ABSTRACT
The introduction provides the general contextual background of the work. The opening pages are devoted to the exposition of the main aim of the monograph: to observe the way Pachucas, Chicanas and Cholas have, in different sociohistorical moments, expressed their subversion to the norms of moral and conduct through their physical appearance. The chapter accounts briefly for the history of Mexican American women in the United States and explains the general content of the work, describing roughly the subject matter of each of the ensuing chapters. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the history of dress and to its communicative function. Chapter 2 gives a general overview to the history of fashion and clothing in the 20th century. Chapter 3 proposes some ideas on the notion of youth subcultural groups and their relationship to style. The next three chapters propose an interpretative analysis of photographs of Pachucas, Chicanas and Cholas, respectively, and places them in their sociocultural contexts. The work ends with some concluding remarks on the function of dress for these three particular groups of women.
