Fashion Theory

A Reader

Edited by Malcolm Barnard

/

LONDON AND NEW YORK

Contents

Series editor's preface Acknowledgements

xi xiii

Malcolm Barnard
INTRODUCTION

PART ONE Fashion and fashion theories 1 Elizabeth Wilson

EXPLAINING IT AWAY

15

2 Gilles Lipovetsky
THE EMPIRE OF FASHION:INTRODUCTION

25

PART TWO Fashion and history/fashion in history 3 Edward Sapir

FASHION

39

4 Agnes Brooks Young

FASHION HAS ITS LAWS

46

11III1 I1' 11 I11 I1I

vi

CONTE NTS

1:[
II[

5 Ann Rosa lind Jones and Peter Stally brass

RENAIS SANCE CLOTHI NG AND THE MATER IALS OF MEMOR Y:
INTROD UCTION

58

6 Gilles Lipov etsky

A CENTU RY OF FASHIO N

76

1111 11

PART THRE E What fashi on is and is not

7 Fred Davis
ANTIFA SHION: THE VICISS ITUDES OF NEGAT ION

89

8 Zand ra Rhode s and Alice Raws thorn

1
[

IS FASHIO N A TRUE ART FORM?

103

I11
1: 1

1,', ' Ill' 1' " I1' 1' I1' I11 I11 1111

PART FOUR What fashi on and cloth ing do

11

9 Mary Ellen Roach and Joann e Bubo lz Eiche r

THE LANGU AGE OF PERSO NAL ADORN MENT

109

lil'
ili, 11;, 1111 Ill' 11:" 11'1 I
I"

10 Eliza beth Rouse

WHY DO PEOPLE WEAR CLOTHE S?

122

11 John FIOge l
PROTEC TION

126

I1, 11,
:1'1

II,
1, 1: 1 I!I 1' I" , 1'

PART FIVE Fash ion as comm unica tion

12 Umbe rto Eco

SOCIAL LIFE AS A SIGN SYSTEM

I,i

143

:,1

13 Fred Davis
DO CLOTHE S SPEAK? WHAT MAKES THEM FASHIO N?

::
"

148

11 :1

14 Colin Camp bell

WHEN THE MEANIN G IS NOT A MESSA GE: A CRITIQ UE OF THE CONSU MPTION AS COMMU NICATIO N THESIS

:1

11 11 1, 'I

159

15 Malco lm Barna rd
FASHIO N STATE MENTS : COMMU NICATIO N AND CULTUR E

170

CON TEN T S

vi i

SIX Fashion: identity and difference Sex and gender 16 Tim Edwards
EXPRESS YOURSELF: THE POLITICS OF DRESSING UP

191

17

Lee Wright
OBJECTIFYING GENDER: THE STILETTO HEEL

197

18 Joanne Entwistle
'POWER DRESSING' AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CAREER WOMAN

208

Social class 19 Angela Partington

POPULAR FASHION AND WORKING-CLASS AFFLUENCE

220

20

Herbert Blumer
FASHION: FROM CLASS DIFFERENTIATION TO COLLECTIVE SELECTION

232

Ethnicity and race 21 Emil Wilbekin

GREAT ASPIRATIONS: HIP HOP AND FASHION DRESS FOR EXCESS AND SUCCESS

247

22

Elizabeth Wilson
OPPOSITIONAL DRESS

253

Culture and subculture 23 Dick Hebdige

STYLE

256

PART SEVEN Fashion, clothes and the body 24 Joanne Entwistle

ADDRESSING THE BODY

273

,<'

viii

CONTENTS

25 Paul Sweetman
AN C H 0 RI N G THE (p 0 S T MOD ERN) SELF? B 0 DY MOD I F I CA TI 0 NI FASHION AND IDENTITY

292

26 Umberto Eco
LUMBAR THOUGHT

315

27 Ruth Holliday
THE COMFORT OF IDENTITY

318

PART EIGHT Production and consumption

28 Thorstein Veblen
DRESS AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE PECUNIARY CULTURE

I11 I'
I

,I

339

29 Karl Marx
THE FETISHISM OF THE COMMODITY AND ITS SECRET

347

30 Peter Braham 31 Tim Dant

I
!

