Clothing in 17th-Century Provincial England

Description

Featuring detailed analyses of clothing culture in 17th-century provincial Sussex, this original study draws on previously unexploited sources to create an intimate and nuanced portrait of people and their clothes. An introductory chapter uses 17th-century literature to identify and explore contemporary ideas about clothing, the individual and society, as well as the relationship between London and the provinces and the causes and consequences of conspicuous clothing consumption. Subsequent chapters look at the production, distribution and acquisition of clothing in Sussex and the participation of consumers in these processes; the role of London as a centre of fashionable clothing consumption and the experience of wealthier consumers in shopping there; the clothing worn by individual men, women and older children of the 'middle' and 'better' sort and the extent to which they participated in contemporary, London-driven, fashion culture. A final chapter examines the clothing worn by the poor, including vagrants, parish paupers and the 'labouring' poor. With over 40 images Clothing in 17th-Century Provincial England offers a new window onto early modern experiences of clothing.

Danae Tankard is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Chichester, UK.

Danae Tankard's new monograph offers a refreshing and much needed perspective on dress practices in seventeenth-century England ... It is essential reading for anybody working on seventeenth-century fashion and dress, as well as those who are interested in the material culture of this century more broadly. * Parergon * What has been particularly interesting in reading this book is that it suggests that many attributes usually thought to have become common in the eighteenth century ... were actually well established in the previous century. [It] enhances current scholarship of the period and provides greater understanding of otherwise ignored aspects of clothing. * The Journal of Dress History * This is essential reading for anyone who studies or writes about 17th-century dress, as important contributions to the literature such as Danae Tankard's elegantly written and informative book are rare. * Valerie Cumming, Editor of 'Costume: The Journal of the Costume Society' and author of 'The Dictionary of Fashion History' * Drawing on meticulous research and through deft analysis, Danae Tankard's innovative study adds so much to our knowledge of 17th-century clothing. * Maria Hayward, co-editor of The First Book of Dress, and University of Southampton, UK *