Uniforms are a way of belonging and of making people belong. Subconsciously, uniforms oil the wheels of the world. We accept orders from a uniformed guard, respect the diagnosis of a doctor or nurse, and feel better about entrusting that important package to a uniformed private delivery company.

This book traces the rise of the uniform in pictures up to the present day, from early military uniforms and on to the Second World War, from which a lot of uniform items made it through into civilian life, coinciding with the birth of the teenage phenomenon in the 1950s. It examines the different ways in which the uniform is used: as a means of control, of morale building, and of self-expression.

Bill Dunn has been at the forefront of men’s style journalism, joining GQ magazine soon after its launch. As style editor he ahs discovered and interviewed everyone in international men’s fashion from the late Gianni Versace to Tom Ford. Later he became senior editor of Esquire. He is currently editor of Redwood’s global, multi-award winning, 1.5 million circulation LIV magazine. He is the author of the men’s fashion book Man About Town.