Why are civil authorities in so-called liberal democracies affronted by public nudity and the Islamic full-face 'veil'? Why is law and civil order so closely associated with robes, gowns, suits, wigs and uniforms? Why is law so concerned with the 'evident' and the need for justice to be 'seen' to be done? Why do we dress and obey dress codes at all? In this, the first ever study devoted to the many deep cultural connections between dress and law, the author addresses these questions and more. His responses flow from the radical thesis that 'law is dress and dress is law'.
Engaging with sources from The Epic of Gilgamesh to Shakespeare, Carlyle, Dickens and Damien Hirst, Professor Watt draws a revealing history of dress and civil order and offers challenging conclusions about the nature of truth and the potential for individuals to fit within the forms of civil life.
Series Editor's Foreword
Author's Preface
Chapter One: 'Dress is Law'
Chapter Two: 'Foundations of the State of Dress'
Chapter Three: 'Shakespeare on Proof and Fabricated Truth'
Chapter Four: 'The Face the Law Makes'
Chapter Five: 'Addressing the Naked and Unfolding the Veil'
Chapter Six: 'Something More Comfortable: A Fitting Conclusion'
Gary Wattis Professor of Law at the University of Warwick, UK. He is a National Teaching Fellow and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In 2009 he was named national 'Law Teacher of the Year'. He is the founding co-editor of the journal
Law and Humanitiesand his previous books include
Trusts and Equity(2003) and
Equity Stirring: The Story of Justice Beyond Law(2009).
In a finely fluent and eruditely entertaining fashion,Dress, Law and Naked Truthprovides a radical revival of the philosophy of clothes for common lawyers. Watt's sartorial jurisprudence draws upon the rich history and homology of costume and custom, livery and law, body art andhabeas corpus, to show that the social contrlù
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