This volume examines the complex strands that make up the European tradition of dress and fashion. Europe's varied landscapes and climates have influenced ways of dressing, as have continental and regional historical movements. West Europe, while emphasizing the global importance of European dress and fashion since 1800, provides information about the earlier contexts for their development. It also provides an analysis of haute couture as well as concise introductions to ethnic dress traditions and developments in the making and selling of clothing. Mainstream topics such as the changing shape of the female form are analyzed alongside current issues: ethics in the fashion industry, intelligent textiles, and subcultural dress, for example. Articles are illustrated by images ranging from exquisite couture creations to caricatures lampooning the extravagant follies of history's "fashion victims." This volume is the key reference work for everyone wishing to discover more about West Europe's seminal role in both fashion history and the shaping of cultural identities.