Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. List of Illustrations vii
4. Prologue 1
5. 1. La Femme comme il (en) faut and the Pursuit of Distinction 9
6. 2. Unpacking the Corbeille de mariage 45
7. 3. “Cashmere Fever”: Virtue and the Domestication of the Exotic 77
8. 4. Mademoiselle Ombrelle: Shielding the Fair Sex 107
9. 5. Fan Fetish: Gender, Nostalgia, and Commodification 145
10. 6. Between Good Intentions and Ulterior Motives: The Culture of Handbags 178
11. Epilogue. The Feminine Accessory 211
12. Notes 215
13. Bibliography 253
14. Index 273
15. Acknowledgments 279