Uniforms Exposed: From Conformity to Transgression (Dress, Body, Culture)

There is nothing uniform about wearing a uniform. This one article of clothing has arguably had a greater impact on the world than any other. From fascists to fashionistas, Uniforms Exposed looks at this most extraordinary of ordinary garments and its cultural meaning in our everyday lives. Tracing the troubling connections amongst religious orders, the military, schools and fetish clubs, Craik shows how uniforms alternately control bodies and enable subversion. What does it mean to wear one? Why do certain professions require them? Do they really tell wearers how to act and others how to respond? Answering these intriguing questions and many more, Craik shows how the uniform inspires fear and love, conformity and subversion, and why it has continued to fascinate across cultures and throughout history. There Is Nothing Uniform About Wearing A Uniform. This One Article Of Clothing Has Arguably Had A Greater Impact On The World Than Any Other. From Fascists To Fashionistas, Uniforms Exposed Looks At This Most Extraordinary Of Ordinary Garments And Its Cultural Meaning In Our Everyday Lives. Tracing The Troubling Connections Among Religious Orders, The Military, Schools And Fetish Clubs, Jennifer Craik Shows How Uniforms Alternately Control Bodies And Enable Subversion. What Does It Mean To Wear One? Why Do Certain Professions Require Them? Do They Really Tell Wearers How To Act And Others How To Respond? Answering These Intriguing Questions And Many More, Craik Shows How The Uniform Inspires Fear And Love, Conformity And Subversion, And Why It Has Continued To Fascinate Across Cultures And Throughout History.--jacket. Part I. Uniforms And Culture. Uniforms, Body Techniques And Culture. Why Do Uniforms Intrigue Us? ; Techniques Of The Uniformed Body ; The Emergence Of Uniforms Of Modernity -- Part Ii. Uniforms And Authority. From Military Uniforms To Codified Civility. From Identification To Indulgence To Utilitarianism ; Glamour, Discipline, Modernity ; Functionality, Sexuality, Colonization ; Military Uniforms And Civil Life -- School Uniforms And Docile Bodies. Uniforms And Pedagogy ; Modern Masculinity And The Rise Of School Uniforms ; One Of The Boys? Uniform Codes And Feminine Persona ; Modifying School Uniforms Amid Youth Culture ; The School Uniform Debate Today ; Uniform Techniques Despite Fashion Changes -- Uniforms For Women. Modern Identities For Plucky Heroines ; Policing Femininity ; Fighting Women ; Brides Of Christ Or Sister Act: Dressing Women Clergy ; Sexualizing Uniforms --^ Part Iii. Uniforms For Work And Leisure. Uniforms For Work. Uniforms At Work ; Classic Elements Of Work Uniforms ; Flight Refreshments: Dressing Airlines ; The Work Of Occupational Uniforms ; Interpreting Occupational Uniforms ; Corporate, Quasi And Informal Uniforms ; Ambiguity And Occupational Identity ; Working Uniforms For Postmodern Sensibilities -- Sports Uniforms To Sportswear. Sporting Bodies And Disciplined Selves ; Defining Sports Uniforms And Sports Clothing ; Shaping Sports Uniforms: Some Historical Currents ; The Gendering Of Sports Uniforms ; The Transformation Of Sports Clothing Under Consumer Culture -- Fashioning Sports Clothing As Lifestyle Couture. Sports Clothing As Fashion ; The Lycra Revolution ; Body Technologies ; From Stylish Sports Clothing To Sporty Style --^ Part Iv. Uniform Culture. Uniforms In Fashion And Popular Culture. Uniforms And Popular Culture ; Uniforms In Hollywood Musicals ; The Uniform In Fashion Photography ; Uniform Influences On Design ; Postmodern Sensibilities ; Subcultures And Uniforms ; From West To East, And Back Again ; The Popularity Of Uniforms And Sexual Frisson -- Transgressive Uniforms In Contemporary Culture. The Power Of Uniforms ; Ecclesiastical Dress: From Carnival To Carnal ; Transgression And Culture ; The Transgressive Uptake Of Uniforms In Contemporary Culture. Jennifer Craik. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [239]-257) And Index.

From religious orders to the military, schools to fetish clubs, uniforms shape identities. What does it mean to wear one? Why do certain professions require them? Why are uniforms so alluring when they inspire so many ambivalent feelings? Craik debunks the myth that the meaning of uniforms is transparent. From nurses to brides, from athletes to police officers, uniforms express certain implicit (and sometimes explicit) codes about power, transgression, eroticism and masquerade. Uniforms Exposed investigates the social and cultural significance of these ordinary yet extraordinary garments. Craik demonstrates how uniforms go well beyond the standard definitions of order, discipline, conformity, pride and authority. Their meaning, she argues, is thoroughly context-dependent.

Uniforms are perhaps the most widely worn garments in the world. Craik looks at the meaning of uniforms as well as how they have influenced fashion, and shows the centrality of uniforms to cultural politics. She draws on historical and contemporary examples of uniforms across different cultures