ABSTRACT
This book has explored how the provincial clothing trade operated during the first half of the nineteenth century, examining the interlocking supply networks that were used by working-class consumers. Rarely was one network used in isolation. Boundaries were crossed between first- and second-hand markets, ready-made and home-made, parish relief clothing or school uniform, to weave a complex provisioning process, both by individuals and those within the same household. Retailers also operated across fluid boundaries, some shops selling new and second-hand clothing side by side, as well as providing clothing for parish relief, or employing itinerant sellers to take stock further afield.
