The Philosophy of Fashion is a book about the relationship between fashion, modernity and human identity. Fashion is both a familiar and mysteriously elitist world in which we all live, whether we're buying a new pair of jeans, reading Vogue or watching the latest episode of a TV series. Lars Svendsen explores the world of fashion, its myths, ideas, the history that gave rise to couture, must-have trends, and the concept of fashion itself. Svendsen dwells on the works of thinkers from Adam Smith to Roland Barthes to analyze fashion as a historical phenomenon and aesthetic philosophy. He also traces the connections between the concepts of fashion and modernity and identifies the importance of the development of fashion in such areas as art, politics and philosophy. Whether ruthlessly criticizing a media culture that glorifies the perfection of the body, or analyzing the endless debate about the merits of conformity rather than individual style, Lars Svendsen offers a compelling and intriguing analysis of fashion and the motivations behind the pursuit of the new.