In Byzantium there were two overlapping systems of dress: a semiotic one whereby dress was a code for rank and wealth, and a fashion system where dress was based on the desire to look a certain way. This book explains secular dress from the eighth to the twelfth centuries through an examination of painted representations.
'This book is a welcome addition to the history of Byzantine dress. It presents a concise coverage of the Middle Byzantine period (eighth to twelfth centuries) using paintings (both frescoes and illustrated manuscripts) as its main evidence...It will be a good addition to the libraries of Byzantine historians and dress historians.' - Medieval Clothing and Textiles