We are far from having adequately demonstrated how vital a role clothes play in our social behaviour, nor have we stressed how little research has been done on fashion itself as a major social phenomenon of the Western world. Or when we have occasionally attempted to explore fashions in general, we have usually failed to dwell on the one which nonetheless seems to summarize them all : clothing fashions. Therefore, to consider clothing and fashion as an object of study involves several different steps. Indeed, discussing fashion effectively implies relating its history and also tracing back the few interpretations which it has managed to inspire — but even more importantly — changing our perspective of fashion so as to finally take it seriously. Such are the main thrusts of this book.

Frédéric Monneyron, who holds a Ph.D. in Political Science as well as in Literature and the Humanities, is a Professor of General and Comparative Literature at Université de Perpignan Via Domitia. He has written or co-authored some twenty books, including Séduire. L'imaginaire de la séduction de Don Giovanni à Mick Jagger and La Frivolité essentielle. Du vêtement et de la mode.