From rumps and stays to muffs and handkerchiefs, underwear and accessories were critical components of the 18th-century woman's wardrobe. They not only created her shape, but expressed her character, sociability, fashionability and even political allegiances. These so-called ephemeral flights of fashion were not merely peripheral or supplementary, but highly charged artefacts that acted as cultural currency in contemporary society. The Modern Venus establishes the significance of these elements of women's dress as key ingredients in the recipe for fashion and fashionable change in Britain and the Atlantic World c. 1765-95. Dissecting the female silhouette into regions of the body and types of dress, and shifting away from a broad-sweeping stylistic evolution, this book explores these potent players within a woman's sartorial armoury. Marrying material, archival and visual approaches, and drawing on a rich range of sources - including painted portraiture, satirical prints, accounts and periodicals - The Modern Venus offers an innovative and inclusive methodological approach to dress history, highlighting the relationship between fashion and print culture. It positions dress as a medium and mediator that women employed to navigate an evolving world, demonstrating the importance of these overlooked garments in both defining fashion and shaping our understanding of late 18th-century life.

With over 125 colour images, The Modern Venus is a remarkable resource for scholars, students and costume lovers alike.