Autobiographies and Menswear Consumption in Britain, c. 1880–1939

Abstract

This article explores the usefulness of autobiographies as sources for histories of dress. Focusing particularly on the consumption of menswear in Britain between 1880 and 1939, it assesses whether published autobiographies can serve as the main basis for research into sartorial consumption. The article suggests that the conventions of the genre tended to shape the ways in which consumption was dealt with, making autobiographies especially useful in shedding light on sartorial practices at certain moments in authors' lives, and at certain 'stages' in their life course. It also sheds light on the ways in which clothes consumption was used in autobiographies in order to provide insights into themes of importance to the author's life story, as well as to explore issues of identity and of the individual's place in society.