Dear PILAS Subscribers,

 

We would like to announce a new publication from the University of Texas Press, which we hope will be of interest.

 

meXicana Fashions

Politics, Self-Adornment, and Identity Construction

Edited by Aída Hurtado & Norma E. Cantú

 

http://www.combinedacademic.co.uk/mexicana-fashions-0

 

Collecting the perspectives of scholars who reflect on their own relationships to particular garments, analyze the politics of dress, and examine the role of consumerism and entrepreneurialism in the production of creating and selling a style, meXicana Fashions examines and searches for meaning in these visible, performative aspects of identity.

 

Focusing primarily on Chicanas but also considering trends connected to other Latin American communities, the authors highlight specific constituencies that are defined by region (“Tejana style,” “L.A. style”), age group (“homie,” “chola”), and social class (marked by haute couture labels such as Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta). The essays acknowledge the complex layers of these styles, which are not mutually exclusive but instead reflect a range of intersections in occupation, origin, personality, sexuality, and fads. Other elements include urban indigenous fashion shows, the shifting quinceañera market, “walking altars” on the Days of the Dead, plus-size clothing, huipiles in the workplace, and dressing in drag. Together, these chapters illuminate the full array of messages woven into a vibrant social fabric.

 

With all best wishes,

 

Combined Academic Publishers

 

University of Texas Press | January 2020 | 368pp | 9781477319598 | PB | £26.99*

*Price subject to change.