Elizabeth Wilson, a professor at the London College of Fashion, is rightly considered a pioneer among studies on the formation of fashion in Western society as a special cultural institution and as an aesthetic means for expressing ideas, desires and beliefs circulating in society. Separate chapters of the book are devoted to the history of the fashion industry, constructions of femininity and masculinity in Western culture, erotic aspects of fashion, fashion and urban life, fashion and popular culture, as well as alternative styles.