A single glance at our clothing reveals a wealth of information about how we perceive ourselves, each other, and our place in society. In this classic text, Susan B. Kaiser brings to the surface the unconscious thought processes we use to decide not just how clothes look, but what they mean. In a new section written especially for this updated edition, Kaiser addresses the increasingly multicultural emphasis of the study of clothing and appearance. She also reexamines fashion in terms of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and social class, offering a more broad-based and inclusive vision of the social psychology of clothing.

Social Psychology of Dress presents and explains the major theories and concepts that are important to understanding relationships between dress and human behavior. These concepts and theories are derived from such disciplines as sociology, psychology, anthropology, communication, and textiles and clothing. Information presented will provide summaries of empirical research, as well as examples from current events or popular culture. The book provides a broad-based and inclusive discussion of the social psychology of dress, including: - The study of dress and how to do it - Cultural topics such as cultural patterns including technology, cultural complexity, normative order, aesthetics, hygiene, ethnicity, ritual - Societal topics such as family, economy-occupation, social organizations and sports, fraternal organizations - Individual-focused theories on deviance, personality variables, self, values, body image and social cognition - Coverage of key theories related to dress and identity provide a strong theoretical foundation for further research Unique chapter features bring in industry application and current events. The end-of-chapter summaries, discussion questions and activities give students opportunities to study and research dress. Teaching resources including an instructor's guide, test bank and PowerPoint presentations with full-color versions of images from the textbook. Social Psychology of Dress STUDIO - Study smarter with self-quizzes featuring scored results and personalized study tips - Review concepts with flashcards of essential vocabulary - Download worksheets to complete chapter activities

Designed for the introductory clothing selection course and for courses in family clothing.