Front cover image for Corsets and codpieces : a history of outrageous fashion, from Roman times to the modern era

Corsets and codpieces : a history of outrageous fashion, from Roman times to the modern era

Karen Bowman (Author)
Have you ever wondered why we wear the type of clothes we do? Packed with outlandish outfits, this exciting history of British fashion trends reveals the flamboyant fashions adopted (and discarded) by our ancestors. In the days before cosmetic surgery, people used bum rolls and bombastic breeches to augment their figures; painted their faces with poisonous concoctions; and doused themselves with scent to cover body odour. Take a fresh look at history's hidden fashion disasters and discover the stories behind historical garments: * How removing a Medieval woman's headdress could reveal her as a harlot * Why Tudor men traded in their over-sized codpieces for corsets * The ridiculous roof-raising results of four-foot high Georgian headgear * How the crinoline caused a spate of shoplifting among Victorian ladies Karen Bowman charts our sartorial history from the animal skins first used to cover our modesty and show off hunting skills, right up to the 20th century drive for practicality and comfort
eBook, English, 2016
First Skyhorse Publishing edition View all formats and editions
Skyhorse Publishing, New York, NY, 2016
History
1 online resource : illustrations (some color)
9781510708693, 1510708693
959878601
Introduction
Short skirts, long beards
Modest medieval
Ruffs and hose
Drums and wheels
Sumptuous Stuarts
Gorgeous Georgians
False calves and rising moons
Death by crinoline
Bustles
La belle époque
The roaring twenties
Abominable trousers and rationed fashion
Cinches and pinches: a brave new world?
Conclusion
Electronic book