FASHION: UNPACKING A CULTURAL PRODUCTION

351

CONSUMING OR LIVING WITH THINGS?/WEARING IT OUT

373

PART NINE Modern fashion

32 Elizabeth Wilson
ADORNED IN DREAMS: INTRODUCTION

393

33 Kurt W. Back
MODERNISM AND FASHION: A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION

398

34 Richard Sennett
PUBLIC ROLES/PERSONALITY IN PUBLIC

408

35 Ulrich Lehmann
BENJAMIN AND THE REVOLUTION OF FASHION IN MODERNITY

422

if

CO N TEN TS

ix

PART TEN post-modern fashion 36 Jean Baudrillard

THE IDEOLOGICAL GENESIS OF NEEDS/FETISHISM AND IDEOLOGY 451

37 Jean Baudrillard
FASHION, OR THE ENCHANTING SPECTACLE OF THE CODE 462

38

I<im Sawchuk
A TALE OF INSCRIPTION/FASHION STATEMENTS 475

39 Alison Gill
DECONSTRUCTION FASHION: THE MAKING OF UNFINISHED, DECOMPOSING AND RE-ASSEMBLED CLOTHES 489

PART ELEVEN Fashion and (the) image 40 41 Roland Barthes

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY
,:

,
517

Rosetta Brooks
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY. THE DOUBLE-PAGE SPREAD: HELMUT NEWTON, GUY BOURDIN

&

DEBORAH TURBEVILLE

520

42

Erica Lennard
'DOING FASHION PHOTOGRAPHS'

527

43 Tamsin Blanchard
FASHION

&

GRAPHICS:INTRODUCTION/ABOUD SODANO AND PAUL

SMITH

534

PART TWELVE Fashion, fetish and the erotic 44 Sigmund Freud

FETISHISM 553

45

David I<unzle
THE SPECIAL HISTORIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ROLE OF TIGHT-LACING558

46 Valerie Steele
FASHION AND FETISHISM 576

CONTENTS

47

Lorraine Gamman and Merja Makinen

FEMALE FETISHISM

585

48

Ro/and Barthes
'WHERE THE GARMENT GAPES'

601 603

Index

1
"

Index

Aboud Sodano Agency 534,540 Adornment 120 Adorno, Theodor 18,423,438 Advertising 520, 524 Aesthetics 261 Post Modern 496 Aesthetic experience 109 Aesthetic theory 423 Agency / structure 184 Allegory 448,471,540 Anthropologists 60,280 Anti-fusruon 85,89,293,301-4 Armani, Giorgio 535 Art 85,86,99,103,259,274,477,512 Art History 16 Babylon, whore of 61 Balenciaga, Cristobal 104,446 Barthes, Roland 22,173,256,469,512 on the erotic 550 Baudrillard, Jean 19,36,447,482 on the fetish 549 Bataille, Georges 82 Beauty 86, 96,109,342, as effect 447,453,459 as fetish 457 Bell, Quentin 11, 16, 267 Benetton 370 Benjamin, WaIter 86,422,448,478,484 Biology 125 Blumer, Herbert 355 Bloomer, Amelia 91

Body 4,109,267 constrained 558-74 and fasruon 470,474 fusruoned 171,213,278 as mannequin 408-14 the medium of fasruon 470 nude 460 performing 324 and power 476 sculpture 267,560,561 size 592 social 273 as text 327 Boss, Hugo 514 Bourdin, Guy 522,523-25 Brand/ing 53 Braudel, Fernand 7 Bricolage 220, 257 Bust 573 Bustle 49 Capitalism 283,396,459,485 Careerwomen 208,218 Carlyle, Thomas 90, 106, 126, 133 Carter, Angela 203 Change in fasruon 12,41,58 Civilization 396 Clark,Ossie 104 Class, social 13,17,80,183,220, 232 and domination 220 distinction through fasruon 221

604

IN D EX
Derrida, Jacques 270,327,447,478,491,493 Difference 191,222-23,234,446,452 see also identity Diffusion 357 Dior, Christian 78,224,226 Disidentification 96 Display/concealment 124,268,428 Dogg, Snoop Doggy 250 Douglas, Mary 334, 336 Dress reform 91 Eco, Umberto 256 Economics 13,19,47,61,333,351 as exchange 375 modern 387 postmodern 451 Economic status 114, 345 Entwistle, Joanne 3,267 Elite/ elitism 237 Ethnicity 97,116, 183, 188 Ethnic groups 253 Evans, Caroline and Thornton, Minna 268,335, 588 Exhibitionism 228 Expression 110,140,165,170,174,191,293, 304, 321, 395" 399 Fashion approval/ disapproval of 39 and art 85,86,99,103,259,274,477, 512 changein 12,41,46,398 conditions for 241--43 and custom 40,465 and culture 98, 118,398 and deception 112 definition of 1,155,171,472 as evolution 12 and expression 110, 140, 165, 170, 174, 191, 293,304,321,395,399 functions of 165, 468 decoration 106,216,232 modesty 106,122, 137,274 protection 20,106,126, 137 as frivolous 187,133,394,425,486 and gender 81, 550 as immoral 472 laws of 46 logic of 452 mechanism of 238 and politics 191 popular /mass 229-30 and philosophy 502 and SOciety 28, 35-36,41,43,76, and structure(s) 76, 139, 154,464 undecidable 447

