The Fashion History Reader

'Riello and McNeil's new collection of essays represents an immense and impressive project.' - Choice

'anybody interested in learning how fashion grew from its medieval antecedents into its modern manifestations, how and why people invest it with meaning, and how it operates will be well-advised to use this book as a source. An excellent resource for college and university fashion collections.'- Choice

'Now, the key contributions from nearly every expert in the field are assembled in one fascinating book. This kaleidoscopic and informative volume ranges impressively across conventional boundaries of chronology, geography, and discipline.' – Glenn Adamson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK

'Breaking down barriers, in this book you will discover how fashion has always been a global phenomenon.' –Margaretha van den Bosch, Head of Design at H&M

'This book is indispensable for anyone interested in fashion. History has never been more alive than in the pages of this Reader.'– Patrizia Calefato, University of Bari, Italy

'Riello and McNeil's new collection of essays represents an immense and impressive project.'– R. A. Standish, San Joaquin Delta College, Choice Review

'anybody interested in learning how fashion grew from its medieval antecedents into its modern manifestations, how and why people invest it with meaning, and how it operates will be well-advised to use this book as a source. An excellent resource for college and university fashion collections.' – R. A. Standish, San Joaquin Delta College, Choice Review

'Now, the key contributions from nearly every expert in the field are assembled in one fascinating book. This kaleidoscopic and informative volume ranges impressively across conventional boundaries of chronology, geography, and discipline.' – Glenn Adamson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK

'Breaking down barriers, in this book you will discover how fashion has always been a global phenomenon.' – Margaretha van den Bosch, Head of Design at H&M

'This book is indispensable for anyone interested in fashion. History has never been more alive than in the pages of this Reader.' – Patrizia Calefato, University of Bari, Italy

‘This new Reader is innovative in that it introduces a perhaps somewhat neglected area of study in the increasing number of books being published on fashion; it provides a scholarly investigation into fashion history and situates it in both temporal and spatial contexts.’– Shaun Cole, London College of Fashion

‘This is an excellent volume which thoroughly earns its place both in the increasing library of fashion-related readers published over recent years and as a work which opens up the debate on fashion history. I would thoroughly recommend it to students, accomplished scholars and any readers interested in the continuing history of fashion.’ – Shaun Cole, London College of Fashion

'..Riello and McNeil prompt readers to rethink the way in which fashion can be understood - through the intersections of history and global culture. Indeed, this goal reflects a contemporary concern shared by fashion scholars and postgraduate students working within the field of Fashion Studies to extend empirical research to include and to develop theoretical models that can account for fashions that have their origins outside of Europe. As a result, whilst charting and exploring fashion history, the Fashion History Reader stands as a historical object in and of itself. That is, the book makes a timely contribution to the scholarly discussion around defining, reflecting upon and expanding the concerns of the field of Fashion Studies.'Rachel Lifter, Textile History