In his complex novel of 1836 (fi rst serialized in 1833–4), Thomas Carlyle creates a fictional German philosopher who is part parody and part vehicle for Carlyle’s own musings on his “new Philosophy of Clothes.” Sartor Resartus —meaning “the tailor re- tailored”—has since then continued to be an influence in literature and philosophy, as well as a starting point for reevaluations of the history of dress. A central point within is that the meanings invested in matter change as cultures change. Given that erotic cloth has as many meanings as there are cultures and subcultures, Carlyle’s novel seems a good place to start our discussion.