Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction : The purpose of this book ; Defining key terms ; Key approaches to studying fashion ; How is this book organized? -- 1. The fashion impulse : Investigating the fashion impulse ; Color and fashion through time ; The color black in fashion ; Conclusion ; [Case studies] : 1. The regulation of fashion ; 2. Black mourning dress ; 3. Fashions in New Guinea headdresses ; 4. The sailor suit: from function to fashion -- 2. The eurocentric fashion system : Consumer culture and fashion ; Paris fashion ; The Paris legacy ; New fashion capitals ; Conclusion ; [Case studies] : 5. Beau Brummell ; 6. The influence of Coco Chanel ; 7. Yves Saint Laurent as style muse ; 6. Daslu luxury retailing -- 3. Fashion cycles, symbols , and flows : Fashion cycles and structures ; Fashion symbols and codes ; Interdisciplinary fashion theory ; Fashion flows ; Conclusion ; [Case studies] : 9. The meaning of men's ties ; 10. Jeans as über fashion ; 11. Sexuality and stilettos ; 12. The magic of cosmetics -- 4. Fashion, body techniques, and identity : Fashion as a body technique ; Fashioning gender: femininity and masculinity ; Fashioning consumers ; Uniforms of identity ; Conclusion ; [Case studies] : 13. Fashion and identity in harajuku ; 14. Acquiring the techniques of royalty ; 15. The metrosexual man ; 16. The cult of thinness -- 5. Fashion, aesthetics, and art : Aesthetics and fashion ; Spatial aesthetics and fashion ; Fashion as aesthetic regime ; From aesthetic innovation to museum curation ; Conclusion ; [Case studies] : 17. Fashion photography and heroin chic ; 18. Exhibiting Vivienne Westwood ; 19. Wearable art ; 20. Fashion and the wristwatch -- 6. Fashion as a business and cultural industry : The structure of the fashion industry ; Fashion forecasting, marketing, and the fashion consumer ; The changing role of the fashion designer ; Luxury brands and global marketing ; Conclusion ; [Case studies] : 21. Celebrity models ; 22. Louis Vuitton as luxury accessory ; 23. The Gap as global fashion ; Secondhand clothing -- 7. Popular culture and fashion : Fashion and the rise of popular culture ; Representing fashion ; Fashion subcultures and popular music ; Fashion journalism, public relations, and stylists ; Conclusion ; [Case studies] : 25. Sports clothing for everyman ; 26. Australian bush wear as urban chic ; 27. Retailing erotic lingerie ; 28. Oliviero Toscani's advertisements for Benetton -- 8. The politics of fashion : What are the politics of fashion? ; Endogenous and exogenous fashion ; Fashion and colonialism ; Fashion and postcolonialism ; Conclusion: Global fashion futures? ; [Case studies] : 29. The politics of veiling ; 30. Renegotiating Chinese fashion ; 31. Indian fashion: from diasporas to designers ; 32. Burberry's brand of Britishness -- Glossary -- Fashion milestones -- Questions for essays and class discussion.