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The Meanings of Dress
"There are some really great readings that supplement the theoretical underpinnings of each chapter." Angie G. Liljequist, Fontbonne University, USA
"A comprehensive compilation of readings for students studying the social and psychological aspects of appearance and dress." Jessica Strubel, University of North Texas, USA
Learn how-and why-consumers buy clothing and accessories, and increase your global awareness as you study dress and appearance.
Contributions are from writers on four continents and examples are from ten countries, including Ghana, Vietnam, Norway, and Jamaica, among others. The book includes more than 40 articles on topics such as wearable technology, cosplay, lesbian dress, and genderqueer fashion.
- Contributors are experts in fashion theory, cultural studies, psychology, sociology, gender studies, religion, material culture, consumer behavior, and popular culture
- Two separate chapters on gender and sexuality
- International examples are included from Afghanistan, China, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam
- More than 100 black and white images
PLEASE NOTE: Purchasing or renting this ISBN does not include access to the STUDIO resources that accompany this text. To receive free access to the STUDIO content with new copies of this book, please refer to the book + STUDIO access card bundle ISBN 9781501323942.
"A comprehensive compilation of readings for students studying the social and psychological aspects of appearance and dress." Jessica Strubel, University of North Texas, USA
Learn how-and why-consumers buy clothing and accessories, and increase your global awareness as you study dress and appearance.
Contributions are from writers on four continents and examples are from ten countries, including Ghana, Vietnam, Norway, and Jamaica, among others. The book includes more than 40 articles on topics such as wearable technology, cosplay, lesbian dress, and genderqueer fashion.
- Contributors are experts in fashion theory, cultural studies, psychology, sociology, gender studies, religion, material culture, consumer behavior, and popular culture
- Two separate chapters on gender and sexuality
- International examples are included from Afghanistan, China, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam
- More than 100 black and white images
PLEASE NOTE: Purchasing or renting this ISBN does not include access to the STUDIO resources that accompany this text. To receive free access to the STUDIO content with new copies of this book, please refer to the book + STUDIO access card bundle ISBN 9781501323942.
- GenresFashion
344 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 14, 2019
Chapter 13 – Dress and Technology
p.522 – Innovation is the development of something new, whether a thought or idea, a practice, or a tool or implement. Technological advances in apparel can be found in a variety of places.
Nanotechnology is the science of making electronics as tiny as possible. When nanotechnology companies partner with apparel companies, it results in the development of wearable electronics.
From clothes that “talk” to washers, telling the washer how the garment should be cleaned, to a Global Positioning System woven into a jacket collar to track a wandering child or an Alzheimer’s patient, wearable electronics can do amazing things. There’s clothing that adjusts to your changes in size, clothes that change color to match another garment in your closet, children’s sleepwear that sounds an alarm if a baby stops breathing, gym-suit fabrics that absorb odors and can be worn three or four times without offending other exercisers, and fiber-optic wedding dresses or disco trousers that sparkle.
Clothing for specific needs includes astronauts, firefighters, disabled individuals, and older adults.
p.523 – A new technology that can make textiles germ-free was developed by a researcher at the University of Georgia. This inexpensive technology can be applied to medical linens and clothing, face masks, athletic socks, and diapers.
New technologies target Generation Z consumers, which include having clothing that changes color from day to night, trousers that multitask by bearing keyboards and iPod or GPS systems built directly into their designs at the fiber level. Instead of having pockets sized for electronic devices in your clothing, your wardrobe will actually be your BlackBerry.
There is much more flexibility with digital printing and designers and thrilled to have more choices. In some ways the difference between screen printing and digital printing can be compared to a box of eight crayons versus a box of 120 crayons.
p.524 – The Galaxy Dress [by Cute Circuit] was the commissioned centerpiece of the “Fast Forward” Inventing the Future” exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago in 2009.
p.528 – Assignment: Do an online search to find out what is currently available in technology and dress. Use the following terms or a combination of terms to search for current information. You should prepare a report on your findings to share with the class. This can also be done in groups.
