Inthe context of this rapidly changing world, Rachel Worth explores theways in which the clothing of the rural working classes was representedvisually in paintings and photographs and by the literary sources ofdocumentary, autobiography and fiction, as well as by the particularpattern of survival and collection by museums of garments of ruralprovenance. Rachel Worth explores ways in which clothing and how it isrepresented throws light on wider social and cultural aspects ofsociety, as well as how 'traditional' styles of dress, like men'ssmock-frocks or women's sun-bonnets, came to be replaced by 'fashion'.Her compelling study, with black & white and colour illustrations,both adds a broader dimension to the history of dress by considering itwithin the social and cultural context of its time and discusses howclothing enriches our understanding of the social history of theVictorian period.