Inside the Royal Wardrobe

A Dress History of Queen Alexandra

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art, Graphic Art & Design, Textile & Costume, Criticism, Fashion
Cover of the book Inside the Royal Wardrobe by Kate Strasdin, Bloomsbury Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Kate Strasdin ISBN: 9781474269957
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Publication: October 5, 2017
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic Language: English
Author: Kate Strasdin
ISBN: 9781474269957
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication: October 5, 2017
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Language: English

Queen Alexandra used clothes to fashion images of herself as a wife, a mother and a royal: a woman who both led Britain alongside her husband Edward VII and lived her life through fashion. Inside the Royal Wardrobe overturns the popular portrait of a vapid and neglected queen, examining the surviving garments of Alexandra, Princess of Wales – who later became Queen Consort – to unlock a rich tapestry of royal dress and society in the second half of the 19th century.

More than 130 extraordinary garments from Alexandra's wardrobe survive, from sumptuous court dress and politicised fancy dress to mourning attire and elegant coronation gowns, and can be found in various collections around the world, from London, Oslo and Denmark to New York, Toronto and Tokyo. Curator and fashion scholar Kate Strasdin places these garments at the heart of this in-depth study, examining their relationships to issues such as body politics, power, celebrity, social identity and performance, and interpreting Alexandra's world from the objects out.

Adopting an object-based methodology, the book features a range of original sources from letters, travel journals and newspaper editorials, to wardrobe accounts, memoirs, tailors' ledgers and business records. Revealing a shrewd and socially aware woman attuned to the popular power of royal dress, the work will appeal to students and scholars of costume, fashion and dress history, as well as of material culture and 19th century history.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Queen Alexandra used clothes to fashion images of herself as a wife, a mother and a royal: a woman who both led Britain alongside her husband Edward VII and lived her life through fashion. Inside the Royal Wardrobe overturns the popular portrait of a vapid and neglected queen, examining the surviving garments of Alexandra, Princess of Wales – who later became Queen Consort – to unlock a rich tapestry of royal dress and society in the second half of the 19th century.

More than 130 extraordinary garments from Alexandra's wardrobe survive, from sumptuous court dress and politicised fancy dress to mourning attire and elegant coronation gowns, and can be found in various collections around the world, from London, Oslo and Denmark to New York, Toronto and Tokyo. Curator and fashion scholar Kate Strasdin places these garments at the heart of this in-depth study, examining their relationships to issues such as body politics, power, celebrity, social identity and performance, and interpreting Alexandra's world from the objects out.

Adopting an object-based methodology, the book features a range of original sources from letters, travel journals and newspaper editorials, to wardrobe accounts, memoirs, tailors' ledgers and business records. Revealing a shrewd and socially aware woman attuned to the popular power of royal dress, the work will appeal to students and scholars of costume, fashion and dress history, as well as of material culture and 19th century history.

More books from Bloomsbury Publishing

Cover of the book Rembrandt's House by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Philosophical Posthumanism by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Wisden India Almanack 2018 by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Bolt Action: Tank War by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Modelling a Focke-Wulf Fw 190F-8 by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book The Hen Harrier by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carriers by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Punts by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book The Hand on the Shakespearean Stage by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Shakespeare in the Theatre: The National Theatre, 1963–1975 by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Nationalism and Private Law in Europe by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Law and the Internet by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Quiz Show and Bullet Catch by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book The International Legal Protection of Persons in Humanitarian Crises by Kate Strasdin
Cover of the book Documents on the Genocide Convention from the American, British, and Russian Archives by Kate Strasdin
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy