Author’s Note

It is not possible in a book of this size to catalogue every twist and turn of fashion over 2 millennia, and so Corsets and Codpieces encapsulates those trends that era by era both elegantly and outrageously put their stamp upon the past. A social history of costume, it hopes to convey both the pride and the prejudices towards some of the more memorable aspects of clothing, giving you, the reader, a glimpse into what it was like to both wear the clothes as well as witness the attitudes and opinions of the times. Based on both primary sources and contemporary accounts, it promises to make entertaining and at times outrageous reading.

Karen Bowman