Looking Flash

Offering a fresh look at the role of clothes in New Zealand history, this reference examines what New Zealanders wear and what they have worn--from the shrinking bathing suit to the black singlet--over the past three centuries, proving that clothing reveals as much as it conceals. The authors show that, despite a reputation for being wary of "looking flashy," New Zealand has not always been a dowdy country. Essays span the clothing of pre-colonial Maori society, marching girls and castaways, and include 18th century heirloom dresses, hand-me-downs, wartime garb, and kilts. There are also extraordinary stories about the fate of a Maori cloak and an Otago farmer's remarkable collection of 1970s high-fashion garments.