Code(s) 141,143,149,284,446,462 of personality 420 sartorial 197,209,411 undercoding 152-53 Combs, Sean 'Puffy' 250 Comfort 318,339,586 politics of 322 Comme des Garcons 514 Commodity 347,438 fetishism 348,456 postmodern 451,463,511-12 Communication 4, 137, 155, 157,399,513 clothes as 256 semiotic 139,173 sender/receiver model 138,159,400, 513-14 statements 148,535 Connotation 139,173,515 Consumer culture 283 Consumerism 334 Consumption 159,333,352,355,373 active 335 conspicuous 90, 222, 339 gendered 228 good 221 and identity 376 modern/postmodern 451,455 passIve 334 and production 336 as sublation 373 vicarious 344 Corsetry 558,580 and boys 582 Cosmetics 458 Costume 410-14 Counter culture 98, 305 Cross-dressing 590 see also transvestism Culture 4,118,137,147,170,189,399 pecuniary 339 Custom 40,42, 465 Dada 261 Dandies 192 Darwin, Charles 20, 137 Deconstruction fashion 489, 502 philosophy 491,493,498 Decoration renunciation of 107,216,389 Deleuze, Giiles 328 Demeulemeester, Ann 489 Democracy 80 Denotation 173 Designer label 362,381,405,534,541,542 Desire 328,467

,
IN D EX
Fashionability 161 Femininity 522 Feminism 93, 194,480,593 responsible for fashion studies 35 Fetish 37,69,268,547,561 Fetishism 42,65,222,434,453,576 anthropological 455,547 of body parts 458,585 economic 347,433,456,547,585 etymology of 455 female 585,597 and ideology 453 psychoanalytic 433,547,548,553-57 as sexuality 578 Flappers 15 Flugel, John, C 87 Footbinding 458,560-1,569 Footwear 197 Foucault, Michel 94,210,281,284,402,593 Freud, Sigmund 161,433,458,478,548 Frou-frou 94 Galliano, John 538 Garber, Marjorie on cross-dressing 590 Gaultier, Jean-Paul 99,393,493 Gay 194 politics 318 see also homosexual Gaze 481 female 228 disciplinary 324 Gender 1,43,81,91,93,183,197,317 codes 152, 380, 550 and consumption 228,341 and fetish 587 and power 283 Gentlemen 417 Globalization 359, 445 Graphic design 513 as fashion 536 Gucci 247,537 Habit (custom) 63 Habit (monk's) 130 Hair 254,280,412 Haute couture 77,353,360,424,520 Hazlitt, William 2, 47 Health and fitness 90 Hebdige, Dick 253,513 Heel, stiletto 197, 569 Hegel, G. W F. 433 Heidegger, Martin 30, 493 Hercules' shirt 62 Hilfiger, Tommy 250,512 Hip Hop 188,247 Hippies 154, 193 History 1,27,33,432 as continuity 239,430 as different 36, 58 and fashion36 the past 426 and redemption 437 Hobble skirts 52, 383, 574 Hobsbawm, Eric 33 Hollander, Anne 3,171 Homochrony 518 Homology 189,263,496 Homosexuality 193,194,554 see also gay Hoodies 179,334 Hoops 50

605

Ideology 22,451,477 and fetishism 453 Identity brand 511 and difference 47,87,111,113,159,183, 191,292,463 graphic 536 as performance 318 personal 463,511 social 405,408 Image 190,511,526 consultancy 218 Individuality 87, 304, 325, 399,405 Information/redundancy 216,400 Inside/ outside 59,316 see also Public/private Intermittence 268,601 Jeans 315,352-53,379-82,472 Jones, Ann Rosalind and Stallybrass, Peter 36 Karan, Donna 104 Kawakubo, Rei 268,489 Khan, Nathalie 35 Klein, Calvin 247 Koenig, Rene 549 Kunzle, David 578,594--97 Language 468,513 of clothes 160 Lauren, Ralph 249 Laver, James 2,34,124,548 Laws of design 107 of fashion 46 Leger, Fernand 82 Leisure 119,321,380 Lifestyle 159 Lipovetsky, Gilles 37

