Edwards, a researcher of textiles and dress in India who lectures in design and visual culture at Nottingham Trent U., UK, examines the textiles and dress of Gujarat in western India and their role in the construction of a visual identity of its people. Using many color photos and line drawings for illustration, she describes the types of textiles made by artisans whose occupations as weavers, printers, and dyers have been determined by the caste system, and how local usage reflects the caste occupation and faith of customers and social institutions such as dowry and marriage. She discusses the history of cloth and dress up to the present, including handmade fabrics; woven, dyed, painted, and printed cloth; and embroidery; and their place in culture and trade, the change in consumption over the past 50 years, including the rise of synthetic fabrics and readymade clothes, and the impact on craft production. No index is supplied. Distributed in North America by ACC Distribution. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)