As the example the chapter gives is that of Mary Antoinette, the body also become an object of martyrdom and a persecuted object.
As we can see, the chapter is very useful in showing the intrinsic relationship between revealing and concealing and the essential role that fashion plays in this. It reflects how Gothic art and representation in novel is reflected occasionally in fashion and how the perception of Gothic in fashion itself is diverse, depending on the political environment and reflections in society. The chapter gives a very acute description of the evolution of fashion throughout the 18th century, in particular during the troubled period of the French Revolution and the Directorate.
The chapter shows how the revealing of the body determined the Gothic of this period, but also particularly marks the influence that the Gothic novel plays on fashion.
The book is not only a book about fashion, but a very interesting analysis of fashion as an artistic expression and as a defining component of Gothic. It is also extremely interesting through the different correlations and influences between different artistic components and the way that these impact Gothic fashion.
The...
It was interesting for me to find out from this book how objects of clothing, such as veil or the materials out of which the clothes were made, were essential in defining the Gothic component in fashion.
The book is also very well researched and presents a historical and literal perspective. It does not solely track the evolution of fashion or the Gothic component in fashion, it ties this to actual historical or political events that have occurred at different moments. Chapter 2, for example, makes reference to the political scene in France and to some of the important characters in France during that time: first Marie Antoinette, then the French Revolution and the Directorate. Indeed, it is thorough with the historical presentation and I often had the feeling of reading both a historical book, as well as an art and fashion - related book.
I think that the book is very innovative in its approach and very interesting in its content. It is also very revealing, giving out so much of the epochs presented.
