Fustians in Englishmen's dress: from cloth to emblem

Abstract

This paper examines the nature of the textiles known as fustians, originally imported but later manufactured in England. The focus is on eighteenth-century England when fustians underwent further development into modern cloth types. Evidence of the use of fustians for men's dress, and the status of those who wore them, is explored to shed further light on the developments leading up to the association of fustian with working-class men. The paper is based on a presentation delivered at the Costume Society Symposium: Town and Country Style in 2007.