Fashion An Introduction [Paperback]

From the rise of the Fashion Caf? to the phenomenon of the supermodel, from House of Style to Unzipped, the world of fashion has taken center stage in contemporary culture, for better or for worse. In turn, although the idea of fashion has been in circulation since time immemorial, not until recently has its profound and variegated effectson economic activity, on social and sexual mores, and on aesthetic and psychological formulationsbeen fully considered.

With delicacy and wit,Fashion: An Introductioninvestigates the different sides of recent debates over the production, marketing, and consumption of fashion. Drawing on economics, art, psychology, commerce, history, and the everyday, Joanne Finkelstein considers fashion in its various guisesas body decoration and costume, as a language and a form of display, as an expression of sexuality and as part of the urban experience. In so doing, she has given us the perfect introduction to fashion's social, economic, and aesthetic impact on the way we think and act.