Christopher Breward is Professor of Historical and Cultural Studies at the London College of Fashion (London Institute). In 1995, he published the first academic textbook on fashion, The Culture of Fashion, which was very well received. He has curated various exhibitions, including 2004's Capital Fashion for the Museum of London, has made appearances on radio 3 and 4 on Today, and Woman's Hour, and has acted as a historical consultant for channel 4 and BBC programmes such as The Victorian House, Head to Toe, and Behind the Seams.

This lively survey of 150 years of fashion covers everything from Haute Couture to the High Street, and developing fabric technology from silk to fleece. From Coco Chanel to Armani and Alexander McQueen, Breward explores fashion as a cultural phenomenon.
Breward examines the glamorous world of Vogue and advertising, the relationship between fashion and film, and fashion as a business, and goes beyond the surface to consider our interaction with fashion. How have our ideas about hygiene and comfort influenced the direction of style? How does our dress create our identity and status? Details of dandies, flappers, and punks are contained within a clear overview of the period which will make you look at your clothes in a different light.