Download or read book The Tyranny of Elegance written by Daniel L. Purdy and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: He traces the elite reaction against fashion that followed the example of the king, Frederick the Great, who dressed poorly - in worn and even dirty clothes - to separate himself from the francophile fastidiousness typical of absolutist armies.