Acts of Undressing: Politics, Eroticism, and Discarded Clothing

(Hardback)

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Description

The act of undressing has a multitude of meanings, which vary dramatically when this commonly private gesture is presented for public consumption. This ground-breaking book explores the significance of undressing in various cultural and social contexts. As we are increasingly obsessed with dress choices as signifiers of who we are and how we feel, an investigation into what happens as we remove our clothes has never been more pertinent. Exploring three main issues - politics, tease, and clothes without bodies - Acts of Undressing discusses these key themes through an in-depth and eclectic mix of case studies including flashing at Mardi Gras, the World Burlesque Games, and shoefiti used by gangs to mark territories. Building on leading theories of dress and the body, from academics including Roland Barthes and Mario Perniolato, Ruth Barcan and Erving Goffman, Acts of Undressing is essential reading for students of fashion, sociology, anthropology, visual culture, and related subjects.

Reviews

Stripping off: there's more to it than you think. [Brownie] muses on a private gesture done in public, via thoughtful commentary on the relevant literature. ... Revealing. * Times Higher Education *

Author Bio

Barbara Brownie is a Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. She is the author of Transforming Type (Bloomsbury, 2014), co-author of The Superhero Costume (Bloomsbury, 2015), and has contributed to edited collections including Writing Design (Berg, 2011).