Alison Matthews David is Associate Professor in the School of Fashion, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.

David offers up gruesome examples that lend weight to a compelling, but never hectoring, polemic. In its own understated way, Fashion Victims provides an excoriating critique of early industrial capitalism. And it makes for a gripping (if sometimes meandering) read, often fascinatingly queer and curious ... This is an earnest and important book, generously illustrated and full of interest, retrieving heart-sinking horror from the historical record, and signposting a future that remains immensely troubling.

• Introduction: Death by Fashion in Fact and Fiction1. Diseased Dress: Germ Warfare2. Toxic Techniques: Mercurial Hats3. Poisonous Pigments: Arsenical Greens4. Dangerous Dyes: A Pretty, Deadly Rainbow5. Entangled and Strangled: Caught in the Machine6. Inflammatory Fabrics: Flaming Tutus and Combustible Crinolines7. Explosive Fakes: Plastic Combs and Artificial SilkConclusion: The Afterlife of Fashion VictimsBibliographyIndex

Alison Matthews David is Associate Professor in the School of Fashion, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.

David offers up gruesome examples that lend weight to a compelling, but never hectoring, polemic. In its own understated way, Fashion Victims provides an excoriating critique of early industrial capitalism. And it makes for a gripping (if sometimes meandering) read, often fascinatingly queer and curious ... This is an earnest and important book, generously illustrated and full of interest, retrieving heart-sinking horror from the historical record, and signposting a future that remains immensely troubling.

• Introduction: Death by Fashion in Fact and Fiction1. Diseased Dress: Germ Warfare2. Toxic Techniques: Mercurial Hats3. Poisonous Pigments: Arsenical Greens4. Dangerous Dyes: A Pretty, Deadly Rainbow5. Entangled and Strangled: Caught in the Machine6. Inflammatory Fabrics: Flaming Tutus and Combustible Crinolines7. Explosive Fakes: Plastic Combs and Artificial SilkConclusion: The Afterlife of Fashion VictimsBibliographyIndex

Alison Matthews David is Associate Professor in the School of Fashion, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.

David offers up gruesome examples that lend weight to a compelling, but never hectoring, polemic. In its own understated way, Fashion Victims provides an excoriating critique of early industrial capitalism. And it makes for a gripping (if sometimes meandering) read, often fascinatingly queer and curious ... This is an earnest and important book, generously illustrated and full of interest, retrieving heart-sinking horror from the historical record, and signposting a future that remains immensely troubling.

• Introduction: Death by Fashion in Fact and Fiction1. Diseased Dress: Germ Warfare2. Toxic Techniques: Mercurial Hats3. Poisonous Pigments: Arsenical Greens4. Dangerous Dyes: A Pretty, Deadly Rainbow5. Entangled and Strangled: Caught in the Machine6. Inflammatory Fabrics: Flaming Tutus and Combustible Crinolines7. Explosive Fakes: Plastic Combs and Artificial SilkConclusion: The Afterlife of Fashion VictimsBibliographyIndex