Desiring Fashion: The Consumption and Dissemination of Dress 1750-1850

Information about the conference I am currently organising, Desiring Fashion: The Consumption and Dissemination of Dress 1750-1850, is now available on the University of York website.

This day conference brings together academic and curatorial work on the desire to dress fashionably in the eighteenth century. From faces to feet, the fashionable men and women of the eighteenth century strove to achieve aesthetic perfection. This series of papers explores the process of fashion dissemination, production and consumption which enabled the fulfilment of these desires, and how this related to the concepts of desire, gender and beauty. The papers to be presented cover subjects such as cosmetics and beauty, fashion plates, silk manufacture and the relationship between dressmaker and client. A small exhibition of fashion plates and accessories from the period will accompany the conference.

Aileen Ribeiro (Courtauld) - 'Desiring Beauty: women and cosmetics in the eighteenth century'

Elisabeth Gernerd (Edinburgh) - 'Pulled Tight and Gleaming: The Stocking's Position within Eighteenth-Century British Masculinity'

Lesley Miller (V&A) - 'Material marketing: how Lyonnais manufacturers sold their silks in the 18th century'

Hilary Davidson (Museum of London) - TBC

Catherine Flood (V&A) - 'Fashion in Print and the Pleasure of Picturing Modern Life:fashion plates and fashion satires'

Serena Dyer (York) - 'A Beautiful Bargain: Lady Sabine Winn's relationship with fashion'





Registration: The registration fee is £12.00. This includes a simple sandwich lunch, tea and coffee. Registration will be available shortly via our online store.

Members of the University of York : Registration is free, but please email cecs1@york.ac.uk to register. Lunch (optional) is £5.00.