A Coat of Many Colors: Dress Culture in the Young State of Israel

by Anat Helman

Overview

A Coat of Many Colors investigates Israel's first seven years as a sovereign state through the unusual prism of dress. Clothes worn by Israelis in the 1950s reflected political ideologies, economic conditions, military priorities, social distinctions, and cultural preferences, and all played a part in consolidating a new national identity. Based on a wide range of textual and visual historical documents, the book covers both what Israelis wore in various circumstances and what they said and wrote about clothing and fashion. Written in a clear and accessible style that will appeal to the general reader as well as students and scholars, A Coat of Many Colors introduces the reader both to Israel's history during its formative years and to the rich field of dress culture.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940015009071
Publisher:	Academic Studies Press
Publication date:	03/01/2011
Series:	Israel: Society, Culture, and History , #4
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	300
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Anat Helman (Ph.D. Hebrew University) is a lecturer in the Jewish History Department and the Cultural Studies Program at Hebrew University. Her most recent publications include: Tel Aviv’s Culture during the Mandate Era (in Hebrew) and ‘The Voice of the First Hebrew City to its Residents’: Municipal Posters in Mandate Era Tel Aviv” with Yael Reshef (in Hebrew -forthcoming in Israel).

Editorial Reviews

Well-documented with an impressive bibliography, Anat Helman's book, A Coat of Many Colors, is an easy-to-read account and analysis of dress fashions among Israel's immigrants and residents in the country's first years. I enjoyed this book very much—it's fun to read and clearly demonstrates how clothing and dress are integral aspects of social and cultural history.

Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion - Joanne B. Eicher, Editor-in-Chief