Pazazz: the impact and resonance of white clothing

Abstract

"Pazazz examines the complex meanings of white clothing throughout history. Delicate and impractical, white cloth in the past was difficult to obtain, as well as to keep clean. It is a symbol of purity but also of class superiority, privilege, and the display of leisure. It represents the menace of the Ku Klux Klan, but also the transition of a bride to the married state. It can be the appropriate dress for mourning and shrouds. White lace is ethereal; straitjackets are tough stuff. White clothing has been a marker of innocence and simplicity for women, but also of calculated, high-maintenance fashion. And for men, white can be evidence of power. But for many, white is a startling absence of color, the epitome of elegance."--Jacket flap.

Contents

The ancient gods of fashion -- The spiritual, the professional and the uniform -- Fashionable men, veils and gloves -- Powdered wigs and muslins -- Underwear and dirt -- Meringues and sleek satin shifts -- High fashion and street fashion -- Whiteout.