by Fritz Allhoff (Editor), Jessica Wolfendale (Editor), Jeanette Kennett (Editor) If you just can't decide what to wear, this enlightening guide will lead you through the diverse and sometimes contradictory aspects of fashion in a series of lively, entertaining and thoughtful essays from prominent philosophers and writers. * A unique and enlightening insight into the underlying philosophy behind the power of fashion * Contributions address issues in fashion from a variety of viewpoints, including aesthetics, the nature of fashion and fashionability, ethics, gender and identity politics, and design * Includes a foreword by Jennifer Baumgardner, feminist author, activist and cultural critic, editor of Ms magazine (1993-7) and regular contributor to major women's magazines including Glamour and Marie-Claire Back Jacket Most of us realize that fashion is more than just clothes. It's not just about wearing what's in. Fashion influences our judgments of people's taste, politics, sexuality, class, religion, and even their moral character. It can be a medium for technological and social change - changes in fashion may signal economic and political shifts. Yet fashion can also trap us. We can be slaves to fashion if we feel trapped by the roles dictated by the clothes we wear, and we can be slaves to fashion, literally, as in the case of sweatshop workers who make most of the clothes we wear today. This book explores the diverse and sometimes contradictory aspects of fashion in a series of lively, entertaining thoughtful essays from prominent philosophers and writers. Topics include: * What is fashion? * How do we know what is fashionable? * Who decides what's cool and what's not? * How is it that clothes shape people the way they do? * Why does fashion have the power it does? You won't look at your wardrobe in the same light again! Author Biography Editors Jessica Wolfendale is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at West Virginia University, and perhaps a little too fond of vintage clothing. She is the author of Torture and the Military Profession (2007) and has published extensively on the ethics of torture, military ethics, and applied ethics. Jeanette Kennett is Professor of Moral Psychology at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. She is the author of Agency and Responsibility (2001) and has published widely on topics including empathy, addiction, self-control, advertising, and love and friendship. Series Editor Fritz Allhoff is an Associate Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at The Australian National University's Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics.