Women's clothes and female honour in early modern London

Reinke-Williams, T. (2011) Women's clothes and female honour in early modern London. Continuity and Change. 26(1), pp. 69-88. 0268-4160.

Information

Item Type:	Article
Abstract:	This article explores how the reputations and agency of middling and plebeian women in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century London were affected by what they wore. Compared with provincial England, markets for women’s clothes in the capital were more diverse and accessible. Ambiguous moral judgments were made of women based on their dress, but many sought to acquire good, fashionable attire as the right clothes would improve their options in terms of courtship, sociability and employment, as well as facilitating their ability to negotiate the metropolitan environment and providing them with a ready store of capital. Clothes were thus contested commodities which helped define the limits of the possible for women in early modern London
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Early modern history, social history, economic history, cultural history, women, gender, honour, clothes, dress, material culture, London
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GT Manners and customs > GT500 Costume. Dress. Fashion H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Women > HQ1101 Women. Feminism D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain > DA670 Local history and description > DA675 London
Creators:	Reinke-Williams, Tim
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes:	University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > School of Social Sciences (to 2016) University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Education & Humanities > History Faculties > Faculty of Education & Humanities > History
Date:	May 2011
Date Type:	Publication
Page Range:	pp. 69-88
Journal or Publication Title:	Continuity and Change
Volume:	26
Number:	1
Language:	English
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0268416011000026
ISSN:	0268-4160
Status:	Published / Disseminated
Refereed:	Yes
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/5450

Actions (login required)

Edit Item

Altmetric