Bloomsbury presents Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity by Elizabeth Wilson, read by Madeleine Leslay

When Adorned in Dreams was first published in 1985, Angela Carter described the book as ‘the best I have read on the subject, bar none.’

From haute couture to haberdashery, and ‘deviant’ dress to Dior, Elizabeth Wilson traces the social and cultural history of fashion and its complex relationship to modernity. From the ‘dress reform’ movement to certain strands of feminism, Wilson delights in the power of fashion to mark out identity - or subvert it.

Explore topics including fashion and city life, feminism and fashion, and oppositional dress in this authoritative scholarly text on fashion’s pivotal role in modern society. P 2026 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC|C 2026 Elizabeth Wilson