Fashion victims : the dangers of dress past and present

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

From insidious murder weapons to blaze-igniting crinolines, clothing has been the cause of death, disease and madness throughout history, by accident and design. Clothing is designed to protect, shield and comfort us, yet lurking amongst seemingly innocuous garments we find hats laced with mercury, frocks laden with arsenic and literally 'drop-dead gorgeous' gowns.
Fabulously gory and gruesome, Fashion Victims takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the lethal history of women's, men's and children's dress, in myth and reality. Drawing upon surviving fashion objects and numerous visual and textual sources, encompassing louse-ridden military uniforms, accounts of the fiery deaths of Oscar Wilde's half-sisters and dancer Isadora Duncan's accidental strangulation by entangled scarf; the book explores how garments have tormented those who made and wore them, and harmed animals and the environment in the process. Vividly chronicling evidence from Greek mythology to the present day, Matthews David puts everyday apparel under the microscope and unpicks the dark side of fashion.
Fashion Victims is lavishly illustrated with over 125 images and is a remarkable resource for everyone from scholars and students to fashion enthusiasts.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• List of Illustrations (p. ix)
• Acknowledgments (p. xiii)
• Introduction: Death by Fashion in Fact and Fiction (p. 2)
• Chapter 1 Diseased Dress: Germ Warfare (p. 28)
• Chapter 2 Toxic Techniques: Mercurial Hats (p. 42)
• Chapter 3 Poisonous Pigments: Arsenical Greens (p. 72)
• Chapter 4 Dangerous Dyes: A Pretty, Deadly Rainbow (p. 102)
• Chapter 5 Entangled and Strangled: Caught in the Machine (p. 126)
• Chapter 6 Inflammatory Fabrics: Flaming Tutus and Combustible Crinolines (p. 146)
• Chapter 7 Explosive Fakes: Plastic Combs and Artificial Silk (p. 180)
• Conclusion: The Afterlife of Fashion Victims (p. 208)
• Bibliography (p. 220)
• Index (p. 222)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Fashion historian David (Ryerson Univ., Toronto) examines how clothing caused death, disease, and madness during the 19th and early 20th centuries in France and North America, transmitting contagious diseases, emitting chemical toxins, and catching fire. David's aim is "to put current problems into a historical context and provide a 'usable past' for current debates about health and sustainability in the fashion industry." The often pointed historical examples include the mercury used to create felted hats that poisoned the hatters who made them; pigments such as green dyes made of arsenic that endangered dress-makers and wearers alike; and combustible fabrics such as crinoline and flannelette. Aside from drawing upon contemporary accounts and archival evidence, the author strengthens her arguments by citing recent and past scientific studies that prove the toxicity of historic textiles. This compelling and sometimes disturbing book is strongest when discussing historical rather than contemporary clothing issues but does make a case for reexamining our fashion consumption in the 21st century and how that consumption hurts the environment and people, especially those in developing countries where most apparel is now produced. -VERDICT For readers interested in fashion history and social history.-Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Univ. Lib., MA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.