Invention's Mint: The Currency of Fashion and (Fake) News in Early Modern London

News and fashion in early modern England have been the subjects of much historical inquiry as separate phenomena. This article explores their multifaceted and subtle connections, including in their character as information. Many Londoners deployed news and fashion at Court and in public urban places as complementary forms of social currency. Aspirants created an identity informed by a sense of personal currency based on cutting-edge fashions, social acknowledgement, and the exchange of news. Those unable to obtain true news and luxurious clothing might use fake news and dubious attire to become both counterfeit and current.