RCC 100: What Are You Wearing? Fashion in the Global World

An authoritative introduction to fashion, the industry, and the issues that have defined the field. Some 640 articles describe the colorful facets of couture and textiles, from fabrics of chintz, corduroy, and feathers to such garb as aprons, bikinis, and prison dress. There are color plates and nearly 600 black-and-white illustrations. Back matter includes a comprehensive index, a timeline, and a topical outline.

From Neolithic plant-fiber skirts, Ancient Egyptian linen shifts, and Classical togas through Mongolian shamanic robes, Japanese kimonos, and Indian saris to nineteenth-century Tyrolean dirndls, contemporary African ceremonial attire, and today's Middle Eastern burqas -- every notable geographical region, historical period, and style of dress is covered here. More than one thousand illustrations included, with historical backgrounds and descriptions of population, geography, and climate.