,
606
IN 0 EX
Philosophy 13-14,511-12 deconstruction 491,493,498 of fashion 423 Picasso, Pablo 82 Piercing as accessory 296 as fashion 292 as fetish 563 Plato 13-14,511-12 Polhemus, Ted and Proctor, Lynn 87-88, 300 Political symbol 115, 117 Politics 35,191,322 Popular fashion 229 Postrnodern fashion 445 Postrnodernism defined 445-46 Postrnodernity 193,292 Power 284 Power dressing 208,216,219 Pride 61 Prince Charles 116 Production and consumption 333,336,352 cultural 351 just in time 368 modern 388,415 Protection 126, 137 Proust, Marcel 426 Psychoanalysis 22, 129, 134,395 Psychology 240,398,403 Public/Private 325,329,408 Punk 257, 259 Purpose offashion 104, 137 Queer theory 318 Race - see ethnicity' Rawsthorn, Alice 86 Ready to wear 77,224,359 Reason, ruses of 32 Reform 91,480,567 Religion 469 Christian 45,59,107,117,122,559, 564-67 Jewish 96, Muslim 123,178,254 Renaissance 23,42,58 as modern 23 Representation crisis of 446 postrnodern 482 Resistance fashion as 220,253-55,259-62,590 to fashion 95 Rhodes, Zandra 86 Ritual 465 Little black dress 337 Livery 62 Living with things 376-78 Logos 536-37 107,389 Loose clothing 92, 130 Lurie, Alison 160,175 McCartney, Stella 536 McRobbie, Angela 333 Madonna 195 Magazines 44,497, 527 Magic 258 Manufacture/retail 363-70 Margiela, Martin 489, 504 Market mass 223,229,395,520 segmented 225, 365 Marks and Spencer 363 Materialism 65 Marxism 186 Marx, Karl 65, 336, 374,422,433,453,586 Mauss, Marcel 66 Meaning 148,166,378 denotation/ connotation 173 message 163, 170,400 Miller, Daniel on consumption 374 on Little Black Dress 337 Miniaturization 418 Models 530 Modern 171 fashion 387, 398 Modernism 387, 402 Modernist design 107, 225 Modernity 28,235,239, 355, 387,422 and fashion 435, 465 Modesty 122,137,419 Mondrian, Piet 85 Monroe, Marilyn 195,273 Moschino, Franco 99 New Look, the 15,187,198,225-26,335, 359 Newton, Helmut 521-22 Nike 512 Nostalgia 525 Noten, Dries Van 489 Orlan 267 Ornament 107,216,389
Pain 298

Paris 79 Photographers 539 Photography 511,517-19,528-29,593

IN D EX
Rubber 562 Saint-Laurent, Yves 85 Sapir, Edward 34,240 Satanism 62 Saville, Peter 534 Science natural/ social 6 Seduction 30, 123-24, 601 Self creation 307 enterprising 214 fragmentation of 403 managed 212,215 presentation of 293 public/private 306 technologies of 214,293 and style 401 Semiology 22,143,167 Sennett, Richard 306, 329, 390 Sex andgender 185,417 and fashion 119,124, 129,204,470 Sexuality 321,470 Shoes 567-75 Sign 467 liberated 452 signifier/signified 451,462,517 Signification logic of 451,462,466 Simmel, Georg 87,99,151,355 Simulacrum 482 Size, body 592 Smith, Paul 540 'Social hieroglyphic' 349,417 Society and class 186, 409 and fashion 35-36,81,87,89,323,334,484 and fetish 567 and livery 62 Sportswear 82, 92 Steele, Valerie 7, 595 Stelarc 267 Stereotypes 164,521-22 Style 256-66,401,404,495 Styles, John 35 Subculture(s) 154, 189,248,263 Suits, mens' 58, 396 Sullivan, Louis 107 Sumptuary laws 114,334,409,559 Symbolic exchange 451 Symbols/symbolism 160,205,264,451,567,

607

Tattoos as accessory 296 as fashion 292 as fetish 563 Taylor, Lou on object-based history 33 Testicles 316,381,383 Tight clothing 92,130-31,135,316 Tight-lacing 558-75,576 Theory 4 ladeness 5 offashion 7 inevitable 9 Tickner, Lisa on interdisciplinarity 33 Transgression 590 Transvestism 588,591 see also cross-dressing Turbeville, Deborah 525-26 Trickle-up/ down/ across 223 Twiggy 521,592 Unconscious 21,467 Undecidability 269,390,447 Uniform(s) 116,153,163,192,216,305,320, 415 Urban 393,416 Utility scheme 199,227 Veblen, Thorstein 17-18,89,151,160 on fetish 568, 586 social distinction 26 Viktor & Rolf 85 Visible seams 381,389,447,497 V08ue 527 Voguing 195 Voyeurism 228 Wardrobe engineering 208 Wearing clothes 382 Wells, H. G. 2 Western, fashion as 17 Westwood, Vivienne 493 Wilson, Elizabeth 7, 12,267, 269, 333 on slenderness 593 Wittgenstein, Ludwig 176 Work clothing 280, 286, 320 Working classes and fashion 220 Worth, Frederic 78 Young, Agnes Brooks 37 Zeitgeist 496 Zion, women of 107 Zoot suits 253-54

572
Taste 221,230,239