Dress Codes
How the Laws of Fashion Made History

4.5 stars - This is a great example of social history that uses a seemingly ordinary topic (in this case, clothing) to unpack cultural history. Cultural objects are key to understanding how and why people act throughout history, and this is a wonderful example of this genre, showing how fashion has......more

Received as an ARC from the publisher. Started 1-20-21. Finished 2-4-21. Scholarly, well-written and very readable world history told via clothing etiquette rules; from togas to business suits, from hoop skirts to miniskirts, from silk stockings for men to silk stockings for women, and bikinis to bu......more

The amount of times this author used the words “sartorial,” “sumptuous,” and “indeed” is ungodly. Someone get this man an editor, please!......more

The subtitle of this book promises a lot, and I was intruiged by the idea that there was a link between dress codes and history. Ford does a great job at showing how the way we've clothed ourselves throughout time correlated with major societal changes and was often the first sign of revolution and......more

I just want to note that a lot of the people giving this book demerits perplexingly are doing so because they seemed to have had preconceived notions about what the contents were. If you are ever in need of clarification on this point, please feel free to read the inside of the dust jacket first, an......more