Politics of Dress in Asia and the Americas

Fine-looking, structurally sound hardcover, little discernible wear, bright interior, unmarked. Glossy pictorial cloth over boards, replete with full-color and full-page illustrations. Contributions by the two editors Mina Roces and Louise Edwards, and by From the publisher's blurb, "This book explores the ways in which dress has been influential in the political agendas and self-representations of politicians in a variety of regimes from democratic to authoritarian. Arguing that dress is part of 'hard core' politics, it shows how dress has been crucial to the constructions of nationhood and national identities in both Asia and the Americas. Since dress has been a marker of identity and status, chapters engage with the gendering of the politics of dress, discussing how women have become bearers and wearers of 'national tradition' and how men and women's dress reflect their political positions in the nation-state. It examines the magical power of cloth, the meanings of batik and design, the holy status of uncut cloth versus cut cloth, and the quaint combination of non-Western with Western attire. This collection of pioneering essays fills a vacuum in the largely Eurocentric field of dress studies, demanding that attention be paid to Asia and the Americas as major sites of vestimentary creativity." Volume contains scholarly apparatus in the form of, e.g., notes, index, and bibliography.Member, I.O.B.A., C.B.A., and adherent to the highest ethical standards. Additional postage may be required for oversize or especially heavy volumes, and for sets. …