This book explains the history of British occupational c.1750-1950 - a period that saw the decline of many traditional forms of employment, the emergence of new jobs and the reorganisation of various roles to meet the changing demands of the workplace and wider society. Dress is a potent expression of human existence and the diverse occupational gear worn over reflects vividly the daily working lives of past generations. Drawing on historical material and new internet resources, this guide demonstrates the adaptation of regular clothes for manual tasks, development of civilian uniforms and...

This book reveals the impact of wartime on British fashion, how a spirit of utility, make-do and mend unleashed a whole new creativity among Britain's women starved of high fashion by rationing. Many of these home dressmakers copied the high-end looks. Women doing war work created new street fashion looks. It also shows how world war shifted the centre of the international fashion from Paris to New York and established a casual American style for British women and men. Finally, we see the re-birth of Paris fashion in Dior's New Look and a new glamour.

The sweeping crinolines, corsets, bustles, bonnets, and parasols of Victorian Britain are indispensable to our period dramas, and their influences can still be seen within burlesque and steampunk fashions. This is no surprise, as nineteenth-century clothing was so wide-ranging and decorative. We might unfairly think gentlemen's costume to be rather plain and uniform, but this is more by contrast to the overwhelming ostentation, luxury fabrics, fine accessories, and constantly evolving silhouettes of ladies' fashion. This colorful introduction to what the Victorians wore describes the vibrant,...