The Industrial Revolution's impact on western society was almost incomprehensible in depth and scope. One of the less appreciated areas of its impact is fashion. By making textiles cheaper, the Industrial Revolution made possible, for the first time, the mass production of fashionable dress for men and women alike. Along with appropriate manners and education, the middle class now sought the "right" clothes for every season and occasion. As is largely still the case, the city of Paris was the center of innovation in design. Moreover, as some historians argue, the degree of women's freedom may be detected in the freedom allowed by their clothing.

1. An exhaustive, clickable index of prints and articles on the history of fashion may be browsed at
   
   http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/history.html
   
   The section on the nineteenth century is available at
   
   http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/COSTUME15_INDEX.HTML#Plate85
   
   
2. Another website with many fascinating links on the history of fashion is
   
   http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Design_Arts/Fashion_and_Beauty/History/
   
   
3. For a sense of fashion during and immediately after the French Revolution, when clothing was still largely hand-tailored rather than mass-produced, view the text and images at
   
   http://www.costumes.org/pages/fashiondress/FrenchRevolution.htm
   
   
4. Browse through an international, historical fashion show at
   
   http://www.costumes.org/pages/costhistpage.htm