What does what you wear on vacation say about you?

If the old adage that you are what you eat holds water, what of the things we wrap around our exteriors?

What do our sweat pants, prom dresses, suits, ties, bikinis and muumuus say about us? The study of fashion through the ages, apart from being a contemplation of fabric, pattern, fitting and style, shows an evolution of a people, from how we present ourselves to who we are.

Caroline Rennolds Milbank, a fashion historian and author who has worked as a curatorial consultant for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and as an expert for Sotheby’s and Doyle New York, veers away from the main land in her newest book, “Resort Fashion: Style in Sun-Drenched Climates.” The former Richmonder explores the evolution of beach wear, from the bizarre “bathing machines” of the 19th century to nude beaches, the bikini and finally modern suits tailored around the notion of protecting you from skin cancer.

Read more at StyleWeekly.com