Caroline Cox
“Street” fashion, the organic creation of style influenced by location, culture, politics, religion, social unrest and availability of materials, has always influenced “high” fashion. And vice versa. Author Cox makes an excellent attempt to cataloging and describing some of these various “strains” of fashion that have developed over the last few centuries. Despite only devoting a page or two of text to each fashion culture (most of the book is excellent photos), she still manages to give a strong idea of where each fashion originated, and why. Cox takes her study continent by continent, looking at music, wars, social movements and other outside influences that shape how people align themselves and the “tribes” they join.
Some fashions will be familiar to all, punk being the most common. But are you familiar with Bronys (people who dress like My Little Pony), Ganguro (Japanese fashion with deep tans, teased blond hair and decorated nails), New Zealand’s Mongrel Mob (Maori bikers), South Africa’s sharp-dressing Smarteez or Mexico’s Guaracheros, with their enormously long boot toes? A large, excellent look at fashion and why it appears and evolves.