Dress and Identity in America - (Dress and Fashion Research) by Daniel Delis Hill (Paperback)
About this item
Highlights
- Dress and Identity in America is an examination of the conservatism and materialism that swept across the country in the late 1940s through the 1950s-a backlash to the wartime tumult, privations, and social upheavals of the Second World War.The study looks at how American men sought to recapture a masculine identity from a generation earlier, that of the stoic patriarch, breadwinner, and dutiful father, and in the process, became the men in the gray flannel suits who were complacently conventional and conformist.
- About the Author: Daniel Delis Hill is an independent fashion historian.
- 256 Pages
- Art, Fashion & Accessories
- Series Name: Dress and Fashion Research
Description
Book Synopsis
Dress and Identity in America is an examination of the conservatism and materialism that swept across the country in the late 1940s through the 1950s-a backlash to the wartime tumult, privations, and social upheavals of the Second World War.
The study looks at how American men sought to recapture a masculine identity from a generation earlier, that of the stoic patriarch, breadwinner, and dutiful father, and in the process, became the men in the gray flannel suits who were complacently conventional and conformist. Parallel to that is a look at how American women, who had donned pants and went to work in wartime munitions factories or joined services like the WACS and WAVES, were now expected to stay at home as housewives and mothers, dressed in cinched, ultrafeminine New Look fashions.
Review Quotes
"Comprehensive and thoughtful, Daniel Delis Hill extends existing studies of post-war American dress, paying welcome attention to marginalised and mundane identities. Distinctive due to its robust contextualisation and detailed socio-political framing, the book presents a timely history." --Alison L Goodrum, Norwich University of the Arts, UK
About the Author
Daniel Delis Hill is an independent fashion historian. He is the author of Peacock Revolution (Bloomsbury, 2018). He has contributed to the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion and the American National Biography (Oxford University), and has taught fashion history at the University of the Incarnate Word, Texas, USA.
