The Visible Self: Global Perspectives on Dress, Culture, and Society

Everywhere around the world, people make daily decisions about what to wear or how to dress. The Visible Self, 3rd Edition, presents a systematic approach to analyzing daily rituals that we all share―not simply the act of putting on clothing, but also the method of cleansing the body and adorning it. Using Western and non-Western examples, the authors take a three-pronged approach to understanding dress across cultures, uncovering its relationship to human beings as biological, aesthetic, and social animals. Readings collected from classic books and academic journals enable students to appreciate the complexity of dress from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes anthropology, sociology, economics, fine arts, and the natural sciences.