion's birthplace. Providing a fresh framework for fashion history scholarship, Fashion History: A Global View will inspire inclusive dress narratives for students and scholars of fashion, anthropology, and cultural studies.

This exciting book explores fashion not simply from an aesthetic point of view but also as a manifestation of social and cultural change. Focusing on fashion from 1850, noted fashion historians Daniel James Cole and Nancy Deihl consider the evolution of womenswear, menswear, and childrenswear, decade by decade. The book looks at the dissemination of style and the mechanisms of change, at the relationship between fashion and the visual, applied, and performing arts, the intertwined relationship between fashion and popular culture, the impact of new materials and technology, and the growing globalization of style. With photographs of costume from museums and images from the fashion press including editorial photography, illustrations, and advertising, the book will include insights into icons of fashion and the clothes worn by “real people”, providing a valuable visual reference for the reader.