From Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music to Nobel Peace Prize recipient Mother Teresa, nuns occupy a special place in popular consciousness as figures of fondness, fun, strictness, purity and grace. Many of us identify nuns by their deceptively simple form of dress – few of us understand, however, that the habit is also a visual code. Via graphic design and illustration Looking Good deciphers this most enduring form of visual identity, presenting it for fresh appreciation at a time when it appears to be in demise. The book catalogues and compares the religious clothing of over 40 Catholic communities of nuns and sisters, explaining its components, significance and distinguishing identifiers. The accompanying text, incorporates visions and miracles, high drama and humble beginnings, persecution and insurrection, to reveal how the story of the habit is also that of the struggle between the powerful and the poor; of politics, social care and the role of women; and the interplay between culture, fashion and faith.

Editors

Lucienne Roberts Rebecca Wright Jessie Price

Design

LucienneRoberts+

Specifications