MISCELLANY

 

The Library

 

Fashion Sociology

Most of these are also available in English, but I've decided to list the original titles and publication dates. The list is now terribly out of date because I've stopped reading sociology-centered book years ago. Most of them are classics, anyway.

Baudrillard, Jean, Système de la Mode, 1967
Fashion is seen as a system of expression and, as such, likened to language. The language (of the book, I mean) is very philosophical, thus a bit hard to read...
Blumer, Herbert, Fashion: From Class Differentiation to Collective Selection, in: Sociological Quarterly 10, pp. 275-291
A classic not only of fashion theory, but of sociology in general.
Bourdieu, Pierre, La distinction : Critique sociale du jugement, 1979
How people differentiate themselves from "the rest" with clothes. A modern classic of fashion sociology.
Davis, Fred, Fashion, Culture, and Identity, Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1992
I've read it... I've used it for my thesis... but I can't recall the exact contents. Someting about how identity is established by the choice of clothes.
McCracken, Grant, Culture and Consumption : New approaches to the symbolic character of consumer goods and activities,
Bloomington: Indiana Univ. Press, 1988
I readily admit to having partially slammed it in my thesis, but it had more influence on my academic pursuits, and my everyday perception of fashion and other goods, than any other work.
Schnierer, Thomas, Modewandel und Gesellschaft, Opladen: Leske + Budrich, 1995
A modern review of the established theories of fashion change. Even if the literature list wasn't such a treaure grove I just had to mention it: The author was my teacher! :)
Simmel, Georg, Fashion, in: International Quarterly 10 (1904), pp. 130-155
Yet another classic from the founder of the trickle-down theory. Hope you have a good library nearby. ;-)
Solomon, Michael R. (ed.), The Psychology of Fashion, Lexington: Lexington Books, 1985
Another book on the underlying wish to be different...
Sombart, Werner, Wirtschaft und Mode : Ein Beitrag zur Theorie der modernen Bedarfsgestaltung, Wiesbaden: 1902
Economy and fashion... slightly socialist IIRC... Look at the date: Another classic!
Veblen, Thorstein, The Theory of the Leisure Class, 1899
An utterly fascinating book that founded the theory of conspicuous consumption. A classic of consumer sociology. Outdated? Only at first glance!

 

 

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