Selling Textiles in the Long Eighteenth Century: Comparative Perspectives from Western Europe

Textiles are a key component of the industrial, industrious and consumer revolutions, which are seen as transforming the economy, society and culture of Western Europe during the long eighteenth century. Yet we lack a coherent picture of how the marketing of textiles varied across time and between different regions and countries. This book provides important new insights into the ways in which changes in the supply of textiles related to shifting patterns of demand, not just in terms of imported novelties such as chintz, but also more traditional, locally-produced and even second-hand textiles. It focuses on the processes and practices of retailing, and assesses how these responded to and promoted wider changes in value systems and supply networks. It encompasses discussion of fashion and taste, advertising and pricing, cultural norms and local tradition, cleanliness and hygiene, shopkeepers and stock