… the extreme cleanliness. One of their best customs is that they wear a chemise, underpants and a vest underneath their clothes. A wealthy man will change his underwear several times a week. In doing so, they attempt to prevent vermin from … very poor are free from fleas or any other such creatures.ʼ (al-Tahtawi, An Imam in Paris , 225-226) W ith regard to the clothes worn by the French, his observer’s gaze betrays the amazement of someone who came from a traditionalist society, …
… distinct from the noisy, cumbersome tread of working men in heavy, hobnailed shoes. 4 . J. C. Flügel, The Psychology of Clothes (London: Hogarth Pess, 1930). 5 . Matthew McCormack, ‘Boots, material culture and Georgian masculinities’, Social …