Memories of Dress: Recollections of Material Identities. This item is unavailable.Memories of Dress: Recollections of Material Identities

Memories of clothing feature prominently in (auto)biographies, yet traditionally they have not been subjected to the same level of academic scrutiny as other sources. Memories of Dress aims to redress this imbalance by bringing (auto)biographical memories to the centre of a new methodology for understanding fashion history, material culture and other disciplines.

Presenting a comprehensive overview of theoretical and practice-based approaches, the book invites readers to explore the relations between clothing and memory through diverse examples ranging from gay men’s oral history to Hungarian socialist sewing. Chapters by leading and emerging experts consider the ways in which dress is remembered and the ways that memories and nostalgia in turn influence everyday dress practices; how clothing offers ways to maintain or subvert social and cultural groups as well as local, national and international style; and the impact of class, gender, race and disability on material identities. Uniquely weaving personal recollection with theory, this multidisciplinary book offers new ways of understanding clothing, material culture and memory.

Alison Slater is Senior Lecturer in Design History at Manchester School of Art, Dept. of Art & Performance, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. She has contributed to the journal Critical Studies in Fashion and Beauty and her PhD research features in the BBC Radio 4 documentary Rags to Riches.

Susan Atkin is Deputy Division Head for Fashion Design at Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. She was previously the designer-owner of womenswear label Electricity.

Elizabeth Kealy-Morris is Senior Lecturer in Fashion Communication and Fashion Cultures at Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. Her research into body dressing work has featured in The Guardian.