Clothing the Poor in Nineteenth-Century England

Vivienne Richmond (Goldsmiths, University of London)

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English

Cambridge University Press
03 November 2016

British & Irish history; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Social & cultural history; Clothing & footwear manufacture

In this pioneering study Vivienne Richmond reveals the importance of dress to the nineteenth-century English poor, who valued clothing not only for its practical utility, but also as a central element in the creation and assertion of collective and individual identities. During this period of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation formal dress codes, corporate and institutional uniforms, and the spread of urban fashions replaced the informal dress of agricultural England. This laid the foundations of modern popular dress and generated fears about the visual blurring of social boundaries as new modes of manufacturing and retailing expanded the wardrobes of the majority. However, a significant impoverished minority remained outside this process. Clothed by diminishing parish assistance, expanding paternalistic charity and the second-hand trade, they formed a 'sartorial underclass' whose material deprivation and visual distinction was a cause of physical discomfort and psychological trauma.

By: Vivienne Richmond (Goldsmiths University of London)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 230mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 530g
ISBN: 9781107645349
ISBN 10: 1107645344
Pages: 360
Publication Date: 03 November 2016
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Vivienne Richmond is a Lecturer in Modern British History at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Reviews for Clothing the Poor in Nineteenth-Century England

'Vivienne Richmond demonstrates the power of clothing in the lives of the working and indigent poor of nineteenth-century England: children, women and men. This is an innovative exploration of clothing cultures, both those crafted by individuals and those imposed by state and institutional authorities. Subtle and insightful, Richmond brings new perspectives to this important topic.' Beverly Lemire, University of Alberta 'Vivienne Richmond tells a very sad historical story, about the bodily and psychological misery of a large proportion of the population in nineteenth-century Britain; but she is not afraid to be wry, or ironic, or outraged and sometimes very funny, when appropriate.' Carolyn Steedman, University of Warwick