Humans are always doing odd things to change their appearance. Enjoy this introduction to fashion fads from the early days of civilization, to the 21st century. Unravel the reasons behind all sorts of trends, from Egyptian head cones to plague beaks to a procession of outrageous footwear. Discover the unexpected origins of make-up; and the extreme world of body-modification that includes scarification, tattooing and skin stretching to name a few. Examine the changing perceptions of the human body through time and geography. Learn how the industrial revolution reinvented the image industry for better and for worse. Determine which trends you think are couture, and which are just torture. Explore the roles of gender, age, politics, money and more in fashion, ultimately finding answers to the question: why do we care so much about the way we look?