The Visible Self

All over the world, people get dressed, mostly for the same reasons. Why, then, do we look so different from each other? The answers lie in the constellations of factors that contribute to the human condition, from climate to conformity, gender expression to race and ethnicity. Beginning with the body as the organizing principle around which to study dress, this 50th anniversary edition of The Visible Self makes sense of humans as biological, social, and aesthetic creatures based on cross-disciplinary concepts and examples. It explores the daily act of dress in cultures around the world, using the word “dress” to describe the wide variety of behaviors connected to the act of adorning our bodies—or not—through the use of clothing, modifications, and/or supplements. Political economies are addressed holistically to understand the global world through contemporary topics such as racism and how dress can be used to sustain or rebel against dominant structures. With current examples and relevant readings in every chapter, the authors convey how dress can achieve standards of appearance and social ideals, relate to individuality and conformity in fashion, and communicate identity and character in the arts. Exploring the global mash-up of fashion, dress, culture, production, and sustainability—including life in a post-pandemic world—The Visible Self offers a powerful understanding of the way we look and how we look at others. New to this Edition: - Focus on the body as the organizing principle in the study of dress including additional insight on fashion and using this concept to define the target customer - Investigation of current issues such as race and the post-pandemic world - Updated readings, at the end of each chapter, with discussion questions that directly connect chapter concepts to reading content - Activities that apply chapter concepts to design, product development, merchandising, and everyday life STUDIO Features Include: - Links to third party video clips to help visualize how dress is used to identify the self - Self-assessment quizzes to test yourself on what you have just read - Flashcards of key terms and concepts covered in the book Instructor Resources - Instructor’s Guide to help incorporate the text into your classroom - Test Bank to highly key concepts and test student comprehension on those concepts - PowerPoint Slides for every chapter