Originally published in 1937 and reprinted as a fourth edition in paperback in 1979, this is a history of dress in England from the Norman Conquest to the mid-20 th century. Despite being an excellent resource for the student or designer, this book also provides a wealth of material for the social historian. Indeed, the author argues that costume is important because it is custom, and custom and habit have helped to shape history just as much as political machinations and geographical discoveries.