In virtually all the countries of the world, men, and to a lesser
extent women, are today dressed in very similar clothing. This book
gives a compelling account and analysis of the process by which
this has come about. At the same time it takes seriously those
places where, for whatever reason, this process has not occurred,
or has been reversed, and provides explanations for these
developments.
The first part of this story recounts how the cultural,
political and economic power of Europe and, from the later
nineteenth century North America, has provided an impetus for the
adoption of whatever was at that time standard Western dress. Set
against this, Robert Ross shows how the adoption of European style
dress, or its rejection, has always been a political act, performed
most frequently in order to claim equality with colonial masters,
more often a male option, or to stress distinction from them, which
women, perhaps under male duress, more frequently did.
The book takes a refreshing global perspective to its subject,
with all continents and many countries being discussed. It
investigates not merely the symbolic and message-bearing aspects of
clothing, but also practical matters of production and, equally
importantly, distribution.
Table of Content
1. Introduction.
2. The Rules of Dress.
3. Redressing the Old World.
4. First Colonialisms.
5. The Production, care and distribution of clothing.
6. The Export of Europe.
7. Reclothed in Rightful Minds: Christian missions and
clothing.
8. Re-forming the body: reforming the mind.
9. The Clothing of Colonial Nationalism.
10. The Emancipation of Dress.
11. Engendered Acceptance and Rejection.
12. Conclusion
About the author
Robert Ross is Professor of African History at the University of Leiden.
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