Clothing in 17th-Century Provincial England

Featuring detailed analyses of clothing culture in 17th-century provincial Sussex, this original study draws on previously unexploited sources to create an intimate and nuanced portrait of people and their clothes. An introductory chapter uses 17th-century literature to identify and explore contemporary ideas about clothing, the individual and society, as well as the relationship between London and the provinces and the causes and consequences of conspicuous clothing consumption.

Subsequent chapters look at the production, distribution and acquisition of clothing in Sussex and the participation of consumers in these processes; the role of London as a centre of fashionable clothing consumption and the experience of wealthier consumers in shopping there; the clothing worn by individual men, women and older children of the 'middle' and 'better' sort and the extent to which they participated in contemporary, London-driven, fashion culture. A final chapter examines the clothing worn by the poor, including vagrants, parish paupers and the 'labouring' poor.

With over 40 images Clothing in 17th-Century Provincial England offers a new window onto early modern experiences of clothing.

Autorentext

Danae Tankard is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Chichester, UK.

Inhalt

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations

1) Introduction
2) Literary Constructions of Clothing, the Individual and Society
3) Clothing and Textile Production, Distribution and Acquisition
4) London and the Provincial Consumer
5) The Clothing of Provincial Gentlemen
6) The Clothing of Provincial Gentlewomen
7) The Clothing of the Poor
8) Conclusion

Bibliography
Index