Pazazz: The Impact and Resonance of White Clothing - Hardcover

by Nina Edwards (Author)

"A tour d'horizon of white raiment through the ages."--Wall Street Journal

From bridal gowns and White Parties to shrouds, an illuminating look at the power of our palest apparel.

Pazazz examines the complex meanings of white clothing throughout history. Delicate and impractical, white cloth in the past was difficult to obtain, as well as to keep clean. It is a symbol of purity but also of class superiority, privilege, and the display of leisure. It represents the menace of the Ku Klux Klan, but also the transition of a bride to the married state. It can be the appropriate dress for mourning and shrouds. White lace is ethereal; straitjackets are tough stuff. White clothing has been a marker of innocence and simplicity for women, but also of calculated, high-maintenance fashion. And for men, white can be evidence of power. But for many, white is a startling absence of color, the epitome of elegance. No matter how you view this lightest of hues and its place in your wardrobe, Pazazz sheds a bright white light on the complex nature of fair fashion.

Author Biography

Nina Edwards is a freelance writer based in London. Her books include On the Button: The Significance of an Ordinary Item and Darkness: A Cultural History, the latter also published by Reaktion Books.