Taking the books O espírito das roupas e A idéia e o figurado as a guideline, this article analyses the intellectual trajectory of Gilda de Mello e Souza (1919-2005). It shows how the author took advantage of a wide variety of sources, from history to sociology, from anthropology to aesthetics, to create a work full of insights and freedom of expression, and to sharpen her approach to the objects analysed.
Gilda de Mello e Souza; fashion; aesthetics; sociology