Memories of Dress: Recollections of Material Identities [Paperback]

Memories of clothing feature prominently in auto/biographies, yet traditionally they have not been subjected to the same level of academic scrutiny as other sources.Memories of Dressredresses this imbalance by bringing auto/biographical memories to the centre of a new methodology for understanding fashion history, material culture, and other disciplines.

Presenting a comprehensive overview of theoretical and practice-based approaches, the book invites readers to explore the relations between clothing and memory through diverse examples ranging from oral histories of Madchester men and Hungarian socialist sewing, to a quilt-making autoethnography into the complexities of American racial heritage and imagined memories within museum collections. Chapters by leading and emerging experts consider the ways in which dress is remembered and the ways that memories and nostalgia in turn influence everyday dress practices, unpicking the meanings and motivations-both collective and public, personal and private-behind the clothes we wear in different times, places and life stages; and the impact of class, gender, ethnicity, and disability on material identities. Uniquely weaving personal recollection with theory, this multidisciplinary book offers new ways of understanding clothing, material culture, and memory.

Alison Slateris Senior Lecturer in Design History at Manchester School of Art, Dept. of Art & Performance, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. She has contributed to the journalCritical Studies in Fashion and Beautyand her PhD research features in the BBC Radio 4 documentaryRags to Riches.

Susan Atkinis Deputy Division Head for Fashion Design at Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. She was previously the designer-owner of womenswear label Electricity.

Elizabeth Kealy-Morrisis Senior Lecturer in Dress and Belonging at Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropl³=