Bourgeois, revolutionaries, roles and national identities

Each epoch leaves its mark in many ways, showing the constitutive elements of the model that best represents its ideology in politics, economy and in international dynamics. Fashion – seen in its chronological sequence – attests to ideas, values and symbols, through which it affirms the centrality of clothing which has become, throughout history, a real language, an additional sign of power, a testimony of rank, economic consistency and cultural level. From the nobility of ancient origin to the emerging bourgeoisies, to revolutionaries and workers, clothes became one of the many ways of representing human typologies, of expressing them through evident signs or metaphors, hence drawing physical and social prototypes. The path outlined in the present volume is an extraordinary journey through archival documents, paintings, fashion houses, maîtres and stylists, weaving a rich and fascinating history, another way of telling the many stories of Europe.