The Language of Clothes (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Back in print, the classic book about the clothes we wear and what they say about us.

Even before we speak to someone in a meeting, at a party, or on the street, our clothes often express important information (or misinformation) about our occupation, origin, personality, opinions, and tastes. And we pay close attention to how others dress as well; though we may not be able to put what we observe into words, we unconsciously register the information, so that when we meet and converse we have already spoken to one another in a universal tongue.

Alison Lurie, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, is our savvy guide and interpreter on this tour through the history of fashion. She provides fascinating insights into how changing sex roles, political upheavals, and class structure have influenced costume. Whether she is describing the enormous amount of clothing worn by early Victorian women or illuminating the significance of the long robes worn by aging men throughout history to connote eminence, her analysis is playful, clever, and always on target.

About the Author

Alison Lurie is the Pulitzer-prize winning author of many highly praised novels, including, most recently, The Last Resort. She currently divides her time between Ithaca, Key West, and London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; 1st edition (March 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805062440
• ISBN-13: 978-0805062441
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #611,563 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Fascinating!, April 27, 2000

By	sally barry (Liverpool, NY) - See all my reviews

I can't wait to go out and buy this book, which I read in hardcover from the library. It is very well researched and illustrated and discusses clothes and fashions from long ago up till today. And not just fashions and how they change, but what they MEAN. For example, did you know....in olden times, not just elegant clothing, but cloth itself was and admired and expensive commodity. The more cloth making up one's clothing meant that person was wealthy. Paintings of the period featured draperies in the background to indicate a person's wealth, and even today designer clothing uses more cloth and is cut fuller, carrying on the tradition. Anyone interested in not only fashion and clothing but symbols and history should read this book, it is just fascinating and delicious.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweeping look at the history and evolution of clothing., July 4, 2000

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Novelist Lurie here turns her attention to the history and social interpretation of clothing, linking politics, sexuality and social issues such as class to the evolution of clothing design and style. From Victorian to modern times, The Language of Clothes takes a sweeping look at the history of clothing's evolution and trends, making for an excellent guide.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great social history of clothes, January 28, 2006

By	Beatrice Izzey "Nanny Dog" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

Well written, well argued history, not text book like at all, but like a long New Yorker article. A pleasure to read. It's not about silly petty fads but great social movements that underlie trends and revolutions. I think more photo illustrations would help.