Pazazz: The Impact and Resonance of White Clothing, Nina Edwards

Pazazz explores the surprising depth of meaning woven into the colour white, tracing its journey across history as a marker of purity, power, privilege and protest. Nina Edwards delves into vivid case studies—bridal gowns and debutante gloves, Ku Klux Klan robes and doctor’s coats—illuminating how white clothing can symbolise innocence and status yet also embody menace and exclusion.

Through 224 vividly illustrated pages—featuring 10 colour plates and 65 halftone images—Edwards frames white as a “startling absence of colour” that evokes elegance, ritual and moral tension. Whether discussing nightwear, straitjackets, or high-maintenance fashion, the book reveals how whiteness in dress is never neutral, but charged with cultural resonance.

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About the Author
Nina Edwards is a London‑based freelance writer, actor, and cultural commentator. Her previous works include On the Button: The Significance of an Ordinary Item and Darkness: A Cultural History. In Pazazz, she applies her trademark curiosity to the “no‑colour” of white, offering a richly layered meditation that is both scholarly and richly accessible.

Publication date: 2023
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Pages: 224
ISBN: 978 1789146851