Uniform: Clothing and Discipline in the Modern World

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Uniform: Clothing and Discipline in the Modern World examines the role uniform plays in public life and private experience. This volume explores the social, political, economic, and cultural significance of various kinds of uniforms to consider how they embody gender, class, sexuality, race, nationality, and belief. From the pageantry of uniformed citizens to the rationalizing of time and labour, this category of dress has enabled distinct forms of social organization, sometimes repressive, sometimes utopian. With thematic sections on the social meaning of uniform in the military, in institutions, and political movements, its use in fashion, in the workplace, and at leisure, a series of case studies consider what sartorial uniformity means to the history of the body and society. Ranging from English public school uniform to sacred dress in the Vatican, from Australian airline uniforms to the garb worn by soldiers in combat, Uniform draws attention to a visual and material practice with the power to regulate or disrupt civil society. Bringing together original research from emerging and established academics, this book is essential reading for students and scholars of fashion, design, art, popular culture, anthropology, cultural history, and sociology, as well as anyone interested in what constitutes a "modern" appearance.

Reviews

What does it mean to wear a uniform How does uniformity transform bodies These are just two of the questions addressed in this book. The answers are revealing, complex, and utterly compelling. A "must read" for anyone curious about the power of clothes in the modern world. * Joanna Bourke, Birkbeck, University of London, UK *
Rigorous, theoretically rich, transnational and transhistorical in scope, this book brings exciting new perspectives to the study of dress, institutions and disciplinary power. * Ilya Parkins, University of British Columbia, Canada *
Innovative and fascinating a much needed approach to uniform as embedded social practice. * Sophie Woodward, University of Manchester, UK *
[A]n invaluable resource for students of fashion, clothing, dress history and cultural studies. * Kevin Almond, University of Leeds, UK *

Author Bio

Jane Tynan is Assistant Professor of Design History and Theory, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands. Lisa Godson is Programme Leader of the MA in Design History and Material Culture at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland.