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'This riveting behind-the-scenes story of the clothes on our backs is a must-read for clotheshorses everywhere' Harper's Bazaar 'Extraordinary . . . fascinating . . . a wonderful way into history, quite often through the voices of people who don't have a say in history' Cerys Matthews Linen, Cotton, Silk, Synthetics, Wool: through the stories of these five fabrics, Sofi Thanhauser illuminates the world we inhabit in a startling new way, travelling from China to Cumbria to reveal the craft, labour and industry that create the clothes we wear. From the women who transformed stalks of flax into linen to clothe their families in nineteenth century New England to those who earn their dowries in the cotton-spinning factories of South India today, this book traces the origins of garment-making through time and around the world. Exploring the social, economic and environmental impact of our most personal possessions, Worn looks beyond care labels to show how clothes reveal the truth about what we really care about. 'A must-read . . . combines remarkable research with heartfelt care' Clare Hunter
"In this ambitious, panoramic social history, Sofi Thanhauser brilliantly tells five stories--Linen, Cotton, Silk, Synthetics, Wool--about the clothes we wear and where they come from, illuminating our world in unexpected ways. She takes us from the opulent court of Louis Quatorze to the labor camps in modern-day Chinese-occupied Xinjiang. We see how textiles were once dyed from lichen, shells, bark, saffron, and beetles, displaying distinctive regional weaves and knits, and how the modern Western garment industry has refashioned our attire into the homogeneous and disposable uniforms popularized by fast fashion brands. Thanhauser makes clear how the clothing industry has become one of the p...
Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The flax plant is a source of linen, a fabric made from flax that is used to make cord and thread. It is grown in the ground and pulled in July when the leaves turn yellow. The inner fibers are then drawn through a hackling comb to remove smaller pieces of tow, and woven into fabric. #2 The first clothes were most likely made of animal skins. Humans began clothing themselves in hides and pelts about 170,000 years ago. They learned to weave plant fibers into textiles around 100,000 years ago. #3 The first cloth was made from linen, which was found in Turkey in 1988. It was radiocarbon dated to 7000 BC. The first humans to wear clothing made from vegetal fiber were the Gravettian culture, who lived in what is now Russia and Eastern Europe. #4 The oldest shirt in the archeological record was found in a First Dynasty Egyptian tomb in Tarkhan, and dates to 3000 BC. It was a meticulously crafted shirt with an elaborate system of pleats that allowed its wearer to move their limbs comfortably, while still enjoying a fitted silhouette.
A rich, comprehensive collection of images covering the revolution in menswear over the last 100 years with text by fashion historian Cally Blackman. A unique collection, 100 Years of Menswear will prove indispensable for all fashion students, historians of dress, and lovers of men's clothes.
Denim Dudes is a street style book with a difference. As well as featuring key players in the global denim business, such as Jason Denham (Denham), François Girbaud, (Marithé + François Girbaud), Adriano Goldschmied (Diesel, 7 For All Mankind) and Kenichi and Kenji Shiotani (Warehouse Japan), it also explores the very best and latest denim styling on the street, from bikers to vintage dealers and store owners. Exclusive photography for the book was shot in Paris, Tokyo, London, New York, LA, Milan, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Barcelona, Melbourne, Gothenburg, and Sydney. This inspirational title will appeal not just to designers and fashion professionals but to a public increasingly obsessed with the world of denim. It offers unrivalled insight into the stylish and sometimes eccentric "dudes" involved in this fascinating and diverse industry.
Former rock singer Hollis Henry has lost a lot of money in the crash, which means she can't turn down the offer of a job from Hubertus Bigend, sinister Belgian proprietor of mysterious ad agency Blue Ant. Milgrim is working for Bigend too. Bigend admires the ex-addict's linguistic skills and street knowledge so much that he's even paid for his costly rehab. So together Hollis and Milgrim are at the front line of Bigend's attempts to get a slice of the military budget, and they gradually realize he has some very dangerous competitors. Which is not a great thought when you don't much trust your boss either. Gibson's new novel, set largely in London, spookily captures the paranoia and fear of our post-Crash times.
**SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** **RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK** **WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE MONTH** 'An astonishing feat' Christina Patterson, Sunday Times 'An inspiring and moving sideways look at history' Eithne Farry, Sunday Express An eloquent blend of history and memoir, Threads of Life is an evocative and moving book about the need we all have to tell our story. From political propaganda in medieval France to secret treason in Tudor England, from the mothers of the desaparecidos in Argentina to First World War soldiers with PTSD, from a POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland, Threads of Life is a global chronicle of identity, protest, memory and politics. Banner-maker, community textile artist and textile curator Clare Hunter chronicles the stories of the men and women, over centuries and across continents, who have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances. 'A beautifully considered book... Clare Hunter has managed to mix the personal with the political with moving results.' TRACY CHEVALIER
Exploring adornment and dress from an anthropological perspective - a classic text from 1978 revised with a new introduction and postscript for the 21 century.
A law professor and cultural critic offers an eye-opening exploration of the laws of fashion throughout history, from the middle ages to the present day, examining the canons, mores and customs of clothing rules that we often take for granted
*A Financial Times Book of the Year* 'The first time I opened What Artists Wear, I gasped with pleasure. Imagine it as a kind of punk cousin to John Berger's Ways of Seeing, liberally illustrated with the most astonishing images of artists, decked out in finery or rags ... It transported me to somewhere glamorous, exciting, even revolutionary' Olivia Laing, Guardian Most of us live our lives in our clothes without realizing their power. But in the hands of artists, garments reveal themselves. They are pure tools of expression, storytelling, resistance and creativity: canvases on which to show who we really are. In What Artists Wear, style luminary Charlie Porter takes us on an invigorating, ...