• Technology and clothing
• Nanotechnology and clothing
• Wearable electronics
• Smart fabrics
• Fiber-optics and dress
• CuteCircuit
• DuPont smart garments
• ICD+ smart garments
• Levi-Strauss
• Luminex
• M-Dress
• Philips NV
• Textonics
Chapter 14 – Ethics in Fashion
p.561 – Ethics is the study of right and wrong. The origins of ethics date back to Greek philosophers Socrates (496-399 BC) and his student Aristotle (384-322 BC). Both argued that self-knowledge through questioning what was right and wrong was necessary to achieve enlightenment and fulfillment.
p.562 – In 2009, U.S. customs officers seized $260 million dollars in goods; counterfeit footwear was the leading commodity.
The creation of knockoffs is illegal in Europe, where fashion designs are protected for 25 years, but the practice is currently legal in the U.S. However, legislation is currently being considered in the U.S. to protect fashion designs from imitation for three years.
Many consumers do not see purchasing counterfeit products as unethical, perhaps due to the fact that the effects are not immediately visible: counterfeit items are usually produced in sweatshops, deny the owner of the authentic good profit, and have been linked to terrorism.
The counterfeit industry has also been linked to terrorist organizations and organized crime. Such organizations often use slave labor or sweatshops to manufacture the merchandise.
p.522 – Innovation is the development of something new, whether a thought or idea, a practice, or a tool or implement. Technological advances in apparel can be found in a variety of places.
Nanotechnology is the science of making electronics as tiny as possible. When nanotechnology companies partner with apparel companies, it results in the development of wearable electronics.
From clothes that “talk” to washers, telling the washer how the garment should be cleaned, to a Global Positioning System woven into a jacket collar to track a wandering child or an Alzheimer’s patient, wearable electronics can do amazing things. There’s clothing that adjusts to your changes in size, clothes that change color to match another garment in your closet, children’s sleepwear that sounds an alarm if a baby stops breathing, gym-suit fabrics that absorb odors and can be worn three or four times without offending other exercisers, and fiber-optic wedding dresses or disco trousers that sparkle.
Clothing for specific needs includes astronauts, firefighters, disabled individuals, and older adults.
p.523 – A new technology that can make textiles germ-free was developed by a researcher at the University of Georgia. This inexpensive technology can be applied to medical linens and clothing, face masks, athletic socks, and diapers.
New technologies target Generation Z consumers, which include having clothing that changes color from day to night, trousers that multitask by bearing keyboards and iPod or GPS systems built directly into their designs at the fiber level. Instead of having pockets sized for electronic devices in your clothing, your wardrobe will actually be your BlackBerry.
There is much more flexibility with digital printing and designers and thrilled to have more choices. In some ways the difference between screen printing and digital printing can be compared to a box of eight crayons versus a box of 120 crayons.
p.524 – The Galaxy Dress [by Cute Circuit] was the commissioned centerpiece of the “Fast Forward” Inventing the Future” exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago in 2009.
p.528 – Assignment: Do an online search to find out what is currently available in technology and dress. Use the following terms or a combination of terms to search for current information. You should prepare a report on your findings to share with the class. This can also be done in groups.
• Technology and clothing
• Nanotechnology and clothing
• Wearable electronics
• Smart fabrics
• Fiber-optics and dress
• CuteCircuit
• DuPont smart garments
• ICD+ smart garments
• Levi-Strauss
• Luminex
• M-Dress
• Philips NV
• Textonics
Chapter 14 – Ethics in Fashion
p.561 – Ethics is the study of right and wrong. The origins of ethics date back to Greek philosophers Socrates (496-399 BC) and his student Aristotle (384-322 BC). Both argued that self-knowledge through questioning what was right and wrong was necessary to achieve enlightenment and fulfillment.
p.562 – In 2009, U.S. customs officers seized $260 million dollars in goods; counterfeit footwear was the leading commodity.
The creation of knockoffs is illegal in Europe, where fashion designs are protected for 25 years, but the practice is currently legal in the U.S. However, legislation is currently being considered in the U.S. to protect fashion designs from imitation for three years.
Many consumers do not see purchasing counterfeit products as unethical, perhaps due to the fact that the effects are not immediately visible: counterfeit items are usually produced in sweatshops, deny the owner of the authentic good profit, and have been linked to terrorism.
The counterfeit industry has also been linked to terrorist organizations and organized crime. Such organizations often use slave labor or sweatshops to manufacture the merchandise.
May 9, 2017
It's an academic text but it will change the way you think about dress, even if you don't think it matters to you at all.
September 17, 2025
v informative easy to read
December 2, 2020
could be updated, but overall very informative
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews