In this text, the controversial social philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky draws on the history of fashion to demonstrate that the modern cult of appearance and superficiality actually serves the common good. Focusing on clothing, bodily deportment, sex roles, sexual practices, and political rhetoric as forms of "fashion", Lipovetsky bounds across 2000 years of history, showing how the evolution of fashion from an upper-class privilege into a vehicle of popular expression closely follows the rise of democratic values. Whereas ...
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In this text, the controversial social philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky draws on the history of fashion to demonstrate that the modern cult of appearance and superficiality actually serves the common good. Focusing on clothing, bodily deportment, sex roles, sexual practices, and political rhetoric as forms of "fashion", Lipovetsky bounds across 2000 years of history, showing how the evolution of fashion from an upper-class privilege into a vehicle of popular expression closely follows the rise of democratic values. Whereas Tocqueville feared that mass culture would create passive citizens incapable of political reasoning, Lipovetsky argues that today's mass-produced fashion offers many choices, which in turn enable consumers to become complex individuals within a consolidated, democratically educated society. Superficiality fosters tolerance among different groups within a society, claims Lipovetsky. To analyze fashion's role in smoothing over social conflict, he abandons class analysis in favour of an inquiry into the symbolism of everyday life and the creation of ephemeral desire. Lipovetsky examines the malaise experienced by people, who, because they can fulfill so many desires, lose their sense of identity. His conclusions raise disturbing questions about personal joy and anguish in modern democracy.
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Add this copy of The Empire of Fashion: Dressing Modern Democracy to cart. $25.00, very good condition, Sold by Voyageur Book Shop rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Princeton University Press.
Add this copy of The Empire of Fashion: Dressing Modern Democracy to cart. $30.00, like new condition, Sold by Between the Covers-Rare Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester City, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Princeton University Press.
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Seller's Description:
Fine in Fine jacket. First edition. Translated by Catherine Porter, with a foreword by Richard Sennett. Previous owner's notations on the front fly else fine in fine dustwrapper with light bumping to the bottom front edge.
Add this copy of The Empire of Fashion to cart. $60.75, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Princeton University Press.
Add this copy of The Empire of Fashion to cart. $96.46, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Princeton University Press.
Add this copy of The Empire of Fashion to cart. $101.07, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by Princeton University Press.