This is the first detailed study to examine the purchase and exchange of clothing by provincial non-elite consumers. Toplis investigates how everyday apparel was bought and sold using evidence from a wide range of sources including newspapers, trade directories, court records, visual sources and surviving garments. She shows how acquisition patterns varied according to location and examines the retail networks for these types of consumers: how they obtained their clothes; how they used suppliers; and how they perceived their clothing and its relationship with fashion.