This is not an exhaustive history of textiles, a scientific report, or a boring reference book on fabrics. The book invites you to take a closer look at the material that surrounds and accompanies us throughout our lives.

In one chapter, you will learn about the creation of the spacesuit that helped man walk on the Moon, and in another, you will get acquainted with the craft that inspired Vermeer to paint 'The Lacemaker.' The author will tell about the people who swaddled Egyptian mummies and those who removed these covers. You will understand why scientists and inventors dedicated their lives to creating clothing from spider silk. You will also learn about those cases when, in the most extreme conditions, clothing failed a person, which led to fatal consequences.

The book contains 30 fascinating stories that illustrate the amazing importance of fabric for humanity.

Cassia St. Clair is a renowned English journalist specializing in design and culture, and the author of the bestselling book The Secret Life of Colour, a BBC Radio 4 book of the week.

'Fascinating stories about how fabrics have influenced human life throughout the centuries. Wars and mysteries, mountain climbers, sailors and astronauts, archaeological excavations and the most modern scientific research - all are found in these stories, but the main character is always fabric. 'Whether natural or made from complex chemical compounds, or even spider silk, fabric is essential to humankind. This book gives the reader the opportunity to see the world of familiar things from a new perspective.' — Galina Istomina, fashion and textile historian