This illustrated survey of 600 years of fashion investigates its cultural & social meanings from medieval Europe to 20th-century America. Provides a guide to the changes in style & taste & shows that clothes have always played a pivotal role in defining a sense of identity & society, esp. when concerned with sexual & body politics. Using a chronological structure, each chapter focuses on both male & female fashion of a specific period. Discusses of androgynous dressing, fabrics, clothing & the rise of city life, dress & the changing shape of the human body, controversies surrounding trousers & leg wear for both men & women, exposure of flesh, fashion & social status & the dissem. of fashion through travel, film, mag. & catwalk shows. Illustrated.