Power & Style: A World History of Politics and Dress - Rilegato

Gaulme, Dominique; Gaulme, Francois

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 2080201352 ISBN 13: 9782080201355

Casa editrice: Flammarion, 2012

Riassunto

From the invention of clothing to modern menswear, fashion has been used to embody power in monarchies, military regimes, dictatorships, and the birth of democracy. From the advent of the first civilizations along the Euphrates, Indus, and Nile rivers, clothing has not only offered protection from the elements, but it has also served as an expression of political power and its allocation throughout society. From tribes to royalty, dictatorships to democracies, one’s manner of dress reveals as much about a society’s structures as about the different identities and communities that it encompasses. From ceremonial dress to fur coats, tribal paint to grass skirts, one’s finery conveys the power and status of its wearer. While so-called "naked" societies use ocher, feathers, or shells to demonstrate social standing, elsewhere, gold, pearls, and other precious materials are used to show an individual’s importance. By studying the evolution of costume throughout history, we gain insight into the changes at the heart of communities, from East to West. The desire to dazzle and differentiate oneself via excessive adornment, or conversely the wish to conform, self-expression through attire says as much about an individual as about the society in which they live. From the ornate robes of Chinese emperors, to the painted Nubas in Africa, via the trends of different European courts that gave rise to the modern business suit, clothing as a manner of displaying power is explained in detail in this richly illustrated volume.

Su questo libro

Informazioni sull?autore

François Gaulme, an anthropologist and historian, served at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dominique Gaulme, a former journalist, founded and runs the online magazine Le monde comme il va, which covers a range of cultural, political, and health issues.

Dalla quarta di copertina

From the birth of clothing to modern menswear, this work reveals fashion's role in monarchies, military regimes, dictatorships, and the birth of democracy. From the advent of the first civilizations along the Euphrates, Indus, and Nile Rivers, as well as in China, clothing has not only offered protection from the elements, but has served as an expression of political power and its allocation throughout society. From tribes to royalty, dictatorships to democracies, one's manner of dressing reveals as much about a society's structures as about the different identities and communities that it encompasses. From ceremonial dress to fur coats, tribal paint, feather headdresses, or even grass skirts, finery conveys the power of its wearer. While so-called "naked" societies use ocher, feathers, Tapa cloth, or shells to demonstrate social standing, elsewhere gold, pearls, and other precious materials may be used to show an individual's importance. By studying the evolution of costume throughout history, we gain insight into the changes at the heart of communities, from East to West, via the first peoples of Africa and the Amazon basin. The desire to dazzle and differentiate oneself via excessive luxury and adornment, or conversely the wish to conform, one's regalia says as much about an individual as about the society in which they live as leader, king, or ruler. This volume covers the vast spectrum of regalia and the powerful figures who have worn it throughout the ages. From the ceremonial robes of Chinese emperors, to the painted Nubas in Africa, via the trends of different European courts that gave rise to the modern male suit, the social aspects of clothing are explained in detail in this richly illustrated volume.

Dettagli dell?edizione

• Editore: Flammarion
• Data di pubblicazione: 2012
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 2080201352
• ISBN 13: 9782080201355
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 287
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile