Construction Of Cultural Meaning

The meaning of a cultural symbol will be constructed by multiple factors,such as politics,economy,religion,aesthetics,national psychology,customs,etc..As a typical dress of Englishmen,the birth of the Three-piece Suit is a representative cultural phenomenon.From pursuing luxury to advocating simplicity,the dress reform in the 17^th century changed the life style and cultural concept of the English,which laid the foundation for England to become an empire on which the sun never set in the 18th century.This thesis,taking the Three-piece Suit as the research object,aims to demonstrate the construction of cultural meaning by sorting out and elucidating the decisive role of Puritanism,mercantilism and anti-royalism in the 17^thcentury English society in the formation of the cultural meaning“teaching the nobility thrift”.In addition to the introduction and conclusion,the body of this thesis is divided into three chapters.In the first chapter,starting from Puritanism,the author will analyze the religious pressure brought by the emergence,spread and impact of Puritan view of dress on the reform of aristocratic costumes.The second chapter will reflect the economic cause of the dress reform by analyzing the outflow of wealth caused by the clothing industry,English pillar industry,based on mercantilism.The last chapter is designed to prove a new dress was in demanded as a symbol to teach noblemen thrift under the criticism of anti-royalism for aristocratic prestige.To sum up,Puritans,mercantilists and anti-royalists who had got louder voice in the 17^thcentury England attacked the court culture for different interests,calling for thrift and criticizing luxury.Consequently,the Three-piece Suit symbolized“teaching the nobility thrift”came into being for moral,economic and political well-being.Since then,the cultural concept of thrift has also taken root in the hearts of the English.