Lucy Adlington

Anyone with a closet full of vintage clothes will find Stitches in Time a fascinating primer to the art of getting dressed.

Lucy Adlington has done something very impressive in making this a lively, vibrant and constantly interesting history – with each chapter focusing on a different area of clothing, and the vastly different history that accompanies each item. Some of the stories here are utterly fascinating, some rather upsetting, and some surprisingly moving – not what you would expect from a history of clothes ... You'll come away far more knowledgeable, and have a different viewpoint next time you open the wardrobe.

An enjoyable and easily accessible read to anyone who has an interest in the history of clothing, or history in general.

The commentary is cogent and wise... detailed and absorbing

Adlington’s history of clothing in Western culture is a fascinating exploration of knicker elastic, sock garters, trouser turn-ups, glove-stretchers and other sartorial curiosities

Clothes are deeply connected to our identity. Here’s a clear, thoughtful history. Of socks. And trousers, And jackets. And much more.

What's remarkable is just how fascinating it all is.

The Story of the Clothes We Wear

Riffling through the wardrobes of years gone by, costume historian Lucy Adlington reveals the rich stories underlying the clothes we wear in this stylish tour of the most important developments in the history of fashion, from ancient times to the present day. 
 
Starting with underwear – did you know Elizabeth I owned just one pair of drawers, worn only after her death? – she moves garment by garment through Western attire, exploring both the items we still wear every day and those that have gone the way of the dodo (sugared petticoats, farthingales and spatterdashers to name but a few). 
 
Beautifully illustrated throughout, and crammed with fascinating and eminently quotable facts, Stitches in Time shows how the way we dress is inextricably bound up with considerations of aesthetics, sex, gender, class and lifestyle – and offers us the chance to truly appreciate the extraordinary qualities of these, our most ordinary possessions.

Lucy Adlington

Praise for Stitches in Time

Anyone with a closet full of vintage clothes will find Stitches in Time a fascinating primer to the art of getting dressed.

Lucy Adlington has done something very impressive in making this a lively, vibrant and constantly interesting history – with each chapter focusing on a different area of clothing, and the vastly different history th ...

An enjoyable and easily accessible read to anyone who has an interest in the history of clothing, or history in general.

Anyone with a closet full of vintage clothes will find Stitches in Time a fascinating primer to the art of getting dressed.

Lucy Adlington has done something very impressive in making this a lively, vibrant and constantly interesting history – with each chapter focusing on a different area of clothing, and the vastly different history th ...

An enjoyable and easily accessible read to anyone who has an interest in the history of clothing, or history in general.

Anyone with a closet full of vintage clothes will find Stitches in Time a fascinating primer to the art of getting dressed.

Lucy Adlington has done something very impressive in making this a lively, vibrant and constantly interesting history – with each chapter focusing on a different area of clothing, and the vastly different history th ...

An enjoyable and easily accessible read to anyone who has an interest in the history of clothing, or history in general.

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter