Clothing & Fashion - Exodus Books

Store Location

Secular histories of clothing will tell you that clothes evolved as people had need of them. Cro-magnon man (or whatever they're calling him these days) supposedly sauntered about in the nude before learning that discreetly positioned scraps of animal skin were sufficient to guard against unwanted injury. From there, he learned to sheath his arms, legs, torso, feet, and head, eventually even making his own material from organic substances like flax and cotton.

That's a bunch of hogwash. We know from the book of Genesis that clothes were in fact God's invention, designed to protect men and women from the shame of nakedness after sin entered the world. The first clothes were sewn fig leaves made in haste by Adam and Eve to hide themselves from God; but God replaced their leaves with animal skins left over from the first sacrifice. So the origins of clothing are both positive and negative, hiding us from each other but necessary only due to our sinfulness.

People have done their best since then to forget the original purpose of clothing. It's nothing new: humans have perennially sought to accentuate, rather than conceal, their form with whatever they put on. Culture instructs us to do this by urging everyone toward an outrageous body image few (if any) can achieve, then playing to our vanity by marketing the most flattering and expensive outfits available. These outfits are known somewhat mystically as "Fashion."

There's nothing wrong with wanting to look nice. Far from it—by making ourselves look put together and attractive, we honor the vessel God has given us and exert our stewardship in a highly visible way. A smart, colorful, varied wardrobe is as much a gift from God as tasty food, a warm house, or rousing music. It's only when we begin to use the gift in ways God never intended that we sin, and this manifests itself in two ways.

The first is simple: clothes are often used to incite lust. Immodest dress is just as offensive as nudity, and just as destructive to our own self-image and the moral uprightness of others. The second is a little less obvious: clothes can become an idol. When we're so consumed with our hipness that we have to own the latest fashions right away, we've passed from using clothes in their God-ordained way and for protection, and begun to worship a strange god.

At the same time, neglecting our wardrobe can be just as bad. Sometimes our situation requires that we forego replenishing our stock of outfits, but often we do this simply out of laziness. God intends for us to be clothed, and He intends us to take joy in attending to even this detail of our lives. The books in this section are devoted primarily to the history of fashion and clothing, but we encourage you to keep these things in mind as you peruse our selection.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.

Did you find this review helpful?

Parent Categories

Clothing & Fashion

Clothing & Fashion

Subcategories

Costume & Fashion Coloring Books

Dover Paper Dolls

73 Items found Print

	Abraham Lincoln & His Family - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for Preschool-3rd grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	American Family of the Civil War Era - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	American Family of the Colonial Era - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	American Pioneer Family - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Ancient Egyptian Costumes - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 1st-3rd grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Ancient Egyptian Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Brides from Around the World - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Byzantine Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99 $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Cavalier and Puritan Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Celtic Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Children A Pictorial Archive of Permission-Free Illustrations from Dover Publications Clip-Art for in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS)
	Children's Folk Costumes - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Joan O'Brien from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS)
	Chinese Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Ming-Ju Sun from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Civil War Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Civil War Paper Soldiers in Full Color 100 Authentic Union and Confederate Soldiers by A. G. Smith from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
	Clothes and Fashion to Color by Ruth Brocklehurst from Usborne for 2nd-5th grade in Usborne Activities (Location: ACT-USB)
	Clothing for Women Selection, Design and Construction Lippincott's Home Manuals by Laura I. Baldt 1922 Printing from J.B. Lippincott Co. for Adult in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
	Colonial and Early American Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $5.99
	Colonial Fashions - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Costume Through the Ages by Erhard Klepper from Dover Publications for 7th-12th grade in Cultural History (Location: HISMC-CUL) $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Creative Haven Fabulous Fashions of the 1950's Creative Haven by Ming-Ju Sun from Dover Publications for 5th-Adult in Adult Coloring Books (Location: COL-ADULT) $7.99
	Customs and Fashions in Old New England by Alice Morse Earle from Charles Scribner's Sons for 10th-Adult in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
	Empire Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	English Children's Costume Since 1775 1965 Reprint from A & C Black Ltd. for 6th-Adult in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS) $25.00 (1 in stock)
	Everyday Dress of the American Colonial Period - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Peter F. Copeland from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Fashions from India - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Fashions of the First Ladies - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Ming-Ju Sun from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $5.99
	Fashions of the First Ladies - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Fashions of the Old South - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $3.99
	Fashions of the Roaring Twenties - Coloring Book by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	French Baroque and Rococo Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	General Washington's Army by Marko Zlatich, Illustrated by Peter F. Copeland 2003 Printing from Osprey Publishing for 6th-Adult in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Godey's Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Ming-Ju Sun from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Great Characters From Shakespeare - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Great Fashion Designs of the Victorian Era - Paper Dolls in Full Color by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Greek and Roman Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Hairdo! What We Did and Do to Our Hair by Ruth Freeman Swain, illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith from Holiday House for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Everyday Life in History (Location: HISV-EVERY) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Harper's Bazar 1867-1898 from Dover Publications in Miscellaneous Coloring Books (Location: COL-MISC)
	Historical Sticker Dolly Dressing: 1950s Fashion from Usborne for 1st-4th grade in Usborne Sticker Books
	Historical Sticker Dolly Dressing: Country Estate 1900-1920 Fashion from Usborne for 1st-4th grade in Usborne Sticker Books
	Historical Sticker Dolly Dressing: Victorian Fashion from Usborne for 1st-4th grade in Usborne Sticker Books
	History of Children's Costume by Marion Sichel from B.T. Batsford Ltd. for 8th-Adult in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Costume by Doreen Yarwood from Dover Publications for 9th-Adult in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL) $22.00 (1 in stock)
	Jacobean and Early Bourbon Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $3.95
	Japanese Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Ming-Ju Sun from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS)
	Japanese Kimono Designs - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Ming-Ju Sun from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS)
	Kings, Queens, Knights, & Jesters Making Medieval Costumes by Lynn Edelman Schnurnberger from Harper & Row for 3rd-6th grade in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Lady With the Ship On Her Head by Deborah Nourse Lattimore from Harcourt Brace Jovanich for Preschool-2nd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Late Victorian and Edwardian Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Man is a Weaver by Elizabeth Chesley Baity, illustrated by C. B. Falls from Viking Press for 9th-Adult in Clothing & Fashion
	Marie Antoinette - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Medieval Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $5.99
	Military Buttons of the American Revolution by Don Troiani, photographs by Michael O'Donnell, foreword by James Kochan from Thomas Publications for 8th-Adult in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
	Military Uniforms, 1686-1918 A Grosset All-Color Guide by Rene North, illustrated by John Berry from Grosset & Dunlap in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Army by Rene Chartrand for Adult in France (Location: HISMC-FRA) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Napoleonic Wars: Wellington's Army by Ian Fletcher for Adult in Great Britain / England (Location: HISMC-BRIT) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Nothing to Wear But Clothes by Frank Jupo from E.P. Dutton & Co. for 1st-3rd grade in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Old-Time Children's Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Ming-Ju Sun from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Pavlova & Nijinsky Paper Dolls in Full Color from Dover Publications in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Pride and Prejudice - Paper Dolls by Brenda Sneathen Mattox from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Renaissance Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Southern Belle Ball Gowns - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Southern Belles - Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Spanish and Moorish Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS)
	Sticker Dolly Dressing: Wartime Fashions From the Second World War, 1939-1945 by Emily Bone from Usborne for Kindergarten-3rd grade in World War II (1939-1945) (Location: HISA-20WW2)
	Timelines: Clothes by Jacqueline Morley from Franklin Watts for 4th-6th grade in Clothing & Fashion
	Tudor and Elizabethan Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $4.99
	Victorian Family - Paper Dolls by Brenda Sneathen Mattox from Dover Publications for 2nd-5th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	Victorian Fashions - Coloring Book Dover Coloring Books by Tom Tierney from Dover Publications for 2nd-6th grade in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS) $5.99
	Victorian Pets - Paper Dolls in Full Colors by Evelyn Gathings from Dover Publications for 3rd-6th grade in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
	What We Wear Dressing Up Around the World by Cynthia Pon, Elise Hofer Derstine, Maya Ajmera from Charlesbridge for Preschool-1st grade in Clothing & Fashion
	Who Wore What? Women's Wear 1861-1865 from Thomas Publications for 7th-Adult in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
	You Are What You Wear by Helen Whitty from Chelsea House Publishing for 3rd-6th grade in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS) $2.00 (1 in stock)

Shop

Support

Hours & Directions

Connect